Khaled Ismail
Principal

Khaled supports leaders in school districts and CMOs, state agencies and funder collaboratives with a focus on instructional alignment, academic strategy, assessment and accountability systems.

Khaled’s expertise spans K12 administration and higher education systems. He has advised leaders on implementation and evaluation of academic improvement strategies, COVID-19 recovery efforts, coherent instructional systems and preparation for postsecondary success. Prior to joining Education First, Khaled worked in the Chief of Academic Supports Office at the School District of Philadelphia, the 8th largest school district in the country. In this role, he managed planning, progress monitoring and implementation of district academic initiatives, including COVID-19 reopening and recovery efforts and a new district accountability framework. Khaled has also served the students and families of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Northwestern University and Chicago Public Schools. His experience navigating public education as an immigrant and first-generation student, educator and leader has shaped his passion for collaborating and innovating with communities to solve for and eliminate institutional barriers to educational equity.

Khaled earned a Bachelor of Arts from Northern Illinois University in Political Science and Gender Studies, a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern University, and a Master of Art in Urban Education Leadership from The Broad Center. In his spare time, you can find him being overly competitive in a bowling or trivia league and exploring new places with his bernedoodle, Bodhi.