What’s Ahead for K–12 Public Education in New Hampshire

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We were joined by Nicole Heimarck and Alex Tilsley from Reaching Higher NH, a nonpartisan policy and research organization focused on public education. The discussion explored key issues shaping K–12 education across the state, including what’s new in policy, funding, and the issues that impact our students and families most. We also took an early look ahead at the upcoming 2026 legislative session. 

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About the Speakers    

Nicole Heimarck

Nicole Heimarck has extensive experience as a leader in educational policy and a track record of implementing large-scale education transformations through national, state and local collaborations. She also has practical experience in public education ranging from Pre-K through post-secondary learning. Her previous roles include Director of Government Relations with the NH School Boards Association, Bureau Administrator in Education Preparation for the NH Department of Education, and Director of Curriculum and Professional Development for SAU 39: Amherst, Mont Vernon and Souhegan school districts. In 2019, she joined Reaching Higher NH to serve as Director of the NH Alliance for College and Career Readiness. In 2020, she moved into the role of Executive Director for Reaching Higher.

Nicole received her Bachelor of Arts in History and Education from Stonehill College in North Easton, MA, a Master of Arts in Education Leadership from the University of New Hampshire, Durham, and has her Certification as a Critical Friends Group Coach by the School Reform Initiative.  She is a resident of Amherst.has extensive experience as a leader in educational policy and a track record of implementing large-scale education transformations through national, state and local collaborations. She also has practical experience in public education ranging from Pre-K through post-secondary learning. Her previous roles include Director of Government Relations with the NH School Boards Association, Bureau Administrator in Education Preparation for the NH Department of Education, and Director of Curriculum and Professional Development for SAU 39: Amherst, Mont Vernon and Souhegan school districts. In 2019, she joined Reaching Higher NH to serve as Director of the NH Alliance for College and Career Readiness. In 2020, she moved into the role of Executive Director for Reaching Higher.

Nicole received her Bachelor of Arts in History and Education from Stonehill College in North Easton, MA, a Master of Arts in Education Leadership from the University of New Hampshire, Durham, and has her Certification as a Critical Friends Group Coach by the School Reform Initiative. She is a resident of Amherst.

Alex Tilsley
Alex Tilsley joined Reaching Higher in 2025 as the Director of Policy. In that role, she sets the organization's policy priorities and works to provide decisionmakers and the public with the research and analysis they need to advance policies that strengthen our public schools.
 
Alex grew up in Mont Vernon and Londonderry, and attended a mix of public and private schools. After graduating from the University of Southern California, she began her career with the NYC Leadership Academy, an organization supporting public school principals, before joining the Urban Institute, a DC-based social policy research organization. At Urban, Alexandra helped to launch the Center on Education Data and Policy and was part of the startup team for the DC Education Research Practice Partnership. Most recently, she served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Impact and External Affairs, working across research, communications, and development to connect research to policy decisions and people's lives. 
 
Alex lives in Concord, and when she's not in the office, she can almost certainly be found in the woods, regardless of the season.
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