Ayanna Cooper

Ayanna Cooper, EdD, is an educator, bestselling author, storyteller, and keynote speaker whose passion for advocacy centers around primary and secondary linguistically diverse student populations. As a technical assistance provider, she supports leadership teams, state departments of education, and serves as an advisory member for the National Association of English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA). She is a U.S. Department of State English Language Specialist alumna, having served on two projects, one with the Kuwait Ministry of Education and the other in Brazil. In addition to consulting, Dr. Cooper stays close to classrooms by teaching pre-service teacher candidates at Howard University. She is the author of several publications, including And Justice for ELs: A Leader’s Guide to Creating and Sustaining Equitable Schools, Black Immigrants in the United States; Essays on the Politics of Race, Language and Voice (co-edited), multiple book chapters, and as the founding editor of Language Magazine’s Pass the Mic series. As a committed knowledge seeker, she has earned advanced degrees in education and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Education Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education