AUSTIN, TX (May 23, 2018) – The Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation, a non-profit organization working to strengthen public education, announced today it will sponsor 109 educators from 51 district and charter schools and three Education Service Centers across Texas to attend weeklong summer institutes at the Principals’ Center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
With this new cohort, Raise Your Hand Texas will have paid for more than 1,200 educators to attend training at Harvard though the Raising School Leaders program, an initiative designed to develop stronger school leaders who will enhance the quality of education across Texas. Raise Your Hand covers all expenses for the attendees including tuition, travel, hotel and other discretionary costs – investing on average about $9,200 per attendee, for a total of about $1 million in sponsorships for 2018, and more than $9 million since the program’s inception.
Attendees, including individual teachers and principals, as well as campus teams, will participate in one of four weeklong workshops on leadership development, coaching, or school turnaround led by Harvard faculty and other national and international experts. Each program is designed to inspire, challenge, and empower school leaders to bring lasting impact to their campuses and communities, the entire state of Texas, and beyond.
“Great teachers, along with strong school and district leaders, represent the most significant influencers of academic achievement and supportive culture,” said Cody Huie, Vice President of Programs at Raise Your Hand Texas. “Our alumni often report that their Harvard experience is the best professional development they have ever experienced, and that they return to their campuses energized, inspired, and empowered to make meaningful change that benefits all students.”
Each institute lasts five to seven days, between June 11 and July 14, 2016. After Harvard, participants will be sponsored to attend the organization’s annual leadership symposium and receive continuous support and professional development as part of the program’s statewide network of school leaders.
A list of all attendees from across Texas can be found below.
Aldine ISD
- LaTonia Amerson, Principal, Eisenhower Ninth Grade School
Alief ISD
- Lori Wyatt, Principal, Albright Middle School
Amarillo ISD
- Jennifer Wilkerson, Principal, Travis Middle School
Arlington ISD
- Reny Lizardo, Principal, Carter Junior High School
- Matt Varnell, Principal, Corey Academy of Fine Arts and Dual Language
- Katiuska Herrador, Principal, Jones Academy of Fine Arts and Dual Language
Austin ISD
- Kenisha Coburn, Principal, Kealing Middle School
- Amanda Arguijo, Academic Dean, Martin Middle School
- Gail Maduro-Johnson, Science Instructional Coach, Martin Middle School
- LaTonia Olloway, ELA Teacher, Martin Middle School
- Monica de la Garza-Conness, Principal, Martin Middle School
- Rey Garcia, Director of Operations, Martin Middle School Language
Ballinger ISD
- Robert Webb, Principal, Ballinger High School
Bastrop ISD
- Melinda Gardner, Principal, Lost Pines Elementary
Birdville ISD
- Karen Lopez, Dean of Instruction, Shannon High School
Brownsville ISD
- Mandy Delgado, Principal, Daniel Breeden Elementary
Cisco ISD
- Amy Dodson, LRC/Blended Learning Director, Cisco Junior High School
- RaDonna Burleson, Assistant Principal, Cisco Elementary
Clear Creek ISD
- Michael Houston, Principal, Clear View High School
- Jepsey Kimble, Principal, Clear Lake City Elementary
- Cheryl Chaney, Principal, Weber Elementary
- Xan Wood, Principal, League City Elementary
Cleburne ISD
- Sabina Landeros, Principal, Santa Fe Elementary
College Station ISD
- Annette Roraback, Principal, Pebble Creek Elementary
Columbia-Brazoria ISD
- Roxana Bolton, Principal, West Columbia Elementary
Crockett County Consolidated Common School District
- Tamara McWilliams, Principal, Ozona Elementary
Dallas ISD
- Katie Eska, Principal, North Dallas High School
- Cameron Ramirez, Principal, Stevens Park Elementary
- Lisa Lovato, Principal, Dan D. Rogers Elementary
- Terry-Ann Rodriguez, Principal, Moises E. Molina High School
- Tom Brandt, Principal, Preston Hollow Elementary
Deer Park ISD
- Deborah Yampey, Principal, Parkwood Elementary
Del Valle ISD
- Jennifer Garcia, Principal, Baty Elementary
El Campo ISD
- Mark Freeman, Principal, El Campo Middle School
ESC Regions
- Melinda Marquez, Administrative Specialist, ESC Region 13
- Andrea Moreno Juarez, Education Specialist, ESC Region 17
- Debbie Rosenbaum, Educational Specialist, ESC Region 20
Frisco ISD
- Alicia Maphies, Principal, Centennial High School
Georgetown ISD
- Jessica McMullen, Principal, Jo Ann Ford Elementary
Giddings ISD
- Sarah Borowicz, Principal, Giddings Intermediate School
Goliad ISD
- Patricia Huber, Principal, Goliad Elementary
