Council on Assessment
and Accountability

Dr. Darlene Breaux

Dr. Darlene Breaux is an author and a visionary leader, driven by scientific research and the science behind learning. To support her goal of closing the achievement gap and ensuring that all students reach their academic potential, she has led school districts to the forefront in implementing a “hands-on” collaborative effort between general education and special education. She continuously seeks opportunities to advocate for all students by assisting organizations in identifying the barriers to providing quality education. Her passion for serving all students especially those under the special population’s umbrella has been Darlene’s motivating force to ensure equity among all.

With more than 20 years of progressive experience, Darlene has expertise in Special Education, Dyslexia, 504, Response to Intervention (RTI), Differentiated Instruction, Equity & Culture, and Restorative Discipline Practice. Her roles have included Teacher, District 504, Dyslexia & Intervention Coordinator, Campus Principal, and Director of Special Populations. She is currently Director of the Research and Evaluation Institute at Harris County Department of Education. In addition, Dr. Breaux’s recently published chapter What Do You Do When Silence is No Longer Golden was touted as an “Essential Read” by Psychology Today magazine.

Darlene also serves the Alief community as Vice President of the Alief ISD School Board and Chair of their Policy Committee. In these roles, she spearheaded the district’s response to an equity audit, which resulted in an Alief ISD Equity and Social Justice policy. She has also been a board member of her community’s YMCA, has an affiliation with the Kappa Delta Pi Educational Honor Society, and has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, a community service organization.

Recognized as a powerful motivational speaker, Darlene has engaged numerous audiences at a national level. Her genuine openness and ability to develop collaborative relationships with all stakeholders have been key to achieving improved student outcomes. Fellowships with three advocacy and policy institutes provided the opportunity to influence the legislative agenda and shape policymakers’ decisions. In the 85th legislative session, she supported SB 213 to establish Individual Graduation Committees (IGC), which would offer students an alternate pathway to graduation and college. Her efforts included phone calls, personal meetings, friendly amendments to the bill, and testifying in Austin before the Senate Committee on Education. For her tireless work, Darlene was asked by Senator Kel Seliger, author of the bill, to witness Governor Abbot signing SB 213 into law.

Of special note was Darlene’s appearance on Great Day Houston with Henry Winkler (the Fonz from Happy Days), where she shared her personal story of growing up dyslexic and advocating for better legislative policies for students with the condition. Additionally, she was featured in Texas School Business magazine as a “Thought Leader and Innovator in Education.”

Darlene’s academic credentials include a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership with a specialization in Conflict Management from Abilene Christian University, a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston Clear Lake, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Texas Southern University.

Dee Carney

Dee Carney joined HillCo Partners in June 2019. With over 25 years of experience in Texas public education, Dee Carney brings state and federal assessment and accountability policy and practice to Hillco Partners and represents the assessment and accountability interests of the largest school districts in Texas.

Prior to her work with HillCo, Dee taught middle school math, served as a mathematics curriculum coordinator, a supervisor in accountability and school improvement with Austin and Houston ISD, and as a regional director with University of Texas SW Center for Accelerated Schools. In addition to being recognized throughout Texas for expertise in public education policies regarding assessment and accountability, Dee remains focused on helping campuses and districts use data to improve teaching, learning, and student achievement by providing information, advocacy, and action.

Andrea Greene

Andrea Greene is a committed educator with over 20 years of experience serving students, families, and teachers. She has worked as a Parents as Teachers family educator, first- and fourth-grade classroom teacher, professional developer, and campus instructional coach. Each of these roles has driven a lifelong commitment to advocating for equitable educational opportunities for all students, their families, and school communities. Andrea currently serves as an Elementary English Language Arts Curriculum Specialist with Leander ISD. In this role, she has found the sweet spot that connects her passion for literacy, pedagogy, and talent development. She partners with classroom teachers and school leaders to ensure that each and every student experiences the joy of learning from compassionate, highly-skilled literacy professionals.

Since 2010 Andrea has also served as a teacher-consultant with the Heart of Texas Writing Project at the University of Texas- Austin, an affiliate of the National Writing Project. In this work, she has designed and facilitated professional learning for hundreds of literacy teachers in districts from across central Texas down to the Rio Grande Valley.

Education is her one true vocational calling, and her passion is fueled by a belief that teaching is an act of love and service.

