Current Role: Vice President, selection & CEO at Teach For America

Fellowship Role: Vice President of Selection at Teach For America

Dr. Ayanna L. Gore is the Vice President of Selection at Teach For America.

She was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. With a long line of preachers, Sunday school teachers and teacher aides in her family, education has always been the focus despite the fact that she earned a college degree before any siblings or her parents. Prior to joining the Fellowship, Ayanna was a classroom management and culture coach for Teach For America Chicago and became the Managing Director of STEM, She then moved into school leadership in Chicago where she led turnaround efforts in 2016 which successfully moved the school from off of the Chicago Public Schools warning list. Her passions lie within mindset coaching, classroom management, curriculum/instructional development and diversity, equity and inclusion within the school system. She focuses on providing support to educators with a cultural competency lens. Her motto is, “Where teachers learn, students learn!”

She earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Psychology of Crime and Justice from Loyola University—Chicago. She graduated with her doctorate in Educational Leadership at DePaul University where her research was titled, “AM I A SYSTEMIC INIQUITY INTERRUPTER? UNDERSTANDING THE INFLUENCE OF CRITICAL RACE EDUCATING THROUGH THE NARRATIVES OF ALTERNATIVE ED. BLACK EDUCATORS”.