D’Andre J. Weaver is a native of Chicago’s South Side who understands the life-changing power of effective teachers and a quality public education. As a former public school teacher, principal, senior leader, and superintendent, D’Andre cares deeply about helping students realize their dreams. His leadership is centered around equity and access, learner-centered approaches, advancing digital equity, and organizational health.
Currently, D’Andre serves as Chief Digital Equity Officer (CDEO) at Digital Promise Global. As CDEO, D’Andre oversees the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools (VILS) program, part of Verizon’s flagship education initiative with a national network of more than 500 Title I schools. Additionally, D’Andre will use lessons learned from the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools program and other Digital Promise initiatives to develop new state- and district-level opportunities for the organization that will further the goal of improving digital equity.
Under D’Andre’s previous leadership as superintendent of DeSoto ISD – a Dallas, TX-area school system – the school district experienced a 12-point gain in the District’s state accountability rating and saw increases in student learning, student connectedness, district finances, talent management, and stakeholder engagement. He also spearheaded an ambitious community driven and learner-centered strategic plan which prioritized a whole-child/whole-family approach to education as well as an emphasis on personalization, competency-based education, and passion-driven learning.
Prior to his appointment as the superintendent of DeSoto ISD, D’Andre served as a Community Superintendent with Houston-area school system Spring Branch Independent School District where he oversaw 20 campuses and principals. He was a part of a senior leadership team that scaled personalization district-wide, impacting the district’s 35,000 students, resulting in dramatic increases in student achievement and student belonging.
As a principal, D’Andre led Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy, one of eleven selective enrollment high schools in the Chicago Public Schools system. During his tenure, academic achievement, graduation rates, college entrance and retention rates, and freshmen on-track rates improved to all-time highs. As a result, U.S. News and World Report recognized Brooks as the #10 best high school in Illinois, received four Gold Medal status awards, and was the first high school on the South Side of Chicago to be named a National Blue Ribbon High School.
D’Andre is a board member at the Chicago Public Education Fund and the Mastery Transcript Consortium. He is a Pahara Fellow, Racial Equity Leadership Network Fellow, and a member of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoc), Men of Color in Educational Leadership (MCEL), and several local and national educator associations.