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” — Pablo Picasso

Dr. Kelli Moulton

Dr. Kelli Moulton served as a Texas educator for over 40 years: a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, Director of Secondary Curriculum, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. Kelli has been a superintendent in two districts since 2008, recently retiring from Galveston ISD. In 2002, Dr. Moulton was selected Region 16 Principal of the Year and in 2016 she was recognized as Region 16 Superintendent of the Year.

Kelli holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Texas; master’s of education from the University of Houston; and doctorate from Texas Tech University. Additionally, she completed her superintendent certificate at West Texas A&M University.

As a learner and leader, Kelli has focused her career on building world-class organizations. As an advocate for public schools, Kelli believes in developing strong, trusting relationships, and fostering partnerships with a wide range of community, state and national organizations. Since her retirement, Kelli has chosen to work with TASA, Raise Your Hand Texas, Hillco Partners. Dr. Moulton stays active in Texas public education and is positioned to guide and support excellent educational systems.

Norma Osuna

Norma earned her Bachelor’s of Business administration in May of 1988 from UT El Paso and her Master’s of School Administration in December of 2007 from Sul Ross State University. She’s been in education for 29 years: was a bilingual/dual language teacher for ten years; an instructional specialist at a campus for three and a half years; assistant principal for three and a half years; principal for ten years; and currently serving as blended learning program manager for the district for the past year. Her campus was part of the original cohorts for Raising Blended Learners (2015), through RYHT, and moved our 90% socio-economically disadvantaged campus to the top ranks of our district through blended learning best practices. She now oversees the two BLGP campuses in our district and thirteen other campuses in our district who are implementing blended learning best practices.

Mario Piña

Mario Piña is an Instructional Coach at Paredes Middle School. He serves as the Chair of the Campus Advisory Committee and is a campus dyslexia designee. At the district level, Mario served on the District Advisory Council and has represented his team on the Innovation District Advisory Committee. Mario is a leader in bilingual pedagogy, having written dual language curriculum for the district and presenting on best practices for dual language programs at the local, state, and national level. He has also served on the organizing committee for the ¡Adelante! Conference. Additionally, he currently serves as an executive board member of Education Austin and the Texas State Teachers Association. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Applied Learning and Development with a focus in bilingual education.

Melina Recio

Melina Recio is a Texas Hill Country native and a proud member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie class of 2012. Driven by a strong belief in the power of transformational educators and every child’s capacity to succeed, she joined Teach For America and returned to her parents’ native South Texas where she has been teaching English at McAllen High School for the past 10 years. She currently serves as the Student Council co-advisor and English Department co-chair. In 2019, she was named the McAllen ISD Secondary District Teacher of the Year. Since then, Melina has given a TEDx Talk on the importance of quality teacher retention, received the Texas A&M 2020 Dean’s Roundtable Honor for Transformational Leadership, and most recently was selected to serve as 1 of 10 teachers from across the state to serve as a Senior Policy Fellow through Teach Plus Texas. In her free time, Melina works with Teach For America as a Content Specialist, serves on the Executive Board of Leadership McAllen, and enjoys long walks listening to Brené Brown’s podcasts. She has a B.A. from Texas A&M in International Studies and Political Diplomacy.

Dr. Macy Satterwhite

Macy Satterwhite has over 30 years of experience working with students and teachers in public schools. Her master’s degree is in Educational Leadership, and she received her doctoral degree in
Curriculum and Instruction from Texas Tech University. She has worked as a classroom teacher, interventionist, Reading Recovery® teacher, college instructor, campus administrator, Chief Academic Officer, and is currently the Deputy Superintendent at Lubbock-Cooper ISD. She has extensive training in literacy coaching and working with struggling readers. She specializes in curriculum design, best practices in instruction, Guided Reading, Reading Workshop, Writing Workshop, reading in the content areas, and differentiating instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners.

David Thompson

David Thompson represents public school districts, junior colleges and other educational entities in the Gulf Coast area and across Texas. He is a frequent speaker on a variety of school law subjects at legal and educational meetings. He is a former member of the Board of Directors for the NSBA Council of School Attorneys, a national organization of over 3,000 attorneys who represent public school districts.

Mr. Thompson currently represents 84 public school districts that educate over 1.8 million students in the Texas Taxpayer and Student Fairness Coalition, et al vs. Williams et al, lawsuit challenging the current public school finance system as being in violation of the Texas Constitution.

