Cara is an experienced educator, curriculum and assessment specialist, and policy analyst. She began her career in education as an English literature and English as a second language teacher, working in classrooms both in the United States and abroad. In 2002 she became a lead test and curriculum development specialist in English language arts at the Riverside Publishing Company. In this capacity, she worked closely with teachers, school districts, and state departments of education to create large-scale assessment items, evaluate standardized assessments for bias and sensitivity issues, and provide professional development around data-driven instruction methods.

Cara continues to consult in the areas of large-scale assessment and teacher professional development and maintains a relationship with Boston University, where she conducts educational research and teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses in domestic and international education policy. Cara is the editor of two books about education policy and the author of several academic articles on topics such as No Child Left Behind, charter schools, and other education policies for disadvantaged students.

Cara holds a doctorate in education policy and administration from the Boston University School of Education, an MA in anthropology from the University of Chicago, and a BA in English literature from Indiana University. She serves on the Board of Trustees for City on a Hill Charter Public School in Roxbury, Massachusetts.