Dr. Kristina Kyles-Smith is the Chief Executive Officer of Lillie May Carroll Jackson Charter, an all-girls middle school in Baltimore, Maryland, dedicated to empowering girls of color through academics and leadership.

With diverse experience in education, Kristina served as a teacher, equity director, curriculum director, principal, charter network executive director, and assistant state superintendent of education in Maryland. She also contributed to school transformation and equity as the regional director for EL Education.

Raised in Holland, Michigan, by activist parents, she earned her bachelor's, master's, and EdD degrees from Hope, Simmons, and Cambridge Colleges. Her doctoral research focused on historically Black schools' ability to educate Black students. She's currently pursuing a PhD in public policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Kristina has authored "To Address Learning Gaps, Go Deeper" (September 2023), co-authored "Is Your Approach to Continuous Improvement Colorblind?" in Educational Leadership (March 2021), and authored "The Essence of Dunbar" (June 2021).

Residing in Baltimore County, Maryland, she actively participates in professional associations and community service, including the National Alliance of Black School Educators and The Links, Incorporated.