Prior to the current school finance lawsuit, Mr. Thompson represented 263 school districts in Edgewood ISD vs. Meno (Edgewood IV), challenging the constitutionality of the Texas public school finance system. Mr. Thompson represented the Plaintiffs in West Orange-Cove vs. Neeley, challenging the constitutionality of the Texas Public School System, and successfully argued before the Supreme Court of Texas that the system violated the Texas Constitution.

Mr. Thompson serves as legislative counsel for the Texas Association of School Administrators, Fast Growth School Coalition, Houston Independent School District, other school districts and education organizations, and has been actively involved in most legislative activities affecting public education in the past 20 years.

Previously, Mr. Thompson worked for the Public Education Committee of the Texas House of Representatives, as briefing attorney for the Ninth Court of Appeals, as associate executive director of the Texas Association of School Boards, and as General Counsel for the Texas Education Agency. He also has been an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law, University of Houston – Clear Lake, Texas A&M University, and the University of Houston – Main Campus.

Mr. Thompson was General Counsel for the Texas Education Agency for five years and previously served as Associate Executive Director and Director of Governmental Relations for the Texas Association of School Boards. In addition to his expertise concerning the general areas of school law listed above, Mr. Thompson has extensive experience in school finance matters, legislation, board/superintendent relations, contracts, conflicts of interest, nepotism, student residency and attendance, competitive bidding, school board policy development, and employment matters. Also, he regularly assists school boards in searches for superintendents.

Mr. Thompson is a partner in the firm Thompson & Horton LLP, and previously practiced law with Bracewell & Giuliani, one of the oldest and most prominent law firms in Texas.

Theresa Valls Trevino

Theresa Valls Trevino, M.D. hails from a family who has been in Texas for 6 generations. Born in Corpus Christi, TX, she grew up in El Paso and graduated from El Paso public schools. She graduated from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 1985 with Highest Honors and went on to receive her Medical Degree from Baylor College of Medicine in 1989. She did her post-graduate medical training in Psychiatry, with a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Timberlawn Psychiatric Hospital in Dallas, TX, and received Certifications in both Adult and Child Psychiatry. She was a staff psychiatrist for the Dallas Child Guidance Clinic, serving the most severely abused children under the care of the Texas Department of Protective Services. She had private practices in San Antonio and Austin, where she was actively involved in her patients’ school needs by attending ARD meetings and other school consultations on a regular basis.

She retired from her private practice and became involved in children’s advocacy. In 2012, she was a founding member of Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment (TAMSA), a statewide grassroots group of parents, students and the community who wished to improve public education by utilizing more meaningful student assessments. TAMSA had active participation in the passage of HB 5 in 2013, which reduced the number of STAAR EOCs from 15 to 5. In 2015, she was a gubernatorial appointee to the Texas Commission on Next Generation of Assessment and Accountability. TAMSA has been involved in aiding the passage of the Individual Graduation Committees and legislation to reduce the impact of testing on children and the state accountability system. She and her husband, Dr. Ken Trevino, have two children who attended public schools in Austin ISD, graduated from college, and are in the workforce.

Chris E. Wallace

Chris Wallace is President/CEO of the North Texas Commission, a public-private partnership that works with the region’s most prominent leaders to tackle the greatest challenges for the 13-county area. The NTC manages the region’s unified legislative advocacy voice at the state and federal levels. In addition to his advocacy and education-focused vision, under Wallace’s leadership, the Commission has also placed a greater emphasis on the importance of public schools, local control, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion with the establishment the region’s first DE&I Summit and comprehensive resources.

Prior to joining the NTC, Wallace was President/COO of the Texas Association of Business, the state chamber of commerce based in Austin where he helped lead advocacy initiatives in the areas of economic development and trade having founded the highly recognized and successful Keep Texas Open for Business Coalition, defeating discriminatory and unnecessary legislation in the 86th Texas Legislative Session. Wallace also managed statewide campaigns reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank, the Texas-Mexico Trade Coalition (advocating for the passage of the USMCA), as well as the need for telemedicine in Texas.

Wallace is a current member of the faculty and past chairman of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management as well as a former Regent of Northeast Institute at Villanova University. He is among a group of less than 700 executives in the nation who have earned their CCE (Certified Chamber Executive) designation. He also serves on the national board of the Business & Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC), the Texas Advisory Board of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, CHILDREN AT RISK Board of Directors as well as the co-chair of the Texas Business Immigration Coalition.

He is a 1992 graduate of Texas Tech University and serves on the Texas Tech Chancellor’s Council and previously on the Professional Advisory Board of the College of Media and Communication where he was named an outstanding alumnus in 2008.

