Kelly Hanna

Kelly Hanna is an Instructional Coach with the New Teacher Support Program (NC NTSP), where she provides individualized coaching to new teachers throughout Western North Carolina. Passionate about student success, Kelly focuses on fostering student-centered learning, implementing data-driven strategies, and cultivating safe, supportive environments to help all students thrive.

Her approach to coaching is rooted in meeting teachers where they are, offering personalized support to enhance instruction, classroom management, and lesson planning. This, in turn, drives teacher growth and student achievement.

Growing up in Charlotte, Kelly attended North Carolina public schools before moving to Asheville to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She furthered her commitment to education by obtaining Birth-Kindergarten and K-6 teaching licenses from UNC Asheville, beginning her teaching career in 2010.

With a deep passion for lifelong learning, Kelly pursued her Master’s Degree in K-12 Reading Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2014. In 2017, she was honored as the Charter School Teacher of the Year for Western North Carolina. She continued advancing her expertise by earning National Board Certification in Early-Middle Childhood Literacy in 2020.

During her 14-year tenure as a classroom teacher, primarily in Kindergarten and Third grade, Kelly honed her skills in differentiation, social-emotional learning, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. In 2021, she became the Beginning Teacher Coordinator for a K-12 public charter school in Asheville, where she further developed her expertise in teacher support and professional development.

In her free time, Kelly enjoys gardening, music, spending days by the lake, and sharing time with friends, family, and her beloved dog. She believes that every student can succeed when guided and empowered by dedicated educators who help unlock their full potential.