Sehba Ali, CEO, KIPP Texas Public Schools

In an interview with Invest:, Sehba Ali, CEO of KIPP Texas Public Schools, discussed enrollment shifts, workforce preparation, AI, teacher development, and the organization’s outlook. “There is so much opportunity ahead of us to shape the future,” Ali said.

What trends are having the greatest impact on KIPP Texas and its strategy?

Education is at an inflection point in the country and specifically here in Texas. I think we are at an inflection point for two reasons.

One is that the enrollment landscape in the United States is shifting. There has been a decline in birth rates, and we see fewer children going to public school systems. That has caused us to be much more thoughtful about what makes KIPP Texas different and why a family should choose KIPP Texas when we see more school choice in the environment. There is more competition for attracting families to public schools like KIPP Texas.

The second is that this is the age of innovation thanks to advances in AI and other technology. Education has largely looked the same in the United States for over 200 years, but now we have an opportunity to think about what education looks like in the future. Our strategy includes exploring how we make sure kids are learning at the highest levels, how education becomes more individualized, and how we make learning more engaging.

When we couple rigorous, high-quality education with engagement and a career connection, we can create incredible outcomes for our students.

How are you connecting rigorous academics with practical career preparation?

KIPP Texas is a network of college preparatory schools, and most of our students come from low-income communities. It is our mission to prepare our students for college, career, and beyond.

For example, one way we illustrate this mission is through our nursing program that is available at some of our campuses. Our students take high-level science classes and AP science classes and then have hands-on learning experiences where they can earn a certification in nursing. 

Another area where we have found a lot of value is robotics. We have students taking engineering and high-level math classes while building robots and participating in robotics teams across Texas. We see kids thrive in that program and it inspires them to pursue engineering and other STEM fields in college.

Where do you see the greatest opportunities for stronger partnerships with colleges and employers?

Throughout our history, KIPP Texas has intentionally partnered with colleges and universities to make sure our students have the resources they need to be successful when they get to college. Many of our students are the first in their families to go to college, so it is important that they have the resources, access, and support they need.

We now have the opportunity to deepen those partnerships, but also to create partnerships with corporations and industry. My goal is to create a symposium where we talk to a group of CEOs and ask what they need in their future workforce. Then we can ask how we, as a pre-K through 12th-grade education system, can build our plan around those needs so our kids are prepared to be their future workforce. We also want to explore internships and shadowing opportunities so students can learn about different career options.

What skills will students need most as technology and AI reshape education and the workplace?

Students must be skilled in critical thinking, problem-solving, collaborating with others, and using technology seamlessly in their work. They must also be great writers, readers, and thinkers. Early literacy is foundationally important for students in elementary school.

Schooling also creates an opportunity for students to learn how to interact with each other and work with people who are different from them. Students develop the ability to come together and collaborate effectively. 

KIPP Texas is being intentional about how we employ AI. For example, our business offices use AI to enhance data systems and centralized systems so our work becomes more effective and efficient.

This year in the classroom we are piloting a writing program called Enlighten AI. Students write into the program, and it grades their work against our school network’s pre-submitted rubric. That frees up hours of a teacher’s time and allows the teacher to spend more time thoughtfully planning lessons and individualizing them for students. It also gives students immediate feedback on their writing so they can improve the next day.

What has worked best for attracting, developing, and retaining talented educators?

Across the United States, we see the growing challenge of attracting people to education and retaining and developing teachers. Fewer people are going into education at both the teaching and leadership levels. I believe this is a societal issue that we need to solve. As a society, we have to invest in our teaching force.

At KIPP Texas, we want to make sure KIPP is the best place to work. We first focus on attracting talented, mission-driven people who want to grow and learn and stand in front of our students every day.

In addition, we invest heavily in teacher development. We focus on making sure teachers understand the curriculum, understand how to achieve strong outcomes in the classroom, and have opportunities to collaborate with other educators. During our Summer Professional Learning program, I watched second-grade teachers from across KIPP Texas come together to learn from one another, exchange best practices, and plan lessons together. More than 94% of participants said it was a fantastic learning experience and a good use of their time.

We also observe our teachers weekly. When I was a teacher more than 20 years ago, someone might have come into my classroom once or twice a year to offer tips on how to improve. We are in our teachers’ classrooms every week, and their managers work with them on instruction and teaching techniques.

We also work to provide the right compensation and rewards, including incentive programs. 

How are demographic shifts affecting your campus and enrollment decisions?

KIPP Texas serves students in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas. While Texas cities may be experiencing an increase in their adult populations, the number of children is declining because of decreased birth rates.  People are having fewer children and are electing to have children later in life. We anticipate that we will see that decline continue for a long time.

For us, the question is how we adjust and make sure we are providing a unique value to families so they continue to choose KIPP Texas. We must clearly articulate our unique value for families. 

We are also making smart, but necessary business decisions. We consolidated seven of our schools in Austin and San Antonio this summer because we knew we could bring down building costs and still offer a seat in a nearby KIPP Texas school to every student who wanted to continue with our school network. We were combining schools so we can offer more programming, resources, and staffing for students.

How do you expect greater school choice and vouchers to affect KIPP Texas?

The good news is there are more choices for families. As a public charter system, we are choice schools. Choice is important, and we believe in that. Greater choice brings competition, so it is another opportunity for us to be clear about what families receive when they choose KIPP Texas for a free public education. 

What gives you the most optimism about KIPP Texas’ future?

I am really optimistic about the future. As I said earlier in our conversation, we’re at an inflection point for education. There is so much opportunity to shape the future and to make sure we are providing our students with the skills they need to be successful 20 and 30 years from now. We can do that in a way that is unique to KIPP Texas and provides our kids with a college preparatory education.

I am excited that we are thinking about different uses for AI and other technology, industry-based certifications, and expanding programs like nursing, robotics, and engineering. If we can connect learning with engagement on a deeper basis, I believe it’s a win for our students.

This May, KIPP Texas concluded the 2025-2026 school year by celebrating more than 1,500 graduating seniors. Those students earned more than $83 million in college scholarships and financial awards. We are so proud of what our students have accomplished.

Also, over the last four years, we have shown significant academic progress across our charter school network. Our state accountability results grew 15 points between 2023 and 2026. As we prepare students for college, we have seen strong results in early literacy and growth in our AP, ACT, and SAT results. I am really proud of what our students have accomplished.