Wallace is a frequent presenter and media resource on trade, the business case for diversity as well as immigration reform. He was a finalist for a 2010 White House Fellowship and is featured among the Dallas 500 most powerful business leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth by D CEO Magazine. He and his team at the NTC were most recently awarded the 2021 Friend of the Year by Friends of Texas Public Schools.

HD Chambers

HD Chambers has devoted the past 36 years to public education in Texas. Prior to taking on the leadership role as Superintendent of Schools for Alief in the spring of 2011, Mr. Chambers served as Superintendent for Stafford Municipal School District for five years. He has also taught in the Aldine Independent School District and served in various administrative roles in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District.

HD has a genuine desire to create meaningful and useful opportunities for educators to prepare students for higher education, the workforce, or the armed services. He truly believes in the power and potential of public education and through relationship building and collaboration, he strives to contribute to the continuous improvement of education for all students and staff.

HD serves on many Boards as a member and an officer. He is the only superintendent to receive the Friends of Public Schools Ambassador of the Year in 2013-2014, 2014 and 2021 Superintendent of the Year for Region 4, 2014 and the Region 4 Special Honoree Award for 2015. Region 4 serves a seven-county area composed of 50 school districts and 50 charter schools, representing more than 1.1 million students, 84,000 educators, and 1,600 campuses. He has also received the Children at Risk Voice for Children Award as well as the Rhosine Fleming Outstanding Counselor Advocate Award from the Texas School Counselor Association.

HD proudly obtained his bachelor’s degree from Lamar University, a master’s degree from Sam Houston State University, and his superintendent certification from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Dr. Michael Villarreal

Michael U. Villarreal is the founding director of the Urban Education Institute at The University of Texas at San Antonio (2018-present). His research focuses on evaluating policies, programs, and structures that affect educational achievement of students from marginalized communities. His research pays special interest to early education and college and career readiness.

Much of his research has focused on college-readiness and completion. He has researched the impact of early college coursework such as dual credit on college enrollment and degree completion. He has also authored and co-authored numerous studies on the efficacy of financial aid programs. In a recent research project that won National Science Foundation funding to be extended statewide (2021), he examined school mobility and its effects on educational achievement in Bexar County (2020).

In leading the Urban Education Institute, he has attempted to combine rigorous scientific research, engaging storytelling, and community building to help educators and concerned stakeholders raise educational achievement and economic mobility in the greater San Antonio region. With the support of local, state, and national partners, he has built a model of collaborative, improvement-focused research.

Prior to joining UTSA, he worked at the Ray Marshall Center at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). Before launching his academic career, he worked in finance (1993-2011).

In 2014, Michael launched a campaign for mayor of San Antonio. With a coalition of community and business leaders, he advocated for continued investment in education, modernized transportation options, and affordable housing. He earned 26 percent of the vote but fell less than two percentage points short of making the run-off in a crowded field of 16 candidates.

Prior to his mayoral race, Michael represented the people of an urban district that included the historic westside of San Antonio in the Texas House of Representatives from 2000 to 2015. He served on the committees of public education, appropriations, ways & means, and financial services, where he served as chairman. His legislative accomplishments include the creation of Texas’ statewide longitudinal education and workforce data system, the defeat of regressive tax policies, and the advancement of policies that supported early education, college student financial aid, college credit transferability, and workforce development funding.

He was the first state legislator from Bexar County to make Texas Monthly’s list of best legislators, a review of state elected officials since 1973. He earned this recognition twice among many others during his legislative career.

A native of San Antonio, Michael graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1989. He was the first in his family to earn a college degree. In 1993, he graduated with honors from Texas A&M University, College Station, where he majored in economics. He earned a master’s degree in 1996 in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In 2018, he earned his Ph.D. in public policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin, with a focus on quantitative methods and education policy and program evaluation.
Michael likes to say that the best thing that ever happened to him was marrying Jeanne Russell. They have been married for 20 years and have raised two wonderful children, Bella and Marcos. Jeanne was an award-winning education reporter for the San Antonio Express News before joining the policy and communications team of Mayor Phil Hardberger and then Mayor Julian Castro. Under Mayor Castro, Jeanne led the development of café college and Pre-K 4 SA. She went on to create SA Works and Upgrade as a consultant. Today, she serves as the executive director of the CAST Network, a nonprofit network of six career-oriented high schools in partnership with four public school districts in San Antonio.

