Our Leadership

Dr. Kara H. Ahmed serves as the President of the Educare Network, leading a national network of 25 Educare schools, public and private partnerships across the country and the Educare National office team.

Dr. Ahmed began her career as an early childhood teacher, ultimately moving into administration and leadership and working across various districts and levels of education. Prior to joining the Educare Network, she most recently spent 16 years in various leadership roles for New York City Public Schools, the nation’s largest school system. Dr. Ahmed has a distinguished record of engaging diverse stakeholders, including families, educators, superintendents, researchers, elected officials and higher education in partnering on a collective early childhood mission and vision for New York City.

Dr. Ahmed has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University, as well as a Master of Arts degree in Education Leadership and a Doctor of Education in Education Policy, both from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Andrea Pearson leads the execution of the Educare Network’s efforts, including support for school excellence, innovation and the development of strategic partnerships to extend the impact and reach of the Network. She oversees and improves comprehensive systems of service delivery to Network members to advance progress on shared goals and priorities.

Andrea is a teacher at heart, with 20+ years of education experience working in partnership with children, families and staff in early childhood and elementary learning environments. She previously served as a teacher, counselor, principal, consultant and board member, working in public, private and international schools in the U.S., Brazil and India.

Andrea has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in elementary education from Northern Illinois University. She and her spouse live in the western suburbs of Chicago and enjoy their most treasured role as parents to their three young children.

Amy Lusk leads the Educare Network’s efforts to build its strength and sustainability through innovative partnerships at the local, regional and national levels.

For more than 20 years, Amy has served in various leadership positions at the Educare Network and Start Early, providing direction to ensure the success of Start Early’s first endowment campaign, establish the first Educare school in Chicago in 2000, and expand Educare’s national footprint to 15 states, the District of Columbia and on tribal land.

Amy holds a master’s degree in sociology from Northwestern University and lives in Chicago with her two daughters.

Dr. Amanda Stein conducts research focused on policies and practices that support equitable access to quality early learning and care and promote positive outcomes for children, families and early childhood professionals. Guided by the Network’s strategic plan, research agenda and policy agenda, she leads the research, evaluation, research-practice and research-policy partnerships (RPP) infrastructure, activities and strategy of the Educare Network.

Dr. Stein collaborates with Educare school leaders, the Network research community of national and local evaluation partners and others to lead the design, implementation and amplification of practice- and policy-relevant research and evaluation. She is currently the task lead on the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation’s Financing for ECE Quality and Access for All Project, which seeks to better understand Head Start’s participation in and use of braided funding.

Dr. Stein received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Iowa State University. She is a former Head Start teacher and also previously supported early interventionists and families as a coach, which ignited her passion to work at the intersection of research, policy and practice.

Hanna Kahn advances strategic solutions that engage constituents in the work of the Educare Network, increasing organizational awareness and visibility nationally. In addition to leading the marketing and communications team, Hanna also manages Network governance, overseeing Board and Network decision-making to uphold organizational integrity. Across all functions, she forges partnerships and drives engagement to support fair and equitable access to resources and opportunity.

Prior to joining the Educare Network, Hanna led Network marketing and engagement for Feeding America’s network of more than 200 food banks. Throughout the course of her 20+ year career, she has been a passionate and effective advocate for brands, missions and communities, with a particular specialty in driving alignment across complex structures.

Hanna holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Miami University. As the mother of two children who both benefitted from Early Intervention services, Hanna knows firsthand the importance and transformative effect of quality early care and education.