“My work has always been about building the conditions where educators and students can show up fully. For me, this isn’t just policy work, it’s about protecting education as a space of possibility, dignity, and liberation. Literally every step of my career—from the classroom to statewide research—has been preparing me to do this work at scale. I’ve seen what’s possible when policy is shaped in partnership with the people most impacted. This is what Public Advocates does best and this is what drew me to the position.”
~Kai Mathews
Dr. Kai Mathews (she/her/hers) is a Senior Policy Advocate for Educator Equity at Public Advocates, where she advances bold, community-rooted policy and advocacy strategies to build an educator workforce that reflects, affirms, and sustains the brilliance of California’s students. Her work sits at the intersection of coalition power, narrative change, and systems transformation—ensuring that access to well-prepared, diverse educators is not a privilege, but a right.
Across her career, Kai has worked to reimagine education as a site of liberation. As Research Director for the California Educator Diversity Project at UCLA, she led statewide research and cross-sector coalition efforts focused on dismantling barriers across the educator pipeline and designing more equitable pathways into and through the profession.
As a former classroom teacher at High Tech High and the founder of The Liberatory Classroom, Kai brings a deep commitment to education as a practice of freedom—working to design systems, spaces & places where folx (particularly students and teachers) can show up whole in the full potential and dignity of their humanity. Whether through scholarship, facilitation, or strategic leadership, Kai is known for building coalitions, catalyzing bold action, and fostering spaces where all people—especially those historically pushed to the margins—can lead, learn, and thrive.
Education
Dr. Mathews holds a B.A in English with a minor in Creative Writing from Spelman College, an M.A. in Communications from Ellis University, and a Ph.D. In K-12 Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego.