Who We Are
The Education Trust in Texas advocates for an equitable education for historically-underserved students across the state. We believe in centering the voices of Texas students and families as we work alongside them for the better future they deserve.
What We Do
WE BRIDGE POLICY AND COMMUNITY: We seek to influence policy in Texas by engaging and equipping stakeholders, including youth, parents, educators, policymakers, thought leaders, community groups, civic and business leaders. Our goal is to drive an inclusive conversation about how every Texan can benefit from an education system that better serves students of color and students from low-income backgrounds, pre-k through college and career.
We work alongside fierce advocates across Texas to:
- Draw attention to inequities in Texas by identifying and analyzing data that disproportionately impact underserved students across the state
- Equip partners with actionable and accessible tools to advance better educational outcomes and opportunities for underserved students
- Advocate for policies and practices that improve opportunities and outcomes for students of color, linguistically diverse students, students from economically-disadvantaged families, and students with disabilities
- Learn from and partner with students, families, and communities to build capacity and collective will for educational equity and justice
What We Believe
- We believe that the equitable allocation and use of resources – people, time, and money – enables all children to reach empowering goals, no matter their race, zip code or income.
- We believe that all students thrive when they have access to effective and diverse teachers and school leaders.
- We believe that high-quality early learning environments set a critical foundation for children’s development and academic success.
- We believe that a postsecondary degree is essential to achieving social and economic mobility, yet our systems do not equitably prepare and support students to enroll in, afford, and complete college.
- We believe that school and district accountability systems have the potential to serve as a powerful tool to help close opportunity gaps and achieve equity.
Meet the Team
Jonathan Feinstein
State Director for Texas
Jonathan brings more than 15 years of experience in education as a teacher, organizer and nonprofit leader. He serves…
Judith Cruz
Texas Assistant Director, Houston Region
Judith manages and executes policy goals and advocacy activities within the Houston region in collaboration with the Texas State…
Alexa Garza
Texas Policy Associate
One of the newest official members of The Education Trust Texas’ team is Alexa Garza as Texas Policy Associate.…
Andrea Thurston
Senior Higher Education Policy Analyst for Texas
Andrea manages and evaluates research projects to identify structures and policies that support Texas students' postsecondary persistence and completion…
Contact Us
Recent Actions
Profile in Education Equity: Michelle Moreno, Leadership for Educational Equity
Read moreAs director of partnerships and coaching with Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE), Michelle Moreno supports teachers and former teachers…
