Crystal McQueen-Taylor is the Executive Director of StudentsFirstNY, where she leads statewide advocacy and political campaigns to expand access to high-quality public education across New York. A proud Brooklyn native and daughter of Grenadian immigrants, Crystal’s journey through New York City public schools—and her family’s pursuit of opportunity—shapes her deep commitment to educational equity and student-centered policy.

Crystal began her career as a Bronx public school teacher through Teach For America and has spent more than two decades working across the education ecosystem. She has led the NYC Teaching Fellows program at TNTP, preparing and supporting thousands of educators, and served as Regional Senior Director at Uncommon Schools, where she strengthened parent organizing, governance, district partnerships, and advocacy.

In 2020, Crystal joined StudentsFirstNY as Chief Advocacy Officer, helping build grassroots coalitions that protected charter school funding during the pandemic and mobilized family voices to shape pro-student policy statewide. Since becoming Executive Director in 2022, she has pioneered campaigns that organize families, build broad coalitions, and advance policy and political strategies that expand access to high-quality district and charter public school options for all students.

Crystal’s leadership has been widely recognized. She has been named a PoliticsNY Power Player in Education, a 2025 Nonprofit Power Player, a City & State Responsible 100 honoree, and was listed on the Albany Power 100 for her influence in state education policy and politics.

She serves on the board of Uncommon Schools NYC, where she chairs the Advocacy Committee, and is a member of EdLoc. Crystal lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son and brings to her work an unwavering commitment to making public education more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to family and student needs.