Robert Scott

Robert P. Scott serves the as of counsel and consultant, dividing his time between Corpus Christi and Austin where he works closely with clients before the Texas legislature and state agencies. Prior to joining the Powell Law Group, he served the Region 2 Education Service Center in a variety of roles including inhouse special counsel. Before joining Region 2, Robert served as a Principal at Texas Star Alliance in Austin. Prior to joining the alliance, he served as the Texas Commissioner of Education from 2007 until 2012 and was confirmed unanimously by the Texas Senate in 2009 and 2011. As Commissioner, Robert served as the head of the Texas Education Agency, which oversees the state’s 1200 school districts and charter schools.

Prior to becoming Commissioner of Education, he served twice as interim Commissioner in 2003 and 2007 and served as Chief Deputy Commissioner from 2004 until 2007. He has also served as an assistant to two previous Commissioners of Education and as a legislative adviser to the Texas State Senate and United States House of Representatives. While primarily focused on public and higher education, Robert has also advised legislators in a number of other areas at the state and federal level. He has also been involved with candidates in campaigns at the local, state and national level.

Robert Scott has long been considered one of the most thoughtful and innovative education policy experts in state government. A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and a member of the State Bar, Robert has provided strategic leadership to the Texas Education Agency for the past five years, serving as the agency’s chief executive during a massive reorganization of its functions in the summer of 2003. In January 2004, Scott was appointed chief deputy commissioner, a position in which he has been responsible for the daily operations of the agency and the implementation and execution of key statewide initiatives. Robert’s organizational abilities were on display during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when Texas took in about 46,000 students who had fled the storm-ravaged areas of Louisiana and Mississippi; many were displaced again a few weeks later when Hurricane Rita slammed the Southeast Texas coast.

Robert served as senior policy advisor to Governor Perry during the creation of the Texas High School Initiative in 2003 and was instrumental in the bill’s passage and implementation. The initiative, later called the Texas High School Project, has been considered by several national voices as perhaps the nation’s most cutting-edge reform project in secondary education. Robert has also been a noted advocate for improved early childhood education and has pressed for the improvement of school readiness for pre-kindergarten-aged children.

Robert currently serves on the board of the Rural Education Innovation Zone, the Lone Star Success Academy, The Texas Rural Broadband Coalition and the Rockport/Fulton Chamber of Commerce.

Tracy Fisher

Tracy Fisher got involved in education early as a parent in Coppell, Texas. Tracy’s passion for “raising the ceiling” in education led her to found the Coppell Gifted Association (CGA) fifteen years ago. Tracy served as the “Parent Advocate” member on the Texas Association of the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) Board of Directors. In 2012, Fisher was awarded the TAGT 2012 State “Parent of the Gifted” Award and won her election to the Coppell ISD School Board. Her nearly ten-year service on the CISD School board has included president and vice president roles. During the past six years, she has earned the distinction of Master Trustee and served as a Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) Legislative Advisory Council member. In 2019, Fisher received the Leadership TASB “Leadership Award,” and in 2021, she has received the first-ever school board “Advocate of the Year” from TASB.

Fisher, a tenacious native Texan and military dependent, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Nebraska. She worked professionally in management and leadership roles for Frito Lay and LSG Sky Chefs. She and Andy have been happily married for more than 30 years and have two grown sons, a daughter-in-law, and two beautiful young grandchildren.

Angela Valenzuela

Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy and holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction and at the University of Texas at Austin.

She is Director of the Texas Center for Education Policy. Previously, she taught in the Department of Sociology at Rice University in Houston (1990-98), and she was a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Houston (1998-99). She completed her Ph.D. at Stanford University.

She is the author of the award-winning book, Subtractive Schooling: U.S.-Mexican Youth and the Politics of Caring (1999), Leaving ChildrenBehind: How “Texas-style” Accountability Fails Latino Youth (2005), and Growing Critically ConsciousTeachers: A Social Justice Curriculum for Educators of Latino/a Youth (2016).

Dr. Valenzuela served as an expert witness on curriculum in Arce, et. al. v. Douglas,793 F. 3rd 968 (2015) where Mexican American Studies plaintiffs prevailed and the dismantling of Tucson Unified School District’s MAS program was found unconstitutional both in enactment and enforcement by Judge A. Wallace Tashima. 269 F. Supp. 948 (D. Ariz.2017), citing violations to the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the First Amendment.

