Policy Fellows Will Also Address Financial Equity and Accountability, Instructional Change, and Teacher Retention
Sacramento, CA, October 28, 2025—California has more than one million multilingual learners who deserve policies that recognize their strengths and help them succeed. That’s why Teach Plus California has selected 24 outstanding educators for its 2025-26 Policy Fellowship. These teachers will advocate for changes that remove barriers for multilingual learners—and also tackle financial equity, instructional quality, and teacher retention across the state.
“These Fellows are exceptional educators who know their students best—they see what’s working and what’s missing every single day in the classroom. They’re bringing that frontline expertise to the policy table to make sure the system actually works for the students who need it most, especially our multilingual learners. This isn’t about theory; it’s about ensuring that policies like the English Learner Roadmap and grants to support evidence-based early literacy instruction deliver real resources for educators to amplify every learner’s cultural and linguistic strengths,” said Teach Plus California Executive Director Sarah Lillis.
“While I’ve led efforts at the school level to address underrepresentation in STEM, I know meaningful change must happen at the systems level. My goal is to use the insights I’ve gained in the classroom to inform long-term, large-scale solutions that improve equity for all students,” said 2025-26 Teach Plus California Policy Fellow Anjali Kumar, who teaches chemistry in the San Jose Unified School District.
In the past year, Teach Plus California Policy Fellows and alumni influenced education policy across the state by advocating for key investments and policy change to improve reading instruction, providing key insights from teachers on improving practice and utilizing new reading difficulties screeners with English learners. They also raised awareness about opportunities to elevate restorative justice practices, advocated for teacher retention policies, including parental leave for educators, elevated teacher experiences with the English Learner Reclassification process, and successfully supported the passage of bills ensuring safe schools for immigrant students, including AB 49, AB 419, and SB 98.
The 2025-26 California Policy Fellows represent communities across the state—from Sonoma County in the north to San Diego in the south—and teach an array of subjects from preK–12. Throughout the programs, Teach Plus develops and deepens Fellows’ expertise in policy analysis, advocacy, research, and communications, equipping them with the skills to bring evidence-based solutions to the table. Each Fellow was selected for their ability to articulate the needs of their students and communities and their demonstrated excellence and innovation in teaching, ensuring they can effectively advocate for meaningful changes that will benefit children across California.
“I want to use my classroom experience and data analysis skills to shape education policy decisions. I admire Teach Plus’s mission to develop teachers’ education policy leadership skills, creating space for us to influence systems-level change. This fellowship will help me apply my classroom experience, research background, and policy interests and to shape policies that advance equity for students statewide,” said 2025-26 Teach Plus California Policy Fellow Chalesea Schuler, who is a math teacher on special assignment in the Sunnyvale School District.
The 2025-26 Teach Plus California Policy Fellows are:
- Frankie Avila, Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District
- Monique Barrett, San Diego Unified School District
- Maya Brodkey, Oakland Unified School District
- Caroline Deck, Alum Rock Union School District
- Kenneth Fisher, Long Beach Unified School District
- Sabrina Gamboa, Chowchilla Union High School District
- Elise Ghitman, Campbell Union High School District
- Anjali Kumar, San Jose Unified School District
- Michelle Lo, Oakland Unified School District
- Shannon Lyons, San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District
- Melissa Marcucci, Ceres Unified School District
- Felicity Potter, Escondido Union School District
- Carolina Rodriguez, Redwood City School District
- Chalesea Schuler, Sunnyvale School District
- Christine Segura, Whittier Union High School District
- Daniela Silva Alvarez, Lynwood Unified School District
- Almudena Soto Villalba, San Diego Unified School District
- Jennifer Souza, Natomas Unified School District
- Dolores Torres, Lennox School District
- Kasondra Walsh, Oakland Unified School District
The 2025-26 Teach Plus California Senior Policy Fellows are:
- Maria Aguilera, Los Angeles Unified School District
- Jillian Salazar, San Diego Unified School District
- Anthony Segura, San Jacinto Unified School District
- Charles Snow, Los Angeles Unified School District
If interested in interviewing Executive Director Sarah Lillis or any of the Fellows, please contact Kelly Pearce at kpearce@teachplus.org or 928-925-9236.
About Teach Plus
Teach Plus is dedicated to the mission of empowering excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that advance equity, opportunity, and student success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students. Learn more about Teach Plus California at https://teachplus.org/ca/.
