Washington, D.C. — Roberto J. Rodríguez, Teach Plus President and CEO, today announced that Dr. Travis J. Bristol has joined the organization’s Board of Directors. As a Board member, Bristol, assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education and a leading researcher on issues pertaining to recruitment, support, and retention of teachers of color, will provide strategic advising of Teach Plus’ policy and practice work.
“Travis is a recognized thought leader on educational equity. His in-depth research on school-based experiences of teachers of color will generate innovative thinking and action on educational policy and practice,” said Rodríguez. “We are excited to have him on our Board and be able to tap into his expertise.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Bristol to the Teach Plus Board of Directors and look forward to his tremendous contributions and impact on the work of the organization and supporting teacher leaders,” said Michelle Boyers, chair of the Teach Plus Board of Directors.
“I’m honored to join the Teach Plus Board. As is the case for many Teach Plus teachers, my personal and professional experiences inform my commitment to ensuring our nation’s teachers are equipped to make key policy decisions that will support their students’ learning and social and emotional development,” said Bristol. “I look forward to working with the Board to further Teach Plus’ mission of empowering teachers to lead.”
Bristol’s research explores national, state, and local education policies that enable and constrain the workplace experiences and retention for teachers of color. He began his professional career teaching high school in New York City public schools and went on to train pre-service teachers in his role as a clinical teacher educator with the Boston Teacher Residency program. Bristol currently works with the Council for Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the Massachusetts Department of Education to develop a statewide initiative aimed at recruiting, supporting, and retaining teachers of color and is the principal investigator of New York City’s teacher diversity initiative, NYC Men Teach. His research has appeared in The Journal of Teacher Education, Urban Education, and Urban Review among many other publications. In 2016, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education selected Bristol for its inaugural teacher diversity research award. Bristol earned his AB in English at Amherst College; MA in Teaching of English at Stanford University; and PhD in Education Policy at Columbia University.
On the Teach Plus Board, Bristol is joined by Schusterman Family Foundation Director of Education and Teach Plus Board Chair Michelle Boyers; former Massachusetts Commissioner of Education David Driscoll; The Education Trust President and CEO and former U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr.; Education First Principal John Luczak; Citizens Schools CEO Emily McCann; and former U.S. Representative from California George Miller.
About Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has trained thousands of teacher leaders across the country who are driving policy changes and improving the instructional practices of teachers to create an education system driven by equity, access, and excellence for all students. teachplus.org
