Cassandra Herring is on a mission to ensure every student has an excellent teacher and that every teacher benefits from an equity-empowered, high-quality teacher preparation program. Dr. Herring is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity (BranchED), a nationwide effort to maximize programming and drive innovation in preparing highly effective diverse educators for all learners. BranchED provides technical assistance to advance institutional outcomes, foster strategic alliances to spur collaboration and innovation, and amplify the unique contributions of minority serving institutions in preparing teachers who will educate America’s students.
Dr. Herring’s passion for equity-driven education reform is firmly rooted in the belief that diversity and excellence are inextricably linked. With more than 20 years of experience in education, her career spans early childhood settings through higher education, and she has led several state education policy initiatives.
Before founding BranchED, Dr. Herring served as Dean of the School of Education and Human Development at Hampton University. Dr. Herring holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Policy from Georgia State University and a Master of Science and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. She has also served on numerous national and international boards, including on the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) Equity and Diversity Committee, the Board of Directors of the Data Quality Campaign, and advisory boards for the Cato College of Education at the University of North Carolina Charlotte and Teachers College at Western Governors University. Dr. Herring is the 2023 recipient of the Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Service to the Field of Educator Preparation and the Gloria Ladson Billings Academic Achievement Award for distinguished service to HBCU colleges of education.
