Kelly C. Davenport, Ed.D.

CEO & Freire Schools Network Founder

B.A. University of Pennsylvania
M.A.T. Indiana University
Ed.D. University of Pennsylvania

Kelly co-founded Freire Charter High School in 1999 with the goal of engaging Philly kids directly in their education, nurturing leadership, citizenship, and creativity. Today, she leads Freire Schools with passion, excellence, and dedication. She provides the vision and the heart for our network, is the public face of our efforts, and coaches and supports Freire school leaders. Kelly is a mother of two who began her career in education as a Spanish teacher, seeking to make her classroom a space in which students could expect democracy, kindness, and to be valued for exactly who they were. She is guided in her work by her passionate belief in education as a basic human right, and critical to the well-being of our society.

Under Kelly’s leadership, Freire Schools has grown to four schools serving 2,000 students in Philadelphia and Wilmington. Kelly’s love of learning is linked to her personal interests, including her current role on the Board of the Philadelphia Financial Scholars, her past work as Eisenhower Fellow in China and with Leadership Philadelphia, and as a facilitator in the Pennsylvania Inspired Leaders program. Kelly also passionately believes in public school choice for all families, which she advocates for in her current role as Board President of the Philadelphia Charters for Excellence.