Elizabeth Demarest (Betty) is an education consultant who lives in Alexandria, VA. She is retired from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Education Association. While with the government, she served in a variety of senior civil service positions in the areas of education research, policy, and program management. She was director of the Blue Ribbon Schools Program and director of planning and policy coordination for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. At NEA she was a senior associate in the research department. She began her career as a middle school social studies teacher in New York City.