Laura Mitchell began her career at Cincinnati Public Schools as a Teacher at a now-defunct elementary school, Central Fairmount, which resided in the Cincinnati neighborhood of South Fairmount. She also served as both an assistant principal and a principal within the same school district. At the time of her promotion, Mitchell was serving as the Deputy Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer for the district. Mitchell worked to increase the academic achievement of "under-performing" schools in Cincinnati Public Schools, helping elevate the district to the rating of "Effective". She has been nationally recognized for her efforts, having won the State of Ohio Senate Commendation and House of Representatives Tribute for Nationally Recognized Educator, and the Milken Educator Award in 2002 as the principal of Westwood Elementary.