Andy Smith is the senior director of Policy and Advocacy at Chiefs for Change where he leads the policy and advocacy efforts to drive transformative changes to ensure that every child in America receives a high-quality education. He is an expert on educator talent strategies from legislators, public officials, leaders of educator preparation programs and community-based organizations and brings a wealth of experience from his work in the higher education, non-for-profit and philanthropic spaces.

Prior to Chiefs for Change, Andy served as Policy Director at TNTP, where he co-led the One Million Teachers of Color (1MTOC) Campaign, demonstrating his commitment to diversifying the educator workforce and enhancing the educational landscape. His expertise in crafting and executing comprehensive policy solutions at the federal and state levels has been pivotal in supporting educator talent pipelines, and economic and social mobility for young people. Andy brings a wealth of experience in strategic planning, talent pipeline development and equitable design solutions for various K12, higher education, not-for-profit, and philanthropic partners. Earlier in his career, Andy served at The Education Trust as a P12 Policy and Data Analyst, focusing on the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act through state-based coalitions.

Andy earned his bachelor’s from Duke University, a master’s degree in education policy from Vanderbilt University and is an alumnus of the Center for Public Research and Leadership at Columbia Law School.