Meet Bianca Harris, Ed. D
Bianca Harris is a Florida native who has devoted over 23 years to impacting the lives of young people and families of underrepresented and underserved communities in Florida and Louisiana. Bianca has extensive education experience as a teacher, school counselor, instructional specialist, assistant principal, principal, supervisor of academic accountability and assessment, and school leadership coach. Some of Bianca’s success include transforming school performance, increasing high school graduation rates, college attainment for low-income and minority students, school transformation and improvement, and mentoring aspiring school leaders.
As a Florida teacher in the early 2000’s, she supported 100% of her students to pass the state assessment. From 2009-2014, Bianca served a lead school counselor in Louisiana where she was able to impact with students, families, and the community by offering rigorous and comprehensive school counseling programs to meet the academic, social-emotional, college, and career needs of students. Under Bianca’s leadership, 75% of the students enrolled in four-year colleges/universities, 15% pursued a two-year college degree, and students were awarded tens of millions of dollars in financial aid, grants, and scholarships to further their education. Most notably, Bianca guided multiple students to be awarded the prestigious Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Scholarship.
One of her most significant contributions were the increase in high school graduation rates within her school district. Bianca pursued a doctoral degree and completed a dissertation on the effects of a college, career, and life readiness program and its impact on high school graduation rates. Her study focused on program evaluation and garnered local and state recognition due to the rise in high school graduation rates (96%) within her district when compared to state average of 67%. Bianca’s massive success in student achievement led her to serve in the same school district as assistant principal, principal of 9th grade academy, and supervisor or academic accountability and assessment. She was instrumental in the district maintaining their status as Louisiana’s top-rated school district for over 15 years in a row.
In 2017, Bianca’s transition back to Florida where she was appointed as the school principal of a K-8th grade charter school in the Orlando, Florida area. During her time as a Title I school principal, she infused previous knowledge, skills, and expertise to transform the school’s performance grade of C to an A in less than three years! In 2019, Bianca was awarded the I Am Woman: Strength of Women Excellence in Education Award for Central Florida.
Over the years, Bianca has participated in several advanced leadership fellowships like the National Aspiring Superintendent Institute of Chicago, Urban Leadership Development Institute of Baton Rouge, Leadership Orange of Orlando, Leadership Sarasota, and the coveted Leadership Florida.
In 2021, Bianca was appointed to Chief Program Officer for the Education Foundation of Sarasota County where she managed programming for 2,500 teachers and 45,000 in Sarasota County’s public school district and charter schools. Bianca oversaw direct student and teacher programming targeted for underrepresented and underserved students, classroom grants, educator recognition, and teacher leadership programs.
Bianca has shifted her work to program measurement, evaluation, and outcomes and has contracted with public schools, colleges, institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Currently, Bianca is contracted with New Leaders which works tirelessly to build equitably-focused aspiring school leaders. In 2024 alone, Bianca has landed large contracts with two nonprofit organizations, a mid-size school district, and a charter organization in South West Florida. Whether its program development, evaluation, or strategic planning, Bianca’s leadership and expertise continuously proves to transform any organization she impacts.
She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Webster University, Louisiana State University, and most notably a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership for Teaching and Learning from Walden University. Bianca also holds teaching, school counseling, leadership, and school superintendent certifications in Florida and Louisiana. Bianca once held these same certifications in Mississippi, Texas, and Georgia.
She enjoys the beach, vacationing, food, and fashion. Bianca resides in Parrish, Florida with her wonderful and supportive husband Odie and two sons Yahti and Kofi.