Currently, Dr. Valenzuela co-chairs the LULAC National Committee on Higher Education and is the Executive Director of the National Latina/o Education Research and Policy Project (NLERAPP), a consortium of ten institutions that enhances teaching for high school youth in Texas, California, Wisconsin, Chicago, New York, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Her most recent accomplishment is getting inducted into the 2021 cohort of the National Academy of Education. She also founded and operates an education blog titled, Educational Equity, Politics, and Policy in Texas: http://texasedequity.blogspot.com/

Dr. Valenzuela co-founded Academia Cuauhtli, a cultural revitalization program of instruction in Spanish for fourth and fifth graders from five, East Austin ISD schools. Our partnership consists of a legal-official Memoranda of Understanding with collaborating institutions, including the City of Austin, our community-based organization, Nuestro Grupo, and, especially, the Austin Independent School District which covers most of the expenses associated with the academy.

Bob Popinski

Bob is the Senior Director of Policy for Raise Your Hand Texas. An expert on the Texas school finance system, Popinski provided Moak Casey with in-depth bill and policy analysis during the past seven legislative sessions and throughout the state’s two most recent school finance court cases. He specialized in helping districts interested in entering economic development agreements and has authored detailed studies on Texas’ fast growth school districts, tax appraisal limits, and its state school transportation funding system.

Popinski holds a Master of public affairs degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and Bachelor’s degree from St. Edward’s University. He was a member of the Teach for America program and taught fourth grade and computer science in Phoenix.

Libby Cohen, Ph.D.

Libby joined the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation in August 2018 to lead the organization’s efforts to develop a grassroots advocacy network across the state. Previously, Libby worked as an organizer with the Industrial Areas Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland. There she worked with top neighborhood and institutional leaders to restore deep funding cuts to public schools; win a standards-setting community benefits agreement attached to the new Under Armour world headquarters; secure millions of dollars in improvements for West Baltimore neighborhoods; and clear interstate markets for illegal drugs, among other efforts.

Libby holds a PhD in economic and social history from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes scholar. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and public policy at the University of North Carolina, where she was a Morehead-Cain scholar.

Originally from Dallas, Libby is a sixth-generation Texan and is delighted to have the opportunity to strengthen public institutions in her native state. She is a lifelong student of ballet and fan of baseball, and she loves exploring the Austin barbecue scene with her husband, Jake.

Michelle Smith, Ph.D.

Dr. Michelle Smith joined Raise Your Hand Texas in June 2018 after eight years with HillCo Partners. She connects policy, research and classroom experience to offer innovative approaches to the challenges in education policy in Texas. She brings a unique perspective to the education policy space because she has served as a public school teacher and holds a doctorate in School Improvement from Texas State University.

Smith has advocated on behalf of education-based for-profits, not-for-profits, advocacy organizations and superintendent-led associations. At HillCo, she focused on public education issues spanning public school finance, school choice, assessment and accountability, facilities funding, transparency, and elections. Smith also served as the executive director of the Fast Growth School Coalition (FGSC) for five years.

She has presented throughout the state to school districts, education services centers, and colleges of education regarding public education, the political process, and how to positively engage with elected officials. In 2017 and 2019, she was named to Capitol Inside’s Top 100 Hired Guns lobby list and in 2018, she was named the Friend of the Year by Friends of Texas Public Schools.

Smith is a product of the Texas public school system and is the proud mother of two children attending Texas public schools. She lives in Buda, Texas with her husband, Codie.

John Tanner

John Tanner is an educational writer and thought leader committed to a benefits-based accountability in every school and community. Accountability in effective organization is a truth-telling communication and directional system used to build trust with the organization’s stakeholders. It can be done well or poorly, and there are consequences for both. It would never be turned off in a crisis, which is when it is most urgently needed.

What has long passed for educational accountability has nothing to do with building trust, but rather, is based on the model used to force compliance with safety and other standards. This is a legitimate but also a limited model and must be deployed thoughtfully, because when such systems reach too far, they will create the very problems their creators intended to avoid. Their far-reaching use in schools has done just that, trapping them in a narrative of failure, with the poorest, most vulnerable of our students experiencing the greatest amount of harm as a result. 

John has long believed that school accountability should be to students, their parents, and the communities they come from. His time and effort are dedicated to finding and putting in place what he calls True Accountability. True Accountability begins with the question: “what are your hopes and dreams for your children?” and then looks forward and determines what must be done to make that happen. Two questions show the power in this: was my child safe yesterday? is an important question but an after the fact report. Will my child be safe tomorrow? is the true accountability question, since it will be the one that directs future efforts. True Accountability in schools must be focused on generating enough trust with stakeholders that they entrust school leaders to shape schools in anticipation of the future.

