GreatSchools’ Salma Khan selected for Pahara Fellowship for education leaders
Khan joins the Pahara Institute’s cohort of values-driven leaders committed to transforming education
Oakland, CA (December 18, 2023) — The Pahara Institute has selected GreatSchools Chief of Staff Salma Khan to its prestigious Pahara Fellowship, a one-year program that distinguishes exceptional leaders in the educational excellence and equity movement. Khan joins a cohort of 24 leaders poised to transform the education system so that every child is prepared to lead a free and fulfilling life.
The Fellowship’s extensive leadership development programming facilitates leaders’ dynamic growth and strengthens their collective efforts to dramatically improve public education, especially those serving low-income children and communities.
“Improving opportunity for children and families has been a throughline throughout my career,” said Khan, a Los Angeles native that currently resides in Philadelphia. “I’m honored to join this esteemed cohort of leaders as we grow and challenge each other in pursuit of a more equitable education system.”
GreatSchools CEO Jon Deane preceded Khan in the program, having served as a fellow in 2015-2016.
Khan joined GreatSchools in 2022 and is responsible for driving organizational efficiencies in alignment with its equity and inclusion values. Prior to GreatSchools, she served as Senior Director, Community Engagement & Advocacy at Elevate 215 where she oversaw GreatPhillySchools, a local school finder website with over 350,000 annual users, and spearheaded the strategy, design, and execution of ApplyPhillyCharter, a unified application website for 80+ Philadelphia charter schools. As Director of External Affairs at KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools, Khan’s portfolio of work included advocacy, governance, and parent and community engagement. She also served as Director of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, overseeing the administration and expansion of the first federally-funded school voucher program, and worked in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement, the agency’s entrepreneurial arm that makes strategic investments in innovative educational programs and practices.
To view the full Pahara Fellowship cohort list, visit https://www.pahara.org/cohort-november-2023.
For more information on the Pahara Institute and/or Fellowship, contact info@pahara.org.
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About GreatSchools:
GreatSchools is the leading nonprofit providing high-quality information that supports parents pursuing a great education for their child, schools striving for excellence, and communities working to diminish inequities in education. We are the only national organization that collects and analyzes data from all 51 state departments of education and the federal government to provide analysis, insights, and school quality ratings for parents, partners, researchers, and policymakers. Over 49 million users visit GreatSchools’ award-winning website annually to learn about schools in their area, explore research insights, and access thousands of free, evidence-based parenting resources to support their child’s learning and well-being. Learn more at GreatSchools.org and join us on Twitter and Facebook.
About Pahara Institute:
The Pahara Institute seeks to strengthen the movement for educational excellence and equity by developing and sustaining values-driven leaders. The guiding principle of the Pahara Institute is that bold improvements are needed in our public schools so that every child in America is prepared to lead a free and fulfilling life. Pahara’s programs are designed to identify leaders in education innovation, and through a time-tested dialogue approach, strengthen and sustain their efforts to bring about critical improvements to our public schools. For more information, please visit pahara.org.
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