Rachel Willis, Founder of Elevating Equity

Rachel Willis is an award winning educator with over a decade of experience teaching and leading in K-12 and graduate level settings. Named the 2009 Atlanta Public Schools Elementary Teacher of the Year and 2010 Milken Educator Award recipient, Rachel served on Governor Nathan Deal’s (R-GA) Education Advisory Board and was appointed as a trustee to the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia.

In 2012, Rachel was recruited to redesign a professional development program centered around culturally responsive teaching and race and equity for Teach For America corps members and alumni in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. During this time, Rachel also designed and served as a co-instructor of a pilot program at Columbia University’s Teachers College focused on preparing current and aspiring principals to lead racially equitable schools.

Building off of her experience designing and facilitating learning experiences, Rachel founded Elevating Equity in 2015 to create spaces for educators and community members to examine race and ensure every child receives an equitable education.

Rachel received a B.A. from Smith College in Government and a Ed.M. in Education Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. She currently resides in Atlanta.