Baleigh Pinder

Baleigh Pinder is originally from Baltimore and has dedicated her life’s work to education of the whole child and those around them within their community. She started off her career in 2019 where she worked in an integrated school to help aid students who had been diagnosed with Autism. From there she received her BS in Psychology from Mississippi State, her M.Ed from Johns Hopkins University, and is currently pursuing her doctorate in education from the University of New England. She currently serves the students of DISD as an educator within middle school. She plans to pursue a role as an Assistant Principal or Principal after one more year within the classroom. Once she finishes her doctoral program, Baleigh has plans to pursue the steps to build her learning institution here in Dallas. She also spends a lot of her free time working with several community partners such as "For Oak Cliff" and "Not My Son."  Baleigh loves trying new foods and expressing herself through creativity whether dancing or customizing a pair of shoes. She also loves traveling to new places for new experiences.

"To educate, you have to be willing to be educated" -Baleigh Pinder, M.Ed

Calago Hipps

Calago Hipps (he/him/his) is an instructional coach for the nonprofit Urban Teachers. Hipps grew up in a small town in Florida named Avon Park before moving to Wisconsin to attend Beloit College. He had the privilege of graduating with a double major in media studies and performance. Hipps began his journey in the field of education first with the education nonprofit City Year taking a year to give back to his home community in Orlando Florida. His time as an AmeriCorps member inspired him to continue down the path of education and inspired him to continue growing his skill.

He is also an alumnus of Urban Teachers and has been teaching in Dallas, Texas, since 2016. Through Urban Teachers, he became a certified high school English teacher and graduated with a Master's degree from Johns Hopkins University. Hipps spent three years at Uplift Mighty, where he was blessed to teach all the secondary English courses as well as act as a leader for the senior team and English departments. His last year as a classroom teacher was spent working at Cristo Rey Fort Worth high school where I was able to gain experience with a private school model aimed at serving historically excluded communities. Calago is also full-time doctoral student at Grand Canyon University studying higher education leadership. Outside of his work in education, Calago spends his time reading, playing video games and being the best husband and pet dad he can!

Calago received his B.A. in Media Studies and Performance from Beloit College and his M.S. Ed from Johns Hopkins University

David Cruse

David Cruse is originally from Southern California and has dedicated his life to educational equity and instructional excellence by serving as a teacher and instructional coach for Uplift Education Public Charter Schools. David moved out to Dallas with Teach for America and has been devoted to providing the best quality of education to his students since. David holds a Bachelor’s degree from UCLA in Political Science and Philosophy, and is currently working on obtaining his Master’s in Education from Johns Hopkins University. David is focused on raising the quality of education that students receive in DFW both directly through teaching and indirectly through organizing and educational policy that impacts both teachers and students. In his spare time, David loves trying new foods, taking naps, reading, and traveling. 

DEstiny Edwards

Destiny Edwards is entering her third year as a middle school educator. She currently teaches at KIPP TRUTH Academy, a public charter school in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. She has served at this campus as an 8th, 5th, and 6th grade History teacher. She joined Teach for America (TFA) in 2021 and was relocated from North Carolina to Texas. From this experience, Destiny has grown her desire to be a public servant for youth in underserved and underprivileged areas around larger cities within the United States. She has a BA in English from UNC-Greensboro and a MS in Higher Education Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a Texas Certified Teacher in English and Social Studies 4-8 and STR certified. She serves her community and grows her own self development through various organizations such as, Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE), Leadership ISD, Texas Teach Plus, LIT Bible Study, and Dallas Literacy programs. She is a current LEE Policy and Advocacy summer fellow’23 and a TFA transitional team leader for the incoming’23 corps members.

Destiny has seen both the advantages and disadvantages of the education system and its current state. She has high hopes to use her identity to transition fully into her passion of Policy and Advocacy work within education. She knows that she can use her identity to push others like her to make changes that push for equity and inclusion despite barriers such as: race, gender, sexuality, age, access, status, etc. A quote that drives her is, “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”. With this being said, Destiny dedicates her life to show education systems her care in hopes that one day the systems can live up to their promise that every student will receive a quality education.

Diana Martinez

Diana Martinez is a dedicated advocate for education and educational equity. Born and raised in Chicago, Diana developed a deep appreciation for the power of education and its ability to transform lives. After graduating from her undergraduate studies, Diana decided to pursue teaching and was an early childhood teacher in Dallas ISD. Her experience as a teacher allowed her to witness the challenges and disparities that many students face in education. This experience ignited her commitment to working towards educational equity and ensuring that all students have equal opportunities to succeed. 

Diana is currently a Program Manager at Reading Partners where she is committed to bridging educational gaps and empowering students to reach their full potential. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a master’s degree in Education from Southern Methodist University. In her spare time, Diana enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with her two cats. 

