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Chief of Schools - Elementary, Madison Metropolitan School District

Nancy Hanks is the chief of schools for elementary in the Madison Metropolitan School District. In this capacity, Nancy has led her schools to ten point increases in literacy and mathematics overall. In addition, 17 schools have made at least ten point gains in literacy and five schools have made over 20 point gains in literacy in the past five years. As a principal in Chicago, Nancy led the transformation of her school and successfully managed the addition of 90 minutes to the school day, a complex move that improved academic outcomes and created a more well-rounded school day for her students and staff. Nancy was recognized on The Root 100 for her work to eliminate the school to prison pipeline, as one of Brava Magazine's "Women to Watch", and Madison 365's "Power 100", recognizing the most influential Black leaders in Wisconsin. She holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Southern Illinois University and a master's degree in school leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a devoted daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She is a Fellow of the 24th class of the Pahara - Aspen Education Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.