Kaya Henderson

Kaya Henderson serves as Executive Vice President and Executive Director of the Center for Rising Generations at the Aspen Institute. Kaya has devoted her career, as a teacher, a leader, and an entrepreneur, to expanding opportunities for young people. 

Prior to joining the Aspen Institute, Kaya was the founder and CEO of Reconstruction, an innovative educational organization dedicated to teaching young people about African-American history, culture, and contributions in a comprehensive and affirming way, so that students of all backgrounds benefit from a more complete understanding of our shared history and society. 

Kaya is perhaps best known for serving as Chancellor of DC Public Schools from2010-2016. During her tenure, DCPS was nationally recognized for leading the nation in improved student performance. At the same time the district enjoyed enrollment growth, an increase in graduation rates, improvements in student satisfaction and teacher retention, and increases in AP participation and pass rates. Kaya also greatly expanded career opportunities for students, provided opportunities for young people to travel the world, and made sure that students experienced the joy of learning life skills like swimming and riding a bike.

Kaya’s career began as a middle school Spanish teacher in the South Bronx through Teach For America. She went on to expand opportunities for students through her work as a TFA staff member, as a Vice President at TNTP, and as a leader of the Global Learning Lab for Community Impact at Teach for All. She is also co-host of PodSave the People.

A native of Mt. Vernon, NY, Kaya graduated from Mt. Vernon Public Schools. She received her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and her Master of Arts in Leadership from Georgetown University, as well as honorary doctoral degrees from Georgetown and Trinity University. Her board memberships include Georgetown University, Robin Hood NYC, Scholastic, and Teach For America, and she is the co-founder of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC). Kaya is a former trustee of the Aspen Institute and a Fellow in the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

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