Chandrai Jackson-Saunders is a retired nationally recognized educational leader and nationally certified school psychologist whose distinguished more than three-decade career reflects intellectual rigor, principled leadership, and an unwavering commitment to student success, community well-being, and public accountability. Her professional work bridges education, mental health, equity, and governance.
Mrs. Jackson-Saunders devoted more than thirty-five years to the District of Columbia Public Schools (1987–2022), serving in the Office of Special Education as a senior qualified examiner and leader in psychological services. In this role, she oversaw the ethical and technical delivery of educational and psychological services for students across elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Her expertise spans human development, learning theory, assessment, instructional design, school systems effectiveness, and culturally responsive practice.
Throughout her career, she earned a reputation as a trusted and steady leader within complex educational environments—protecting vulnerable learners, advising multidisciplinary teams, and guiding families and administrators toward evidence-based, student-centered solutions. In 2020, she was named National School Psychologist of the Year by the National Association of School Psychologists—one of the profession’s highest honors and the first African-American to receive this prestigious honor. This distinction followed decades of service, innovation, and peer-elected leadership at both the local and national levels, including service as Treasurer, Professional Development Coordinator, and two-term Delegate to the NASP Leadership Board.
At the school-community level, Mrs. Jackson-Saunders demonstrated transformative leadership during her thirteen-year tenure at Garfield Elementary School (Garfield Preparatory Academy). She developed school-wide social-emotional learning initiatives, a Character Education program, a Weekly Parent Training Series, and the Joyful Food Market—an initiative integrating nutrition education, family engagement, and student development. Under her leadership, the school earned multiple regional recognitions for kindness, safety, and community engagement.
Her civic leadership extends beyond education. In 2018, she led a successful parent-driven advocacy effort to improve pedestrian safety along a hazardous school corridor, resulting in targeted infrastructure improvements and a District Department of Transportation Trailblazer Award. Mrs. Jackson-Saunders also brings significant nonprofit governance experience. She serves as a Trustee of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority National Education Fund Inc., providing fiduciary oversight and strategic leadership to the organization’s national scholarship and educational initiatives. Additionally, she has served two terms on the Archdiocese of Washington Board of Education and served on the Archdiocese’s Child Protection and Advocacy Board. Her work has included labor representation, voting rights, and educational equity, including more than twenty-seven years as an elected member of the Washington Teachers’ Union.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, a Master of Education in Educational Psychology from Howard University (with emphasis on Gifted Curriculum), and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Psychology from Howard University. Grounded in faith, service, and scholarship, Ms. Jackson-Saunders has been an active civic and parish leader for more than five decades. She is married to Nathan A. Saunders, a retired teacher, and together they serve as full-time caregivers to her mother, Dr. Jimmie C. Jackson.
