Leaders will focus on improving Harmony systems to boost achievement and deepen student opportunities.
Houston, TX, September 11, 2024—Teach Plus, a national nonprofit that empowers teachers to lead student-centered improvements in educational policy and instructional practice, has selected 20 effective school leaders from seven school districts across Texas for its first Harmony School Leader Advisory Cabinet. The 2024-25 cabinet will work on such issues as leadership teams, leader resilience, school culture, and improved systems to ensure Harmony Public Schools (HPS) are effective and are focused on achievement and opportunities for students. The cabinet will present its solutions to policymakers at the end of the school year.
“Growing our next generation of Harmony leaders is critical to our long-term success as an organization and our students’ long-term success as learners. Strong leaders are able to create a clear vision and strategic direction for their campuses which allow student achievement to flourish. We are proud to partner with Teach Plus to empower our next generations of Harmony leaders,” said Harmony Public Schools CEO Fatih Ay.
“School leaders, in collaboration with teacher leaders in their buildings, play a crucial role in addressing the unique needs of their school communities and growing opportunities and outcomes for students. Through our partnership with Harmony Public Schools, we are empowering extraordinary school leaders to create the conditions for the teachers and students in the Harmony network to thrive,” said Teach Plus CEO Kira Orange Jones. “I couldn’t be more excited about the work and advocacy of The Teach Plus Harmony School Leader Advisory Cabinet and cannot wait to see what this group can accomplish on behalf of thousands of students across Texas.”
The members of the Harmony School Leader Advisory Cabinet represent all regions of HPS and include district coaches, deans, principals, and assistant area superintendents. The cabinet members’ years of service in the Harmony system range from two to 17 years. Each cabinet member was chosen based on their strong commitment to equity, their ability to articulate the needs of their school communities, and their pursuit of excellence and innovation in their leadership. Throughout the program, cabinet members will be trained in policy, advocacy, research, and communications, honing skills necessary to advocate for changes for HPS students and communities.
The 2024-25 Harmony School Leader Advisory Cabinet Members are:
- Alan Chetin, Principal, Harmony School of Excellence – Laredo
- Dr. Amy Chankin, Assistant Area Superintendent, Central Texas – Austin
- Andrea Dilara Ozarowski, District Instructional Coach, Central Texas – Austin
- Apolonia Dominguez, District Instructional Coach, West Texas – El Paso
- Casaundra Johnson, Dean of Academics, Harmony School of Fine Arts and Technology – Houston
- Emine Gurer Bahadir, Dean of Academics, Harmony School of Excellence Elementary – Houston
- Hakan Simsek, Assistant Area Superintendent, West Texas – El Paso
- Holly Crone, Dean of Academics, Harmony Science Academy – Garland
- Dr. Jessica Johnson, Dean of Academics, Harmony School of Excellence – Houston
- Kathia West, Dean of Student Culture, Harmony School of Excellence – El Paso
- Kristina Schwind, Dean of Student Culture, Harmony Science Academy – Euless
- LaTonya Burnett, Dean of Student Culture, Harmony School of Innovation – Houston
- Mehmet Ozgun, Dean of College and Career, Harmony Science Academy – Houston
- Dr. Michaelene Sepesy, Principal, Harmony School of Science Elementary – El Paso
- Mucahit Turel, Assistant Area Superintendent, North Texas Secondary – Dallas
- Paul Fields, Dean of Academics, Harmony School of Endeavor – Houston
- Paula Romig, Dean of Academics, Harmony School of Innovation-Euless
- Quiana Toliver, Dean of College and Career, Harmony School of Innovation – Katy
- Sarah Lopez, Dean of Academics, Harmony Science Academy – Plano
- Syed Hasan, Dean of College and Career, Harmony School of Innovation – Sugar Land
The Harmony School Leader Advisory Cabinet builds on the success of the Teacher Advisory Cabinet, which Teach Plus launched in collaboration with HPS in 2017 to focus on the twin priorities of teacher leadership and student achievement. Between the 2017-18 and 2023-24 school years, the Teacher Advisory Cabinet’s accomplishments included:
- Additional training and support for campus and district leaders on distributed leadership
- Compensation for teacher leaders who hold multiple leadership roles
- Streamlining of the lesson planning and preparation process
- Professional development agenda adjustments to include time for teacher preparation and practice
- Improved implementation plans for student and staff emotional well-being
- Additional training and resources to support instructional improvement plans
HPS is a system of Texas public charter schools that provides science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for more than 45,000 students. Teach Plus is entering into its seventh year of partnering with Harmony, working alongside its executive leadership team to develop systems of feedback that elevate teacher voice and support principals so that distributed leadership can thrive
For more information and to arrange interviews with the teachers, contact Kelly Pearce.
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. In pursuing our mission, Teach Plus is guided by our Student Opportunity Mandate: All students should have the opportunity to achieve their potential in an education system defined by its commitment to equity, its responsiveness to individual needs, and its ability to prepare students for postsecondary 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. teachplus.org/tx
