Professional Biography
Andrea M. Kane is a Professor of Practice in Educational Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. Previously, she served as Superintendent of Schools for Queen Anne’s County Public Schools in Maryland. Her tenure as a teacher and administrator in K-12 public school districts in Maryland and Virginia began in 1996 and ended in 2021.
Dr. Kane held a multitude of instructional roles including para-professional, classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal, senior manager for school improvement, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction, and Associate Superintendent for School Performance prior to being appointed as Superintendent of Schools for Queen Anne’s County. Dr. Kane’s visionary leadership proved to be effective in large suburban, urban, and small rural districts earning her the Governor’s Citation for instructional leadership, recognition for the first fully virtual learning program for public elementary and middle school students in Maryland, recognition from the Maryland Association of Environmental Outdoor Education (MAEOE) for achieving Green School certification in 100% of schools in Queen Anne's County Public Schools (QACPS) in 2020 and 2021, recognition for the first National Blue Ribbon School in QACPS history (2020-21), the State’s highest graduation rate for four consecutive years (2015/16 thru 2018/19), a ranking of six out of 24 school districts in Maryland in 2019, a grant award for one million dollars for an innovative outdoor environmental education and STEAM summer program in 2021, and induction into the prestigious Baltimore City College High School Hall of Fame (2018).
In Richmond Public Schools Dr. Kane led the development, implementation, and monitoring of the district Academic Improvement Plan (AIP) and performance targets, the driving force for improving teaching and learning. This work resulted in measurable increases in reading and math performance, the number of fully accredited schools from 2014–2017, student enrollment in International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, and the percentage of students attending two- or four-year colleges/universities.
Dr. Kane currently serves as a co-chair for the Superintendent’s Environmental Education Collaborative, a member of the Board of Directors for the Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE), and a member of the Advisory Board for the Achieving Academic Equity and Excellence for Black Boys Task Force with the Maryland State Department of Education.
Dr. Kane’s research interests include a practitioner-centered approach to solving problems of practice and addressing critical issues in education. Her dissertation, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: A Comparative Study on Mathematics Achievement among African American Males in Virginia integrates theoretical concepts (socio-cultural theory and culturally relevant pedagogy) and applied research in a quantitative comparison groups study.
As the first African American Superintendent for Queen Anne’s County Public Schools, Dr. Kane set professional and personal goals focused on implementing equitable practices across all areas of the organization including improving black, brown, and poor students’ access to advanced learning opportunities, offering the first African American Studies course in district history, building a diverse workforce, promoting student voice, and providing cultural proficiency/educational equity professional development to all employees.
