Darian Burns

Legislative and Public Policy Analyst Southern Education Foundation

Darian Burns serves as the Legislative and Public Policy Analyst for the Southern Education Foundation. She supports the senior director of public policy in monitoring and advancing equitable education policies across the South that align with the values and mission of SEF. She also leads the development of SEF’s Weekly Bottom Line Newsletter that provides a comprehensive overview of the latest state-level education policy news from the South across SEF’s 17 state footprint. Darian holds a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. A Public Policy International Affairs (PPIA) program alumna, Darian has also served as a literacy tutor for kindergarteners and first-graders with American Reads. A former NCAA Division II National Champion gymnast, she also works as a coach and mentor for Brown Girls Do Gymnastics, which was instrumental in launching the nation’s first HBCU collegiate gymnastics program at Fisk University.