John has spent his entire educational career focused on educational accountability. He started his career in testing when that was considered the best means for an educational accountability and has served as a state test director and an executive at a leading test publisher. He served as the director of accountability efforts for one of the leading educational organizations in the country, which is when he began formulating the ideas for what a True Accountability should look like. He founded bravEd (formerly Test Sense) in 2009, an organization dedicated to the True Accountability movement he helped create. John lives and works in San Antonio, TX.

Theresa Valls Trevino

Theresa Valls Trevino, M.D. hails from a family who has been in Texas for six generations. Born in Corpus Christi, TX, she grew up in El Paso and graduated from El Paso public schools. She graduated from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 1985 with Highest Honors and went on to receive her Medical Degree from Baylor College of Medicine in 1989. She did her post-graduate medical training in Psychiatry, with a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Timberlawn Psychiatric Hospital in Dallas, TX, and received Certifications in both Adult and Child Psychiatry. She was a staff psychiatrist for the Dallas Child Guidance Clinic, serving the most severely abused children under the care of the Texas Department of Protective Services. She had private practices in San Antonio and Austin, where she was actively involved in her patients’ school needs by attending ARD meetings and other school consultations on a regular basis.

She retired from her private practice and became involved in children’s advocacy. In 2012, she was a founding member of Texans Advocating for Meaningful Student Assessment (TAMSA), a statewide grassroots group of parents, students and the community who wished to improve public education by utilizing more meaningful student assessments. TAMSA had active participation in the passage of HB 5 in 2013, which reduced the number of STAAR EOCs from 15 to 5. In 2015, she was a gubernatorial appointee to the Texas Commission on Next Generation of Assessment and Accountability. TAMSA has been involved in aiding the passage of the Individual Graduation Committees and legislation to reduce the impact of testing on children and the state accountability system. She and her husband, Dr. Ken Trevino, have two children who attended public schools in Austin ISD, graduated from college, and are in the workforce.

Tory Hill

Dr. Tory C. Hill, Superintendent of Schools for Sweeny ISD, is an educational leader who is passionate about creating personalized learning experiences that empower students to create their future. Dr. Hill was recently named Lone Finalist for Superintendent of Schools at the Channelview ISD.

During his four year tenure in Sweeny ISD, he introduced STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Math) to Sweeny Elementary, entered into a partnership with University of Texas which allows Sweeny High School students to take UT college courses while in high school, led the passage of a $28 million bond to upgrade district facilities, led the creation of the first residential development in Sweeny in over 20 years, and entered into a $1.7 million agreement with Chevron Phillips for the only CPChem CTE Center in the nation which opened in August 2020 in Sweeny ISD.

He holds a Doctoral Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University, a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Florida A&M University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Southern University.

Prior to the Superintendent role, Dr. Hill served as a social studies teacher in Georgia, Florida and Texas. He was an assistant principal, principal and Assistant Superintendent in Katy Independent School District. He also served as the Executive Director in Clear Creek Independent School District.

Claudia A. Ureño-Olivas

I began my career in education at Desert Hills Elementary in Clint ISD as a bilingual teacher in 1999, subsequently served as a Bilingual Coordinator for Ysleta ISD and Assistant Principal before being appointed Principal of Ascarate Elementary in 2013.  In 2017 became part of the Raise Your Hand Texas alumni, broadening my vision and expectation for equity and opportunity for all students in the Texas educational system.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Education, both from The University of Texas El Paso, with various certifications in Education.  The latest certification for Superintendent from The University of Texas Arlington.

Dala Henry

Dala Henry is a special education instructional coach who works with educators to build strong practices to support students’ learning. Dala believes all students can and want to learn. She feels it is the job of everyone involved in the teaching profession to determine how students learn and can ultimately succeed. Mrs. Henry believes two key elements of all education are building relationships and having high expectations.

In 2008, Mrs. Henry was honored to represent Bryan ISD as the District’s 2007-2008 Secondary Teacher of the Year and later, the  Region VI Secondary Teacher of the Year. Dala holds a BA in Education, with an emphasis in Special Education from Emporia State University (Kansas) and a Masters of Education in Teacher Leadership with an emphasis in special education from Lamar University. 

Dala has been a part of education for 32 years. During these years she has taught at the elementary and middle school levels working in the general and special education classrooms. The past 9 years she has worked as a special education instructional coach.

