Partners in School Innovation Welcomes Sanee Nashashibi as New CEO

Fall 2026

Sanee Nashashibi has been named the CEO of Partners of School Innovation, succeeding Derek Mitchell who has led the organization in such capacity since 2009. Sanee has been with Partners for the past 14 years and has held multiple roles, most recently as the Chief of Program Innovation. 

Under Derek’s tenure of 17 years, Partners has strengthened its position as a nationally recognized organization dedicated to helping educators and school systems create more equitable and culturally responsive environments for students that are rooted in continuous improvement. Its trajectory has been driven and defined by a steadfast belief that every student—regardless of race, income, language, or circumstance—deserves an excellent education and the opportunity to thrive.

“I am most excited about the learning we have done as an organization so far, as we have continued to support getting results for families. We’ve learned our way toward tens of thousands of students performing better in reading and mathematics, and we have built the lasting capacity of adults who continue to show up for other people's kids,” Derek states. “Sanee is the right leader for this next phase of Partners' life. Her passion for results, discernment about the work, and deeply collaborative nature are all assets in the work to come.”

Sanee has a B.A. in psychology and social welfare and two master’s degrees – one in education, and one in educational leadership and administration - and incorporates her own experiences in education into how she shows up for educators. She has also experienced Partners and its work in schools from inside and outside of the organization over the years. 

First introduced to Partners while serving as an instructional leader in a district that the organization supported, Sanee joined Partners after seven years as a teacher of elementary and middle school and as an instructional coach. She worked alongside educators and leaders across schools and districts, coaching them and designing new ways for Partners to support school and district partners. She has also experienced the work as a parent in a district where Partners had a deep, long-term partnership, and where her children remain in school today, after the formal partnership has ended.

“Having experienced Partners’ work from so many perspectives, I believe deeply in what’s possible when we work alongside educators to bring a shared vision for students to life,” Sanee shares. “As CEO, I’m excited to build on our strong foundation while continuing to evolve how we partner with schools and districts, staying responsive to what matters most to educators and focused on lasting change that expands what’s possible for students. I’m especially excited to shape this next chapter with our brilliant team, our partners, and the communities at the heart of our work.”

Under Sanee’s leadership, Partners has recently examined its strategic alignment with the aspirations and challenges of the communities it partners with, how to build the next evolution in its portfolio of offerings with intention, and whether the changes the team helps create in schools and districts are meaningful and lasting after Partners is no longer there. Sustainability is a critical through-line of the work and a priority for the organization: sustainable impact for schools and communities as well as a sustainable organization that is capable and effective in delivering that impact over time.

The work that the Partners team does builds on strengths already present in schools and communities and develops these further to create meaningful change for students. These partnerships rooted in continuous improvement incorporate reflective practices, plans that turn vision into action, and focused connection to see strategies through. The organization has realized this in services that pair crucial one-on-one coaching with on-demand, customized virtual resources and support across school years based on key challenges that schools and districts want to solve.

The appointment of Sanee Nashashibi as CEO leverages her strategic vision, energy and commitment to students, and deep-seated belief in equitable schools to drive Partners in School Innovation forward in this next chapter of the organization’s promise to public education.

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