Quiana Anders

Quiana Anders is an educator with 16 years of experience who recently resigned from her teaching position to take a year off. She began her career as a life skills teacher, a role she held for three years, before transitioning to a self-contained classroom setting. Anders later became a district math strategist, where she coached other teachers on effective math instruction for three years. She holds a business degree from Angelo State University and is a member of the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators and the West Texas Area Alliance of Black School Educators. Anders helped start a math intervention program for children in underserved communities, working with them two days a week over eight weeks to build skills and fill learning gaps. She attributes her success to her drive to reach her fullest potential despite facing closed doors and rejection, responding by working harder and pursuing additional training. Anders notes challenges in her field as a person of color, including resistance and being labeled the angry Black woman when expressing passion, but sees opportunities for advancement through further education to roles such as principal or superintendent. Her advice to young women entering education is to remember their why and focus on the students.