Leadership ISD, its network, and partners work hard to get out the informed vote for school board elections. In the past, we have collected and distributed candidate questionnaires, making them available in English and Spanish. This year, we took it a step further by creating a candidate evaluation tool to help voters evaluate and select candidates who will best serve students.

Rob DeHaas currently serves as the inaugural Vice Provost for Dallas College. In this role, Rob leads the Dallas College School of Education which launched in 2020 and created the first four-year bachelor’s degree program in early childhood education and teaching in the state of Texas.

Rebecca’s motto is “Education is knowledge. Knowledge is power. Power is change.” Her passion for educational equity comes from her experience as a student whose first language was Spanish. “Because of my heart of language and my Mexican roots,” Rebecca shared, “I was prevented from a lot of educational opportunities. Teachers disenrolled me from advanced courses, counselors telling me that I am not college material, coaches not giving me the opportunity to play sports, and many other things that I encountered in my education journey.”

“The Fort Worth ISD administration has embarked on a process to identify priority areas for the district’s upcoming strategic plan. We encourage all Fort Worth ISD trustees to use this information, along with feedback from constituents, to build comprehensive and ambitious goals that will enable our elected trustees to hold the administration accountable. This will offer a transparent and measurable roadmap towards giving Fort Worth ISD students and families the improved outcomes they deserve.”

“As a queer, biracial, Black woman, educational equity to me means representation, accessibility, and opportunity,” said Tamera. “The current education system rooted in achievement and standardized testing metrics/benchmarks is failing future young generations based on race, socioeconomic status, geographical area of where a student may live, gender/sex, etc.”

Amanda Muhammad is a stress management and psychological safety consultant (amandamuhammad.com) who helps schools and organizations create highly engaged and effective teams through mindfulness-based stress resilience & psychological safety training and resources.

Early childhood–from pregnancy to age five–is the most important developmental period in a person's life, and research shows that third-grade reading and math proficiency are telling indicators of future academic success. You can draw a meaningful line between early childhood development, school-age student outcomes, and future income. Pre-K enrollment, kindergarten readiness, and third-grade literacy and math are crucial waypoints on the pathway to success.

“Early literacy (EL) is much more than knowing letter names and sounds. While reading is a crucial part of early literacy, it's not the only component. It's comprised of skills and abilities that serve as a foundation for later development. For young readers, oral language development is key. Talking, singing, and playing are components of early literacy that foster a solid footing for building vocabulary, phonological awareness print awareness and the listening skills that are critical.”

During Black History Month, Leadership ISD encourages continuous learning, self-reflection, and engagement with narratives and resources that help us navigate the complexities of racial equity. By fostering a deep understanding of our own racial identities and celebrating the achievements and resilience of the Black community, we empower ourselves to effect positive change and contribute to the collective pursuit of equitable education practices.

Yvette Medina serves as the director of the Artificial Intelligence Bootcamps program at the Mark Cuban Foundation. “Each fall we host no-code, no-cost Intro to AI bootcamps for underserved high school students in cities across the US,” she shared. “We are focused on AI literacy as the entry point for emerging technology exposure for HS students so that they can create a more equitable future for themselves and their communities.

Robert Rogers is a physician in private practice specializing in allergy and immunology. Not only does he love helping people learn how to control their symptoms and thrive with a better quality of life, but he is just as passionate about advocating for education and reading.

“Wraparound services are designed to provide comprehensive, individualized support for individuals and families, addressing their unique needs and goals from a holistic perspective. They focus on the person as a whole, not just their specific challenges. Place-based services are an investment in the well-being and vitality of a community as a whole. They recognize that a strong, supportive community benefits everyone.”

David Umanzor is the program manager for the Jordan Harris Foundation, managing their school-based, suicide prevention program, Hope Squad. Hope Squad is designed to identify and empower the students who are most trusted by their peers with the skills to save a life.

“I oversee all of the business functions of the organization—operations, finance, HR, communications, technology supports, etc. My passion is creating better systems to unleash the full power of people, so I love getting to set up our incredible team for success and let them focus on their amazing work with trustees and community members!” - Brian Coppedge

Sophia Kwong Meyers works for Uplift Education as a senior strategic advisor to the president, ensuring their central academic team is working in an integrated, coherent way to support Uplift’s 45 schools and 22,000 scholars.

“I serve as Leadership ISD’s director of program and alumni engagement, activating our network of fellows, alumni, and partners to increase community involvement and mobilize coalitions that advocate for improved student outcomes. My ultimate goal is to empower students to grow, thrive, and flourish as they reach their God-given potential.” - Twyla Masterson

“As Leadership ISD’s vice president of programs, I develop and execute the LISD’s strategy for identifying, equipping, connecting, and supporting leaders who will make decisions that lead to better outcomes for students. I always think about how leaders need friends, too. I’m really proud of how LISD has always been a place where we see and nurture leadership.” - Tamara Harrington

“I lead LISD’s work throughout Dallas County, facilitating our Civic Voices Fellowship, supporting trustees, and building community coalitions dedicated to improving student outcomes. As a former public school teacher, I am passionate about unlocking someone’s potential and helping them figure out how they can be most effective." - Joey Rodriguez