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
- Heather Landrum, Principal, Dove Elementary
Hereford ISD
- Amy Clifton, Principal, Hereford Preparatory Academy
- DeEdra Franklin, English Teacher, Hereford Preparatory Academy
- Robert Villegas, Assistant Principal, Hereford Preparatory Academy
- Dana Friel, Instructional Technology Coordinator/DCSI, Hereford Preparatory Academy
- Laci Merrell, Counselor, Hereford Preparatory Academy
Houston ISD
- Gerry Medina, Principal, Almeda Elementary
- Hope Viers, Teacher Specialist, Austin High School
- Elena Martinez-Buley, Principal, Sylvan Rodriguez Elementary School
- Melissa Jacobs-Thibaut, Principal, Houston Academy for International Studies
Hutto ISD
- Jason McAuliffe, Principal, Hutto Middle School
Judson ISD
- Chris Galloway, Principal, Candlewood Elementary
Katy ISD
- Deb Hubble, Principal, Morton Ranch Elementary
- Kristin Harper, Principal, James Randolph Elementary
KIPP Houston Public Schools
- Amy Stabile, School Leader, KIPP Explore Academy
- Michael Norton, Manager of Digital Teaching and Learning, KIPP Houston Public Schools
- Melodie Blackwood, Dean of Math, 5th, 6th, RTI and SPED, KIPP Spirit College Prep
KIPP Inc. Charter
- Steve Khadam-Hir, Principal, KIPP Academy West
- Pegah Taylor, Principal, KIPP Connect Middle School
Lampasas ISD
- Robert White, Principal, Lampasas High School
Laredo ISD
- Sandra Garcia, Principal, Memorial Middle School
Lockhart ISD
- Lori Davis, Principal, Lockhart Junior High School
Lubbock ISD
- Jessie Cayton, Teacher, Cavazos Middle School
- Marti Makuta, Principal, Cavazos Middle School
- Miranda Ruvalcaba, Assistant Principal, Cavazos Middle School
- Raquel Jaime, Assistant Principal, Cavazos Middle School
- Damon McCall, Executive Principal, Cavazos Middle School
Memphis ISD
- Carla Murphy, Special Education Teacher, Memphis Middle School
- Christine Scroggs, School Improvement Liaison, Memphis Middle School
- Leigh Ann Hawthorne, Elementary Principal, Memphis Middle School
- Trina Hardin, Federal Programs Director, Memphis Middle School
- Wes Hardin, Principal, Memphis Middle School
- Victoria Davis, Travis Elementary Principal, Memphis Middle School
Mineola ISD
- Stacy Morris, Principal, Mineola Elementary
- Kim Tunnell, Superintendent, Mineola ISD
- Kara Ledkins, District Blended Learning Project Manager, Mineola Middle School
- Kendall Gould, Principal, Mineola Middle School
- Jennifer Knipp, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Mineola Primary
- Jole Ray, Principal, Mineola Primary
Northside ISD
- Valerie Sisk, Principal, Earl Warren High School
Plano ISD
- Kristopher Vernon, Principal, Frankford Middle School
- Kristin Bishop, Principal, Shepard Elementary
Point Isabel ISD
- Nancy Gonzalez, Principal, Port Isabel Junior High School
- D.J. Canales, Technology Administrator, Technology Department
Ralls ISD
- Jeremy Griffith, Ralls Middle School Principal, Ralls Middle School
Robinson ISD
- Shelly Chudej, Robinson Principal, Robinson Junior High School
- Kati Dietzman, Principal, Robinson Elementary
Round Rock ISD
- Patricia Ephlin, Principal, Robertson Elementary
San Antonio ISD
- Aurora Terry, Principal, Longfellow Middle School
- Diana Natividad, Master Teacher, Longfellow Middle School
- Eliza Vela, Master Teacher, Longfellow Middle School
- Judith Solis, Assistant Superintendent, Longfellow Middle School
- Linda Rios-Garcia, Assistant Principal, Longfellow Middle School
Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD
- LaCreasha Stille, Principal, Cibolo Valley Elementary
Socorro ISD
- Al Garcia, Principal, John Drugan School
Spring Branch ISD
- Roy Moore, Principal, Nottingham Elementary
- Ariana Valenzuela, Director of Innovation, Nottingham Elementary School
Spring ISD
- Shanna Swearingen, Principal, Ponderosa
Tomball ISD
- Chris Scott, Principal, Tomball High School
- Jo Ann Colson, Principal, Decker Prairie
Tulia ISD
- Daniel Keith, Director of Instructional Design, Highland Elementary
- Pam White Miner, Principal, Highland Elementary
- Robin Downing, Personalized Learning Coach, Highland Elementary
Van Alstyne ISD
- Ryan Coleman, Principal, Van Alstyne Middle School
Winters ISD
- Kari Calcote, Principal, Winters Elementary
Ysleta ISD
- Veronica Frias, Principal, Lancaster Elementary
- Micha Villarreal, Director of Innovative Learning, Ysleta Elementary (Innovative Learning Department)
- Sylvia Rendon, Principal, Ysleta High School
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ABOUT RAISE YOUR HAND TEXAS FOUNDATION
The Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports programmatic initiatives structured to identify, pilot, and scale systemic improvements in public education.
Visit RaiseYourHandTexas.org to learn more.
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[email protected] or (512) 617-2137