JoLisa Hoover, M.Ed.

JoLisa Hoover, M.Ed., serves as the Director of Special Projects at Raise Your Hand Texas, where she leads strategic initiatives that bridge policy, advocacy, and digital engagement. Her work is grounded in a deep belief in the power of public education and a career spent lifting up the voices of those who serve in it.

Hoover joined Raise Your Hand Texas in 2019 as the regional advocacy director for Central Texas, later serving as senior regional advocacy director. She also transitioned her role to help the organization focus and engage teachers in Texas, as teacher specialist. She brings 26 years of classroom experience in Bryan and Leander ISDs, along with national policy leadership as a U.S. Department of Education Teaching Ambassador Fellow and a Senior Fellow with Teach Plus Texas. She has authored state and federal policy briefs, led national summits, including Teach to Lead, and trained hundreds of educators to engage in the policymaking process. She has testified before the Texas Legislature on behalf of public education, addressing issues such as high-stakes testing, high-quality mentoring, school safety, mental health, and the teacher workforce.

Hoover has been a featured speaker at SXSW EDU, ASCD, National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY), and other education leadership conferences. She was honored with the 2025 Ann Spence Servant Leadership Award and is a two-time finalist in the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards, having been named a finalist for both the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Leadership Award.

She holds a master’s degree in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University and a bachelor’s degree from McMurry University, for which she was named a Young Alumni Achievement Award recipient in 2012. She previously served as president of the McMurry Alumni Association and currently serves on the university’s Board of Visitors.