LeeAndra Khan

LeeAndra Khan is CEO of Civitas Education Partners. Previously she served as a middle school principal in Oak Park, Illinois, and formerly spent 10 years in three Chicago high schools as a principal, assistant principal and math teacher. Before beginning her journey into education, she spent 10 years as a civil engineer designing roads, highways, gas stations and bridge inspections. LeeAndra is the mom of one son and the daughter of a retired Chicago police officer. Watch her TEDx Talk on teacher voice and leadership beyond the classroom, where she tells a story about how a school culture transformed through teacher influence. In August 2017, she came together with more than 40 other African-American parents, students and teachers to talk about the Black experience in America's public schools. These conversations were released as a video series in Getting Real About Education: A Conversation With Black Parents, Teachers and Students.

Posts By LeeAndra Khan

School Choice

Nobody Likes a Teachers Strike. Here's How We Can Work to Avoid Them.

Nobody likes a teachers strike. I know. I have lived through a number of them. And I'm doing it again this week. My life and my background speak to the importance of education and choice, two topics...

IEP

Why We Need to Stop Thinking About Students in Terms of Strengths and Weaknesses

My son is a freshman in high school and this felt like my first report card pick up all over again. While I have access to all his grades and consistent progress electronically, I was nervous to go...

Achievement Gap

America to Me' Director Steve James on Having a Real Conversation About Race in Schools

Two summers ago, I wrote an essay called “ The challenges of being a black Principal in today’s racial and political climate.” It was a reflection of my experiences as a leader in Black, White and...

Mental Health

My Mother's Suicide Is Part of My Story and It's Helping Me Change the Lives of Students

This piece is dedicated to my mother, affectionately known as Lovely. Even as I write this, I am still recovering from the impacts of mental illness and suicide. Though there are suicide hotlines and...

Diversity

4 Things You Missed Watching Black Panther

The entire nation is buzzing over the newest Marvel installment, “Black Panther”—especially Black folks. Aside from fantasizing about what it would be like to live in Wakanda and be a superhero,...

opportunity gap

#MyBlackHistory Call to Action: Give All Kids Access to Opportunities and Believe in Their Big Dreams

To commemorate Black History Month, Education Post is featuring stories from parents, students and educators that connect past to present in the continued fight for better schools for Black...