Policy Fellows will advocate for equitable funding for all Texas students, teacher preparation, and student-centered learning, among other issues
Austin, TX, October 1, 2024— Teach Plus, a national nonprofit that empowers teachers to lead student-centered improvements in educational policy and instructional practice, has selected a diverse group of 47 educators from around Texas for its 2024-25 Policy Fellowship cohort. The Fellows, all of whom are classroom teachers, will focus on a range of issues of importance to Texas’ students and communities. When the 89th Legislative Session commences in January 2025, Teach Plus Fellows plan to weigh in on critical issues such as equitable school funding, high quality teacher preparation, student-centered learning, and access to opportunities and initiatives that support the retention of effective educators.
“I am excited to engage our eighth cohort of Teach Plus Texas Policy Fellows as they provide leadership and voice on key policy issues that impact their students and community. Their expertise and data-driven solutions are invaluable to district leaders and state lawmakers as we work to enact policies and practices that set our students up for success,” said Kevin Malonson, Teach Plus Texas Executive Director.
“My goals for policy change are rooted in the lack of support for our 11th and 12th graders classified as emergent bilingual in high school. I want to work to create meaningful change for our emergent bilingual students in the upper-grade levels as they continue their journey toward English proficiency,” said Valeria Pulido, 2024-25 Teach Plus Texas Policy Fellow, who teaches in Houston.
The 2024-25 Teach Plus Texas Policy Fellows are reflective of the diversity of the Lone Star State and its students. Coming from a variety of settings, including district schools, charter schools, and early childhood centers, the Fellows teach a variety of subjects and age levels from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. The 47 Fellows hail from Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, San Antonio, and the Rio Grande Valley. Each Fellow was chosen based on their effectiveness as an educator, strong commitment to the classroom and to equity, ability to articulate the needs of their students, and the pursuit of excellence and innovation in their teaching.
“The various perspectives of teachers coming together from across the state to address systemic challenges and improve outcomes for students is what makes the Teach Plus Policy Fellowship so unique. We know that teachers who are most proximate to students have a unique lens to add to policy development, and their solution-oriented ideas should drive the work being done to improve public education statewide,” said Natalie Brown, Teach Plus Texas Policy Manager.
This cohort includes a Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award recipient, the Region 12 Teacher of the Year and State Finalist for Texas Teacher of the Year, and Fellows who contribute to the College Board and serve as adjunct professors. Additionally, many hold Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) designations and serve in various leadership capacities in their local districts, including being named their local teacher of the year.
“As a Policy Fellow, I would like to focus on creating a structure of student supports that addresses the learning gaps exasperated by the pandemic and go beyond the classroom to co-create solutions with families and the surrounding community I serve,” said Shannon Kneeland, 2024-25 Teach Plus Texas Policy Fellow who teaches in Fort Worth.
The 2024-2025 Texas Policy Fellows are:
- Hira Adaya, Bonham Elementary, Houston Independent School District
- Klara Aizuputis, Big Bend High School, Terlingua Consolidated School District
- Madeline Barnes, Rio Grande City High School, Rio Grande City Grulla Independent School District
- Taylor Bramow, Meridian World IB School, Round Rock Independent School District
- Shontee Branton, Eddie Bernice Johnson Elementary, Dallas Independent School District
- Angela Calvin, Paris High School, Paris Independent School District
- Rebekka Carter, Chaparral Star Academy, Chaparral Star Academy Austin
- Katelyn Damore, Austin Achieve Public Elementary Northeast Campus, Austin Achieve Public Schools
- Andrea Davis, Northside High School, Houston Independent School District
- Imelda De La Rosa, Salvador Garcia Middle School, United Independent School District
- Tevin Dieckhaus-King, IDEA Public Schools Rio Vista College Preparatory, IDEA Public Schools El Paso
- Sara DiMaria, Cedars International Next Generation High School, Cedars International Academy
- Sara Elwell, Frank Guzick Elementary, Dallas Independent School District
- Abril Enriquez, IDEA Mesquite Hills, IDEA Public Schools El Paso
- Grace Garza, Dr. Martha Mead Elementary, Northside Independent School District
- Karla Guevara, Riesel High School, Riesel Independent School District
- Janet Harrison, W.E. Boswell High School, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District
- Cynthis Hopkins, Kaffie Middle School, Corpus Christi Independent School District
- Francesca Houck, Harmony School of Endeavor, Harmony Public School
- Darleen Ibe, Oscar Dean Wyatt High School, Ft. Worth Independent School District
- Obinna Ibeh, Horace W. Elrod Elementary, Houston Independent School District
- Jasmine Jones, Skyline High School, Dallas Independent School District
- Christian Jovel-Arias, John Neely Bryan Elementary, Dallas Independent School District
- Billie Lara, PreK Partnership Center, Dallas Independent School District
- Kalua Lauber, William H. Taft High School, Northside Independent School District
- Heather Leverett, Reeves-Hinger Elementary, Canyon Independent School District
- Noah Lipman, Highland High School, San Antonio Independent School District
- Shannon Kneeland, Oscar Dean Wyatt High School, Ft. Worth Independent School District
- Courtney Martin, Outley Elementary, Alief Independent School District
- Robert McCaw, Harts Bluff Early College High School, Harts Bluff Independent School District
- Clair McCoy, Griffin Elementary, Forney Independent School District
- Breana Moore, Jefferson Elementary, Temple Independent School District
- April Ollila, Whitesboro Intermediate School, Whitesboro Independent School District
- Shameika Osborne, Charlene McKinzey Middle School, Mansfield Independent School District
- Ryan Otero, IDEA Public Schools Rio Vista College Preparatory, IDEA Public Schools
- Valeria Pulido, Cesar Chavez High School, Houston Independent School District
- Anthony Robinson, Midlothian High School, Midlothian Independent School District
- Yalanda Salone, Foy H. Moody High School, Corpus Christi Independent School District
- Ana Sepulveda, School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, Dallas Independent School District
- Mary “Jo” Spark, Alta Vista Elementary, Waco Independent School District/ Transformation Waco
- Mia Witt, Cesar Chavez Learning Center, Dallas Independent School District
- Mollie Wright, Garland High School, Garland Independent School District
The 2024-25 Texas Policy Senior Fellows are:
- Dani Beopple, Lanny Frasier Middle School, Mesquite Independent School District
- Alexis Gage, Cesar Chavez High School, Houston Independent School District
- Jomeka Gray, Western Hills Elementary, Temple Independent School District
- Miranda Mack, Hillcrest High School, Dallas Independent School District
- Dylan Smith, Cleveland High School, Cleveland Independent School District
If interested in interviewing Executive Director Kevin Malonson 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. 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. Teach Plus Texas
