| Christie's Experience: A passion for educational excellence and equity is what has sustained Christie Andrews over her 25+ years as an educator, administrator, and advocate for K-12 students with diverse learning profiles. Early in her career, she taught in a low-income Hispanic community in Southern California. There, she developed her passion for equitable literacy education so all children could reach their potential. Upon moving to Nashville, she served as the Associate Director at Bowie Reading and Learning Center. While there, she experienced the enormous impact that one-on-one teaching can have on students' self-esteem and academic achievement. Still, Christie was acutely aware of these interventions' inaccessibility for under-resourced families. In 2006, she and a close colleague founded Learning Matters as a nonprofit to provide evidence-based interventional tutoring, educational assessment, school advocacy, and academic mentorship to any under-resourced student. As Executive Director, Mrs. Andrews guides the direction of Learning Matters, conducts assessment feedback meetings with parents and school staff, provides advocacy for students to ensure appropriate interventions and accommodations for students are received, and oversees the organization's strategic plan, programs, operations, and administration. Christie earned her B.S. from University of California, Irvine, her M.Ed. and teaching credential from California State University, Fullerton, Certification of Language Acquisition and Development from California State University, San Bernardino, and a M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership from Lipscomb University. |
