D.C.’s former state superintendent is returning to Washington to oversee academics at the city’s largest charter school network.
KIPP D.C. Public Schools announced that Hanseul Kang will become its newest superintendent, overseeing the network’s 22 schools. Its charters serve nearly 7,500 students.
Kang will start her role on Dec. 7.
In an interview, Kang said she was stepping into the role during a “time of change for our city, for our country, for education.”
“What I am thinking about is how we, as educators working in the system, help our students think about, yes, a world that is changing rapidly, but also create a sense of safety and security and belonging for them,” Kang told The Washington Post on Friday. That, she said, would allow them to “really tackle challenging and rigorous content that will help prepare them and help them think about how they want to enter the world and what they want to take on after they graduate.”
Kang served as D.C.’s state superintendent of education from 2015 to 2020, becoming its longest-serving appointee. The office is the equivalent of a state education department.
She most recently led the Broad Center at the Yale School of Management in New Haven, Connecticut.
At KIPP D.C., Kang will be responsible for overseeing the charter network’s academic strategy and school leader development. She said she will aim to advance KIPP D.C.’s plans to have every one of its schools reach the “Strong” or “Exemplary” benchmark on ASPIRE, D.C.’s public charter school accountability system, by 2030.
Kang said her first steps will be to visit classrooms and schools to evaluate what is already in place.
“Hanseul brings deep knowledge of D.C., extensive experience developing strong leaders, and a clear understanding of what it takes to turn ambitious goals into action,” KIPP D.C.’s chief executive Shannon Hodge said in a statement. “She listens carefully, builds trust, and keeps students at the center of her work. She will be an invaluable partner to our educators as we deliver on our commitment to Every School Excellent.”
In her former role as state superintendent, Kang made some school data more accessible to families, increased early-childhood education offerings and took steps to improve the reputation and credibility of the state superintendent’s office. She also oversaw an investigation into alleged residency fraud at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, though a significant portion of families were ultimately cleared of wrongdoing.
As she transitions into her next role, Kang said she wants KIPP D.C. students to know that she cares about them and their success.
Kang said part of that belief is driven by her experience during a difficult period in high school when she learned she was undocumented as she was getting ready to apply to college. Her teachers became instrumental to her at that time, she said, instilling in her assurance that they knew her as a “full person, not just as this label that I learned.”
“That belief is always something I’ve carried with me,” she said. “I think it’s so important to share those personal connections and help all students know that there are people who care about them and believe in them. That’s what drives me still in this work, too.”
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