Helaine K. Doran is the Deputy Director for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity and a longtime advocate and supporter of New York City's public schools. Formerly, Doran was Director of External Affairs for PENCIL where she organized business leaders to support policy and change initiatives beyond the organization's signature program, Principal For A Day. She organized business leaders to advocate on behalf of CFE both in Albany and at press events.

From 1999 to 2001, she served as the Senior Policy Analyst for Education in the Office of the Public Advocate of the City of New York where she was key advisor on all issues concerning New York City's public education systems from Pre-K to college, was responsible for developing and implementing legislative and policy agendas and preparing detailed briefings on key issues. Doran prepared five in-depth studies of the New York City school system including "NO ROOM TO LEARN: Crowded New York City Schools Jeopardize Smaller Class Size Plans," which was presented as evidence in the landmark Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. the State of New York case.

Prior to joining the Public Advocate's Office, Doran was the Director of the ACORN Schools Office where she developed a national network of small public schools created by and for low-income families; formulated and developed major school reform campaigns in moderate to large cities; directed national and local training programs on school reform issues; and directed the development of four major studies focusing on minority access to rigorous courses and programs.

Doran began her career in public school reform in 1990 when the coalition Save Our Schools was formed to fight threatened state and city funding cuts to schools. For three years, Doran led the campaign to educate and organize parents, advocates and community groups to demand better funding for public education in New York City.

Prior to her career in public school reform, Doran spent almost a decade in College Book Publishing as both an Advertising Manager and Product Manager.
Doran served on New York City's Community School Board 2 from 1993 to 1999 and was appointed Chair of the City Task Force of the School Budget Alliance by two former Presidents of the New York City Board of Education. Doran's two children are graduates of New York City's public schools.