Kathleen Ehling, Esq. is a nationally respected education compliance leader with more than 21 years of experience helping education systems navigate complex federal and state requirements with clarity and confidence. As Assistant Vice President of Educational Services at PorzioCS, Kathleen partners with school districts, education agencies, and grant‑funded programs to meet compliance obligations efficiently — so leaders can stay focused on serving students, families, and communities.

Kathleen works closely with clients to anticipate regulatory change, reduce administrative burden, and build practical compliance systems that are sustainable, transparent, and aligned with program goals. Her expertise includes federal program administration, ESSER compliance, IDEA and ESSA monitoring, data reporting and accountability systems, risk assessments, and corrective action planning. She is known for translating complex requirements into clear, actionable guidance that supports effective operations rather than slowing them down.

Kathleen’s approach is grounded in partnership. She views compliance as a tool to enable — not obstruct — effective leadership, and she works to shoulder the compliance burden so education professionals can focus on instruction, innovation, and student success.

Kathleen brings deep insight from having worked across both federal and state education systems, including serving as a key liaison between state agencies and federal partners. She has supported compliance efforts across multiple administrations and evolving legislative priorities, giving her a unique ability to help clients stay ahead of change. Her background includes grant management, monitoring frameworks, regulatory implementation, dispute resolution systems, and statewide reporting initiatives, including contributions to New Jersey’s annual School Performance Reports and chronic absenteeism reporting processes.

Before joining PorzioCS, Kathleen spent more than 21 years at the New Jersey Department of Education, most recently as Assistant Commissioner for the Division of Educational Services. In that role, she oversaw statewide operations spanning special education, fiscal accountability, performance management, student support services, supplemental programs, and the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf. She also served as State Director for the CARES Act, CRRSA Act, and ARP ESSER programs, managing more than $1.5 billion in federal funding and developing systems to ensure compliance, accountability, and equitable outcomes.

In addition to her role at PorzioCS, Kathleen also serves as Of Counsel at Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, drawing on her extensive regulatory and operational experience to support education law‑related matters.

Kathleen holds a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University School of Law–Camden, a Master of Arts in Teaching from The College of New Jersey, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware.