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 a strong national charter legislative framework. Previously, Andrea 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 at Boston University. Andrea’s early career included teaching in and starting up schools in the Twin Cities, Philadelphia, and the South Bronx with an early charter management organization. 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 helps entrepreneurs grow their nonprofits and small businesses to tackle social and environmental disparities in New Orleans. Andrea earned a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University, an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and is a doctoral candidate in Urban Education Leadership at Xavier University of Louisiana.