Molly Branson Thayer, Ed.D. is the Program Director of Leadership and Professional Education at the National P-3 Center at the University of Washington’s College of Education. In this role, Dr. Branson Thayer leads the Washington P-3 Executive Leadership Institute, which builds and supports administrators—in both early learning and elementary education—who are well equipped to ensure Washington’s young children have a high quality continuum of learning that begins at birth and extends through elementary school regardless of race, class, culture, or zip code. Dr. Branson Thayer is also responsible for contributing to the work of the National P-3 Center through strategic planning, public speaking, and Center development. 

Prior to joining the National P-3 Center, Dr. Branson Thayer was the Director of Literacy and Strategic Initiatives for the Urban Education Institute (UEI) and Senior Advisor and Co-Founder of UChicago Impact at the University of Chicago. Dr. Branson Thayer provided strategic leadership in the development and implementation of the STEP™ literacy assessment, professional development, and data management system, which is used for PreK-6^th grade in elementary schools around the country. 

Dr. Branson Thayer has been a Preschool Teacher, a Kindergarten Teacher, and a Lead Literacy Coach in San Francisco and Chicago public school systems, and enjoys working on both theoretical and practical issues within education.