The Education Alliance

Reflecting on My Time at The Education Alliance (TEA) After three incredible years, my journey at The Education Alliance (TEA) has come to an end. This has been more than just a professional experience—it has been a transformative chapter that has left a profound impact on me, both personally and professionally. TEA is not just an organization; it is a family. A family where every voice matters, where leadership is truly bottom-up, and where passion, introspection, and sharp thinking are the cornerstones of how we operate. It is one of the most self-reflective organizations I have ever been a part of—always evolving, always finding new equilibriums, and never shying away from acknowledging faults and learning from them. This culture of continuous growth and humility is what makes TEA so special. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of leading multiple projects, most recently Mission Ankur, an initiative aimed at serving the needs of ~15 lakh Grade 1-3 students in Madhya Pradesh. Working on such impactful initiatives has been both challenging and deeply rewarding, and I am grateful for the trust and support I received from my peers and leaders. Speaking of leaders, I cannot reflect on my time at TEA without mentioning Amitav Virmani, whose leadership has shaped me in countless ways. His unwavering trust in his team, his ability to empower people to take ownership, make mistakes, and drive outcomes, is nothing short of phenomenal. It’s a leadership style that has taught me the true meaning of agency and accountability. As I move on from this chapter, I carry with me the lessons, relationships, and memories that have enriched my life. TEA will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will continue to cheer for its mission and the incredible people who make it what it is. To my TEA family—thank you for the trust, the camaraderie, and the countless moments of growth. I may be moving on, but I’m always around, rooting for you and the amazing work you do.

𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 Vigneshwaran B 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 5 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐄𝐀! For the past five years, Vignesh has been a driving force at TEA, working relentlessly to strengthen education systems and create meaningful change. He began his journey in Tamil Nadu’s state education reform team before moving to Delhi to strengthen TEA as an organization. As he completes 5 years today, his vision for the education sector is- "𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘐 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩—𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴, 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴, 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. -𝘝𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘩" Vignesh’s passion and dedication continue to shape the future of education. Here’s to many more years of impact, innovation, and transformation! #5yearswithTEA

Welcome, Pranay D., to The Education Alliance!✨ We’re excited to have Pranay join us as a Senior Associate at TEA's Organization Development team! With a strong passion for educational equity, he brings valuable experience in teaching, mentorship, and project management. As a Teach For India Fellow, he guided students toward academic success, and his work with BlueOrb Foundation and ISDM has strengthened his expertise in strategic thinking and community impact. Beyond work, Pranay enjoys cooking, quizzes, theatre, swimming, and cricket. We look forward to his contributions to our mission and team. #NewTEAmember

Welcome to TEA Mehar Kahlon 🎉 We are delighted to have Mehar join us as a Senior Associate within the SoAL Project, Punjab at The Education Alliance! Mehar is deeply passionate about educational equity and brings rich experience from First Steps IB World School, where she designed 150+ inquiry-based learning experiences for young learners. She also worked as a Research Associate on the TalkTogether project, focusing on teacher education and multilingualism. At TEA she is excited to contribute to the mission and take skill education to new heights with Schools of Applied Learning (SoALs). Outside of work, Mehar enjoys running, hiking, and exploring the outdoors! #NewTEAmember

Proud of our children studying at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Schools of Specialised Excellence!!👏👏

𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐓𝐄𝐀!🚀 We’re thrilled to announce that 𝐓𝐄𝐀 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐛 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 to revolutionize Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the state! This game-changing ITI Reform Project will modernize ITIs by enhancing 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐮𝐩𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚, 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐲—ensuring students gain job-ready skills for high-paying, dignified careers! Phase 1 starts with 10 𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐬, focusing on cutting-edge infrastructure, industry partnerships, and career-driven learning. A recently held dynamic workshop with ITI principals has already set the stage for action! This is just the beginning towards a new era of skill education in Punjab! Join us on this journey. Check out our careers page for role updates: https://lnkd.in/dKkPrHv6 Kanchan Lall | Neha K. | Abhijit Choksi #education #skilldevelopment #industrialtraining #jobs #placement #hiring

𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 – 𝐓𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥 𝐍𝐚𝐝𝐮 TEA is looking for a 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝 to drive large-scale impact in public education in Tamil Nadu. This role offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of policy and implementation, shaping the future of government school systems. If you have a passion for education reform and experience in project management, we want to hear from you. 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: ▶️Lead strategic planning, execution, and monitoring of state reform programs ▶️Manage diverse professionals and foster collaboration ▶️Work closely with government officials and TEA partners 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Chennai 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 16+ LPA 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 6-8 years 𝐓𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝. Join a high-impact, mission-driven team. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gZU4jinJ Aadi Rungta | Vigneshwaran B | Preethi Rajeswaran #hiring #careers #vacancy

Extremely grateful to Lotus Petal Foundation for recognizing the partnership with The Education Alliance at 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞 3.0. We deeply appreciate their role as a driving force in our 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 in Thangar’s government schools. Their innovative approach—offering virtual teacher support and tailored educational content—has strengthened foundational literacy and numeracy, making a tangible difference in classrooms. This impactful collaboration has garnered appreciation from CM Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath and CM Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami, reaffirming the power of partnerships in education reform. Together, we are taking one step at a time to make quality education accessible to every child. Thank you, Lotus Petal Foundation, for being a true catalyst for transformation! Medhavi Anand | Himani Rawat #TEAPartners #educationreforms #qualityeducation

Hiring Alert! The Education Alliance looking for Program Leads for senior roles in Chandigarh and Chennai! If you or someone you know is interested in driving impactful change, apply now. 📍 Locations: Chandigarh & Chennai 📌 Role: Program Lead Link to apply - https://lnkd.in/g_8pSnaY Feel free to share or reach out for more details! #Hiring #ProgramLead #CareerOpportunity #Chandigarh #Chennai

Over the past few months, I had the opportunity to work on 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐤 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐯𝐚𝐚𝐝, a decentralized platform for teacher professional development (TPD) through peer learning. The initiative reached over 𝟏.𝟓 𝒍𝒂𝒌𝒉 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 (𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔 𝟏-𝟓) 𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝟑,𝟎𝟎𝟎+ 𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉, providing a structured space for them to collaboratively reflect, share best practices, and troubleshoot classroom challenges. From co-conceptualizing to overseeing its implementation under 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐤𝐮𝐫 in MP, this journey provided the following insights into the complexities of education reform and TPD:- 1️⃣ 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝑶𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: While robust planning is fundamental to effective execution, the implementation phase often reveals unforeseen complexities. The ever-changing ground realities challenge initial assumptions. Learning, adapting, and recalibrating are essential to turning ideas into impact. 2️⃣ 𝑭𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔: In large-scale projects, the variety of challenges can be overwhelming. The key lies in identifying the root cause rather than addressing the symptoms. Strategic prioritization—focusing on the most critical bottlenecks—ensures resource efficiency and enhances program efficacy. 3️⃣ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒆-𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝑫𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒎𝒂 𝒊𝒔 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒍: Balancing reach with meaningful impact is one of the toughest challenges in any project. Monthly brainstorming sessions focused on the data at hand became a ritual for reimagining strategies and refining execution, ensuring we didn't lose sight of both scale and depth. 4️⃣ 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑫𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑹𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚: When we approach teachers with genuine curiosity and empathy, viewing their growth as a continuous journey, periodic trainings become the foundation for deeper support. Beyond these trainings, meeting teachers where they are, understanding their evolving needs, and incorporating new plans to support them ensures that professional development translates into real classroom impact. 5️⃣ 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆: High-impact interventions are not isolated events but ongoing processes, evolving over time to meet shifting realities. Seeing systemic change unfold incrementally requires consistency in effort, coupled with adaptive learning cycles. 6️⃣ 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: When organizations come together, their shared commitment to systemic change fosters stronger trust with the government. It was through our partnerships with Peepul, Vikramshila Education Resource Society, Room to Read India and Central Square Foundation that diverse perspectives came together, enabling Samvaads to reach last-mile teachers. Grateful to The Education Alliance for the opportunity to work on this project under such supportive and inspiring leaders Dhruv Pandey and Neha K..