Sara S. Clements

Sara has more than a decade of experience in education policy and government affairs, starting as a K-12 public school teacher. She is passionate about ensuring all kids receive a high quality education and thrives on helping clients achieve complex and challenging goals. She has quickly become a respected and trusted voice for education policy issues in Tallahassee.

Sara joined McGuireWoods Consulting after six years of leading government affairs in-house for education nonprofits in Florida. Prior to MWC, Sara led external and legislative affairs for Step Up For Students, the largest scholarship funding organization in the nation, which administers four educational choice scholarship programs to more than 115,000 students statewide.

Before that, she was the Florida Legislative Affairs Director for the Foundation for Excellence in Education/Excellence in Action, founded by Governor Jeb Bush. In that role she lobbied for policies relating to standards and assessments, school accountability, teacher quality, educational choice, early literacy, competency-based learning, and more.

Prior to working inside the Capitol, Sara taught English/Language Arts and reading for four years in a Title I public school in Orlando and a K-12 charter school in Tallahassee. Her experience teaching in the classroom continues to guide her approach to advocacy today.

In 2014, Sara was named a “30 Under 30 Rising Stars in Florida Politics” by Florida Politics, a statewide political news site. In 2011, Sara was nominated for Orange County Public Schools Teacher of the Year.

Sara lives in Tallahassee with her husband, Joe, and their rescue dog, Jasper.

Represented one of the nation’s largest and most influential education advocacy organizations in the state of Florida, on issues such as standards and assessments, school accountability, teacher quality, educational choice, early literacy, competency-based learning, and more.

Helped pass and implement the largest and most flexible education savings account in the nation, and expand it four years in a row.

Lead efforts to dramatically reform the individualized education plan (IEP) process in Florida as it pertains to decisions on standards and graduation, resulting in the most parent-friendly law in the nation at the time.

Volunteer, Guardian ad Litem Program-Second Judicial Circuit

Alumni, Connect Florida Class VI, part of the Leadership Florida network

Member, American Enterprise Institute (AEI) State Leadership Network

Member, James Madison Institute Board of Advisors, Tallahassee

Founder and Chair, Annual Red Dog Blue Dog Celebrity Bartender Benefit

Co-founder, Lean In Tallahassee

Volunteer, Last Hope Rescue

Education