Teach, Plus, a national teacher leadership organization, has selected 50 demonstrably effective teachers from around Texas for its 2023-2024 Policy Fellowship cohort. The Fellows, all of whom are classroom teachers, will focus on a range of issues of importance to Texas’ students and communities, including equitable school funding, diversifying the teacher workforce, teacher preparation for effective educators, the mental health of educators and students, and highquality instructional materials.
“I am excited to welcome the seventh cohort of Policy Fellows to the Texas Policy Fellowship,” said Teach Plus Texas Executive Director Kevin Malonson. “This year represents a unique opportunity to amplify teacher leadership at both the legislative and regulatory levels. The impending special session on education and rulemaking regarding new and impactful legislation will give fellows the opportunity to continue to advocate for policies that benefit teachers and students.”
Dr. Halee Porter, a hospitality instructor in Houston ISD and Teach Plus Texas Senior Policy Fellow, said: “I’m beyond excited to join hands with fellow educators from across Texas in spearheading change in education. My goal as a Senior Fellow is to continue the work of the previous cohort of teacher leaders on increasing teacher retention, improving school safety, and seeking continued improvement in equitable accountability systems for students.”
This seventh cohort of Texas Policy Fellows includes educators that hail from the Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, San Antonio, and the Rio Grande Valley areas. Coming from a variety of settings, including district and charter schools, they teach various age levels from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade and cover a vast number of subjects including English language arts, special education, Career and Technical Education, science, math, theater arts, music, social studies, and more. The Fellows have attended a variety of preparation institutions, from traditional to alternative teacher preparation programs, and teach across grade levels.
“The various perspectives of teachers coming together from across the state to address systemic challenges and improve outcomes for students is what makes the Teach Plus Policy Fellowship so unique. Teacher voice will be critical on important issues such as education funding, teacher compensation, and high quality teacher preparation. We will also continue to advocate for the game-changing recommendations presented in the Teacher Vacancy Task Force Report,” said Teach Plus Texas Policy Manager Natalie Brown.
With 66 percent of the new Fellows teachers of color, this Teach Plus cohort is representative of the diversity of the state of Texas and its students. Each Fellow was chosen based on their effectiveness as an educator, their strong commitment to the classroom and to equity, the ability to articulate the needs of their students, and the pursuit of excellence and innovation in teaching. Many of the Fellows have recognitions such as Teacher of the Year, hold a TEA statewide designation, and include a L.I.D.E.R. award winner.
“With this opportunity, I hope to learn more about the state and local policies that are impacting my students’ experiences in school,” said Mollie Wright, an English teacher in Garland ISD and 2023-2024 Teach Plus Texas Policy Fellow. “I look forward to sharing this knowledge with my students, their parents, my colleagues, and other local stakeholders so that we can leverage our power to reshape the system in a way that best respects, celebrates, and sustains our students.”
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