Ma’at Lands is the Founding School Leader of Rooted School—Indianapolis. Born and raised on the east side of Indy, she is a graduate of North Central High School, Tennessee State University and Marian University. She started her teaching career as a science teacher in Indianapolis Public Schools in 2007. After 5 years of teaching and leading as a Woodrow Wilson mentor, GK-12 Fellow mentor she transitioned to a career in non-profit serving as the Youth Director and then as an Assistant Director for Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center at Crooked Crook, responsible for the overall operations and administration and development of all Pre-K to 12 programs. Determined to provide access and opportunities for all students, she returned to K-12 sector where she felt she could have the most impact while partnering with the community organizations as a resource. She completed her Building Level Administrator Certification from Marian University and returned to work as a teacher and administrator in a public charter school in Indianapolis responsible for coaching and developing teachers, establishing foundations for successful classrooms, providing data to inform the development of the schools’ strategic plan aligned with the school and network goals. She is currently completing her doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership at Indiana Wesleyan University.