Language, Literacy & Leadership in Texas: Reflections on an unconventional journey
I was born on the vibrant island of Puerto Rico, where language, music, and storytelling are woven into daily life. As a biracial child, I was shaped by a rich tapestry of cultural influences and a deep-rooted respect for community and communication. My path into education, particularly around language, literacy, and leadership, has been anything but linear, guided instead by resilience, conviction, and a steadfast belief in the potential of every learner.
My earliest memories are filled with the melodic cadence of Spanish, the language of my heart and heritage. Growing up bilingual in Puerto Rico, I saw language not as a skill to be acquired but as a birthright. That love for language stayed with me as I pursued a Bachelor's degree in Secondary Education with a focus on Spanish Language and Literacy at the University of Puerto Rico.
For over 30 years, I’ve worked to elevate multilingual learners and advance equity for students who are too often overlooked. My journey began in the classroom, where I found joy in teaching and connecting directly with students and families. But as I moved through districts across Texas, from Houston ISD, Pasadena ISD, Brazosport ISD, and eventually Aldine ISD, it became clear that the systems supporting students needed just as much attention and care as the children themselves.
Each new role, from bilingual teacher to instructional coach, to director, and then Executive Director of Multilingual Services, came not from ambition, but a sense of responsibility and a passion for service. In Aldine ISD, I supported 83 campuses, ensuring that programs for bilingual learners were not only compliant but rich in research-based practices. I led initiatives that improved language outcomes, launched parent academies, organized multilingual events, and expanded dual language programs.
For over 15 years, I’ve presented at conferences, contributed to publications, and served on boards, including the Texas Association for Bilingual Education. These platforms aren’t about accolades; they’re about amplifying the voices of students and educators who deserve to be heard.
Today, I’m honored to serve as the Director of Texas Initiatives for the English Learners Success Forum (ELSF).
For the past decade, the emergent bilingual student population of Texas has been increasing dramatically. In fact, the state now educates the highest total number of multilingual learners as well the largest percentage of multilingual learners, who currently represent almost 24% of the student population.
At the same time, Texas’ curriculum adoption process faces a massive transition. After overhauling the curriculum review and adoption process last year, the state education agency will now be reviewing materials much more regularly and in much greater depth. This creates a challenge, and an opportunity, for local district and school leaders, for content developers, and, ultimately, for teachers and students as well.
As a coalition of educators, researchers, and advocates working to ensure English learners have access to high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials that reflect their linguistic and cultural assets, ELSF is committed to supporting Texas education leaders and content developers every step of the way. Our work is focused on empowering local stakeholders to effectively support multilingual learners throughout this transition and well into the future.
A key focus of my role is to support school and district leaders. Given the scale and urgency of this transition, many local education leaders may be feeling overwhelmed and unclear on how to move forward. ELSF is here to help.
We work with school districts to ensure they have the necessary tools to select materials that meaningfully support their multilingual learners. We provide resources and training to help districts understand what they need and how to effectively ask for it.
With years of experience supporting the advancement of High Quality Instructional Materials in curriculum adoption and implementation decisions, and armed with the latest in research-backed practices and insight, we provide much-needed clarity. We empower local leaders to develop a more concrete and intentional approach to their curriculum adoption process; one that equips them with more tools to better support multilingual learners as they navigate this new education landscape.
With the academic future of more than a million students at a crossroads, the stakes are high. Together we can ensure that publishers, district leaders, and state agencies design materials that prioritize language development, honor students' home languages, and reflect the realities of bilingual classrooms. This is systems-level work, but its heartbeat is the classroom, and the students and teachers inside it.
Serving in this role also allows me to bridge research and practice in ways that can truly transform learning experiences for multilingual students. It’s the culmination of every step I’ve taken, every classroom taught in, every family supported, every policy challenged. It’s also a chance to bring educators and families into conversations that have long excluded them.
We look forward to sharing more about our work in Texas in the coming months. In the meantime, if you are a content developer working in Texas, join me at ELSF’s 2025 Annual Convening. The convening will include a lunch and learn in partnership with the Texas Education Agency and will have many opportunities to dive into trends that apply to Texas. If you are an education leader and are interested in reaching out and learning more about what it would look like to work together, please contact us.
