Carly Andrews

Carly Andrews is the executive director of the Alliance for Early Childhood, a nonprofit organization devoted to nurturing the healthy development of young children by equipping early childhood educators, parents, and families with resources, education, and support.

Before coming to the Alliance, Andrews served as head of school at Baker Demonstration School (Wilmette, IL), head of school at Willowwind School (Iowa City, IA), and assistant head of school and head of middle school at Bosque School (Albuquerque, NM).

Prior to transitioning to school leadership, Andrews taught reading and language arts in independent and public-school settings, where she was trained in Montessori methodology and place-based field studies. She also studied language, literacy, and culture at the University of Iowa, where she taught pre-service teachers about the intersections of race, culture, and identity in literacy classrooms.

Andrews has presented at national conferences on topics such as learning and the brain, conflict and leadership, and project-based learning and community partnerships. She has worked with schools and districts to design and deliver professional learning focused on the fundamentals of play-based learning and developmentally appropriate practice.

Andrews earned her B.A. in English Education and TESOL and her M.A. at Middlebury College. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Child Development at Loyola University Chicago in partnership with the Erikson Institute, focusing her research on how belonging and friendship support children’s academic and social development.