Dominique Gonzales

Dominique (she/her/hers) is a healer, advocate, mom of two, and entrepreneur from Omaha, Nebraska. She moved to Dallas in 2016 and is proud to call the city her home. Dom has worked in education since graduating from Saint Louis University and joining Teach For America - Metro Atlanta in 2007. Since fulfilling her corps commitment in 2009, Dom has worked in college admissions, new teacher recruitment, small group DEI facilitation, professional development for education leaders, leadership coaching, and recruitment for career prep program specifically created for Black, Latino/a/e, and American Indian/Indigenous college students. She currently works as a Senior Diversity Sourcer focused on building diverse pipelines of talent at a Fortune 500 company. 

Her variety of work experiences in education fuels her passion for advocacy in education in her community. She deeply believes that the greatest change starts at home and she has a desire to see change in education in Texas. Dom has an undergraduate degree in Marketing and Management from Saint Louis University, and a Master of Business Administration from Liberty University. She has experience as a leader with The National SEED Project and participated in Leadership ISD's Dallas County Legislative Voices cohort in 2020. 

Outside of her professional work, Dom is a mom of 2 and a maker and seller of bath and body products through her business, Care Bath & Body. She enjoys traveling the world, all things music and art, amazing food, sports, family, friends, and laughter.

Emily James

Emily James grew up in Dallas, and still has family here. She always knew she wanted to be a teacher and went to college at Auburn University and graduate school at Boston College to get degrees in Elementary Education and Curriculum and Instruction. She is entering her 5th year in Dallas ISD in the Pleasant Grove area. She has loved her kids and the community, and wants to continue to advocate for them and the rest of the students and teachers in Dallas. She also enjoys reading, baking and hiking!

Edward Morris Jr.

Edward Morris Jr. is originally from Chicago and has dedicated his life’s work to educational equity since 2002, having served as a teacher, principal, and aspiring principal developer before doing equity-based work with three national educational non-profits serving in executive leadership roles (Leap Innovation, New Leaders, Inc., and Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity). He currently consults with different organizations on various projects and loves supporting leaders and social entrepreneurs of color as an advisor and coach. Ed has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and two Master's degrees from National-Louis University. Ed loves reading spy novels, traveling with his wife, and is a “foodie” in training!

Hannah Varghese

Hannah Varghese is a Dallas native born and raised and a product of Texas public education. After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, Hannah recognized the impact education had on her and her family and committed to understanding how education impacts all students by stepping into the classroom. Hannah became a teacher during the pandemic and taught math and science to 5th graders at a Title I School in Richardson ISD while completing her Master of Education, Urban Education from Southern Methodist University. Hannah continues to grow her understanding of education from multiple perspectives by connecting with the community, educators, and students through organizations including Teach For America, Principal Impact Collaborative, BookNook, Leadership ISD, and Dallas CORE. 

Hannah’s former students and their families along with her various perspectives in the education space have motivated her to empower and unite student and community voices to break barriers of educational inequities. In her spare time, Hannah loves dancing, spending time with family and friends, cooking, traveling, taking pictures, and cheering on the Dallas Cowboys.

Martina Van Norden

Martina Van Norden is a social entrepreneur and advocate, with almost three decades of experience working passionately as an educator and transformational leader in the District of Columbia Public Schools, Prince Georges County Public Schools, and school board member for North Texas Collegiate Academy and Third Future Schools. Whether classroom teacher, school leader or educational consultant, Martina has maintained a career commitment to education equity. Her role as a boy-mom has inspired a special interest in advocacy and policy focused on Black male achievement.

Martina is a self-published author and founder of All Things Edunia LLC, an educational consulting company offering program development and community engagement services to promote increased student achievement among marginalized student populations. Her work also centers engagement among the faith-based community as anchoring voices for education equity and environmental Justice. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Hampton University and a Master of Education in Education Policy & Leadership from American University, where she currently is pursuing doctoral studies.

Mia Street

An award winning educator, Mia Street began her career in education with Head Start and later with New Vision Learning Academy in Monroe, Louisiana. Her journey in education lead her to teaching and eventually becoming a district administrator leading transformational work. Her work inside and outside of the classroom has helped to create equitable educational spaces. She currently consults with different organizations and specializes in leveraging partnerships with educational agencies and industry professionals to promote, create and increase equity in education. 

MYi’A Sanders

Myi’a Sanders is proud to be from Memphis, TN and a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University. As an undergraduate, she joined the nonprofit world as an accounting associate at an organization working to eliminate homelessness. Upon graduating with a degree in English and Sociology, Myi’a moved to Texas to study Theology and Ethics. After which, she taught Reading/Language Arts to some of the most charismatic and briiliant 7th graders in Dallas before joining Big Thought as a Professional Learning Partner. To know Myi’a is to know she’s never met a stranger. Community is one of her core values, so she serves as Vice President-Elect in the DFW-Urban League of Young Professionals and as a member of the Junior League of Dallas. In her spare time, she cooks meals, writes comically dramatic stories, and travels with her father.

Nancy Tien

Nancy Tiên (she/her/hers) is a Vietnamese and Chinese American, born and raised in Dallas, TX. Growing up, she attended Dallas ISD schools and later taught in DISD schools from 2013 to 2020. As a child of immigrants, first-generation college graduate, and former bilingual math and science educator, Tiên centers her work and purpose around culturally responsive-sustaining education, educational and racial equity, and student-centered programs.  Tiên is a founding member and organizer with Dallas CORE (Communities Organizing to Reach Equity) and also a Program Associate with WestEd, working with school districts and state agencies to develop inclusive and equitable educational systems. Locally, Tiên has led local advocacy efforts around racial equity at the district level and awareness of Asian American and Pacific Islander issues through her work with Act to Change. When she isn't organizing, advocating or facilitating in her free time, she enjoys playing video games, playing fetch with her dogs and dabbling in crafts and designs. Tiên received her B.S. in Applied Learning and Development in Bilingual Education (Spanish & English) from the University of Texas at Austin.

Patty Bates-Ballard

As CEO of WordSmooth, Patty Bates-Ballard helps school districts, non-profit organizations, police departments, and corporations communicate effectively across differences to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. A trained mediator, Patty is the author of ACE-ing Conflict, Three Steps for Resolving Conflict Across Differences, which is featured in a series of Newsweek articles. Patty honed the ACE-ing Conflict process over her 25+ years of leading Harvest Respect learning sessions, community dialogues, community mediations, and a series of court-ordered learning sessions she conducted with a member of the Aryan Nations. Patty has worked in the field of multi-cultural relations for more than 20 years, and her degrees are in Psychology and Philosophy/Religion from Austin College in Sherman. The mother of two sons and a lifelong resident of Dallas, Patty is a member of the National Association for Community Mediation, and she volunteers with the African American Museum of Dallas, First Unitarian Church of Dallas, and Dallas CORE.

Robbie Esteban

Robbie Esteban, a native New Yorker has been committed to equipping youth and educators for racial justice and self-advocacy for more than a decade.  The mother of Bella and Bryian, she spent four years in a Montessori classroom, served at an adult literacy organization, has provided digital strategy for local and state-level electoral candidates across the country, and is a co-founder of Young Leaders, Strong City one of the oldest racial equity organizations in Dallas - Ft. Worth. Robbie is an alum of YoungPeopleFor, Phi Theta Kappa, and OpEd Project fellowships. She holds a B.A. in both History and Philosophy from the University of North Texas, a Graduate Marketing Certificate from Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business, and Oxford Climate Society's School of Climate Change.

Shaniqua West

Shaniqua has worked with Dallas ISD as a School Nurse for 9 years. From a young age Shaniqua knew she had a passion to help people during what some may consider their most vulnerable time. Shaniqua understands the importance of leaving a legacy, therefore she has her Bachelors and Masters in Nursing. During her time with the district, she has nurtured several students. Shaniqua makes it a priority to let her students know that they are not just another student but rather someone that has a voice that deserves to be heard. She is an active participant on Health Advisory Boards within the DFW area. Currently Shaniqua is a fellow with Dallas Kids First, here she is learning to create a space that allows for equity and accessibility for all students. Public health and education are important to her so you may run across her volunteering in her local community. In her spare time, she stays active with her goddaughters and her 2 Akitas. Bowling with family and friends has become her new go to activity.

Twyla Masterson

Twyla serves as Leadership ISD’s Director of Program and Alumni Engagement, activating a network of fellows, alumni, and partners to increase community involvement and mobilize coalitions that advocate for improved student outcomes. Additionally, she co-facilitates Tarrant County Civic Voices Fellowship and designs advocacy initiatives focused on racial equity, community voice, and accountable school board governance. Twyla’s goal through her work is to empower students to grow, thrive, and flourish as they reach their God-given potential. Twyla's body of work spans both the education and non-profit sectors for 25 plus years.

With a strong desire to give back to her community, Twyla has previously been involved in both a professional capacity or board service capacity with a variety of nonprofit organizations such as Fort Worth Sister Cities, the Arlington Alliance 4 Youth, Girl Scouts of Texas/Oklahoma Plains and the YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth. As a member of Fort Worth ISD's Racial Equity Committee Twyla also served as the Chairwoman of the disporportionate discipline sub-committee. She is the Founder and CEO of The Jonathan Andrew Youth Enrichment Foundation, an organization focused on social and leadership development programs for youth, their families, and their communities. Twyla is also a proud Leadership ISD 2020 Tarrant County Fellow.

In addition to her passion for positively impacting the lives of students, Twyla is an avid follower of most sports. She also enjoys gardening, listening to music, writing and reading.