Senator Kel Seliger

Kel Seliger was first elected to the Texas Senate in 2004. Senate District 31 spans 37 counties from the Panhandle to the Permian Basin and includes Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, and Big Spring.

Born in Amarillo and raised in Borger, Senator Seliger is a graduate of Borger public schools and Dartmouth College. He spent 35 years in the steel industry.

Senator Seliger currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and sits on the Senate committees for Health & Human Services, Natural Resources & Economic Development, Veteran Affairs & Border Security, and Nominations. Previously he served as Chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee and an active member on the Senate Education and Finance committees.

Prior to his election to the Senate, Seliger served four terms as Mayor of Amarillo and as a member of the Amarillo City Commission and the Amarillo Civil Service Commission.

He and his wife, Nancy, reside in Amarillo, and have two sons, Jonathan and Matthew, and a granddaughter, Collins Gray Seliger.

Mike Moses

Dr. Mike Moses has been an educator for over forty years.  He served as the general superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District from 2001 until 2004. From 1999 through 2001, he served as the deputy chancellor for Systems Operations at the Texas Tech University System.  Dr. Moses was the Commissioner of Education for the state of Texas from 1995 through 1999.  Prior to that service, he was the superintendent of schools in three Texas school districts including Lubbock, LaMarque, and Tatum.  He also served as a teacher and principal in the Duncanville and Garland Independent School Districts.  Dr. Moses holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Doctor of Education degree from Texas A&M University at Commerce.  

Additionally, Dr. Moses serves in a variety of other roles.  He has served as a member of the board of directors for the Trammell Crow Company, one of the largest real estate and property management companies in the world and Southwest Securities.  Dr. Moses also serves as special advisor and consultant to corporations and entities interfacing with elementary, secondary, and higher education.  He also serves as the senior educational advisor to the Center for Reform of School Systems. His unusual blend of business and education experience gives him a unique perspective regarding matters of public policy.  

Among awards that Dr. Moses has received are the Texas Business and Education Coalition’s “Distinguished Service Award” and the “Golden Deeds in Education Award” from Texas A & M University. The Texas School Public Relations Association awarded Dr. Moses the “Key Communicator for Public Education Award.”  Both the national and Texas PTA organizations have presented him with lifetime memberships. Dr. Moses has been named distinguished alumnus in two of the state’s universities. He was also selected “Superintendent of the Year” in two Texas Education Service Center Regions and has been one of the four national finalists for “Superintendent of the Year”.  An intermediate school in his hometown, Nacogdoches, also bears his name.

His wife, Debi, is a former public-school teacher and the couple have two sons.

Tyson Kane

Tyson Kane is Associate Commissioner of Strategy and Analytics at the Texas Education Agency.  He oversees Texas’ student assessment program and supports strategic initiatives and executive decision-making across the Office of School Programs.  Previously, Mr. Kane was Head of Schools for the Noble Network in Chicago where he oversaw the performance, operation, and direction of Noble’s 18 campuses serving over 12,000 students.  Prior to that, Mr. Kane was the Principal of Chicago Bulls College Prep, an urban high school founded in philanthropic collaboration with the Chicago Bulls basketball organization.  There, he was a recipient of the Ryan Award, honored for industry-defining school performance by the Accelerate Institute and the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation.  

Prior to the formation of Bulls Prep, Mr. Kane taught biology at Locke High School in Los Angeles, CA. There, he was a national finalist recipient of the Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Award, honored by Teach for America.

Before teaching, Mr. Kane worked in private equity with the Carlyle Group and as a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group.  Mr. Kane began his career with the Chase Manhattan Corporation, concentrating in mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Kane is a proud graduate of Clear Creek Independent School District in Houston, and he graduated magna cum laude from the University of Texas with degrees in Finance and Economics.

Ross Ramsey

Ross Ramsey is executive editor and co-founder of The Texas Tribune, the only member-supported, digital-first, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. He writes regular columns on politics, government and public policy. Before joining the Tribune, he was editor and co-owner of Texas Weekly. He did a 28-month stint in government with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Before that, he reported for the Houston Chronicle, the Dallas Times Herald, as a Dallas-based freelancer for regional and national magazines and newspapers, and for radio stations in Denton and Dallas.

Emily Donaldson

Emily Donaldson is an education reporter at the Dallas Morning News’ Education Lab where she covers school finance, state testing and accountability and other equity issues. She previously worked as an education reporter at the San Antonio Report and is a graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism.