About Kumar

Kumar Rashad was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in a single-parent household alongside his siblings, supported by a strong and loving community. In 1992, his family moved to Frankfort, Kentucky, where he graduated from Franklin County High School before earning a Bachelor of Science in Pure Mathematics from Kentucky State University. In 2000, Kumar moved to Louisville to continue his education at the University of Louisville, where he earned a Master of Arts in Teaching with a specialization in high school mathematics pedagogy.
 

That foundation shaped Kumar’s lifelong commitment to service and representation. Raised to give back to the community that helped raise him, Kumar approaches leadership as a responsibility to strengthen the bond between neighbors and ensure policies reflect the real needs of the people they serve.
 

Kumar began teaching in Jefferson County Public Schools in January 2003 as an alternative certified teacher through the Minority Teacher Recruitment Program. While teaching at Western High School, he became deeply involved in youth mentoring through programs such as the YMCA YNOW Mentoring Program and Seneca’s Men of Quality. His commitment to mentorship grew into leadership, and in 2014 he helped establish Men of Quality Youth Mentoring Program chapters at Stuart Academy and later at Breckinridge Metropolitan High School, where he currently teaches.

Advocating for his students led Kumar to take on leadership roles within his educators’ union, where he worked to recruit, train, and mentor minority educators—addressing the critical lack of role models for students of color. His efforts gained national recognition through the National Education Association and within the Jefferson County Teachers Association, where he has served as both a Regional and State Director. Today, Kumar also serves as the Ethnic Minority Director of the National Council of Urban Education Associations, continuing his work to build equity, representation, and opportunity in education.