Neubauer Fellows Community

Kwand Lang

Leadership Coach
School District of Philadelphia
2019 Neubauer Fellow
Sector
District
Education
M.S., Educational Leadership, Administrative Certification, Cheyney University
B.S., Mathematics, Temple University
"As a product of the city of Philadelphia and the School District of Philadelphia, I have always wanted to utilize my love for teaching to impact my community and my city. I have only wanted to work for the School District of Philadelphia, the place that molded and developed me. With this partnership, I believe that my team at Spruance and I have a unique opportunity to create a school truly focused on our vision, mission and motto of: High Expectations for Every Kid, Every Day in Every Class."

Kwand serves as a Leadership Coach for The School District of Philadelphia. In this road, he provides coaching and resources to District Leaders. Previously, he served as the principal of Gilbert Spruance Elementary School for ten years. Under his leadership, Spruance achieved a 22% decrease in the number of students scoring Below Basic in reading on the Pennsylvania System of State Assessment (PSSA). Additionally, 2021-2022 STAR data shows 9% growth in math, going from 9% in the fall to 18% in the spring, while reading grew from 22% to 28%. Spruance Elementary School received the 2018 Positive Behavior Interventions and Support Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Strides in School Climate. The school scored as a Model in the Student Progress category on the 2019 Student Progress Report (SPR). Overall, the Spruance SPR has grown from 20% in 2016-2017 to 59% in 2018-2019 and has been featured in the Philly Tribune.

Kwand has been an educator since 1996. Prior to becoming a principal, Kwand served as middle years math teacher, math teacher coach, and national training facilitator. Kwand serves as the Recording Secretary of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity – Nu Sigma Chapter and has received the fraternity’s George Hibbler Social Action Award, the Phi Beta Sigma International & Regional Education Award and the Brother of the Year & Future Leaders Award from. In 2019 Kwand was nominated by his staff and awarded the Dr. Robert Poindexter Award, for dedication to students and their quality of education. A Philadelphia native, Kwand attended Philadelphia schools save for 4th and 5th grade, when he attended school in his father’s hometown of St. Augustine, FL. He graduated from Philadelphia’s Carver High School for Engineering & Science.

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