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Dr. Andrea Zayas

Chief of Engagement & Partnerships
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools


Dr. Andrea Zayas has served as the Chief of Engagement & Partnerships at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools since January 2025, focused on effective programming and galvanizing stakeholders in pursuit of advancing our policy and advocacy goals. Previously, Dr. Zayas held significant roles including Chief Academic Officer at the Boston Public Schools, National Director of K-12 Strategy at Ballmer Group Philanthropy, and Founder of La Cima Charter School. Andrea founded Upstream Education Consulting, providing strategic initiatives for non-profit business, education, and municipal leaders and has extensive experience as a charter school authorizer at the NYC Department of Education, National Director of Regional Leadership Development at the KIPP Foundation, and as an instructor of education policy and practice at Boston University. Her early career included teaching in and starting charter schools in the Twin Cities, Philadelphia, and the South Bronx with an early EMO. In 2023, she was appointed by President Biden as Commissioner of the White House Initiative for Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics, and currently serves on the board of Propeller, a nonprofit that invests in high potential social entrepreneurs tackling disparities in New Orleans. Dr. Zayas earned a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University, an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a doctorate in Education Leadership from Xavier University of Louisiana. She is a recipient of the Pahara Institute Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.


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