Q3 – Partner QuarterLEE Digest

“Advocating for my students extends beyond our school walls,” Giovanni said. “Our PTA has been a tremendous success, engaging parents in meaningful ways and giving them a platform to advocate for our school at City Council meetings.”

“We’ve also fostered partnerships with local businesses and community leaders to enhance the resources available to our students,” he added. “One of my proudest moments was receiving an award from a state representative for the academic achievements we’ve made at IDEA Achieve. I believe strongly in using every opportunity to advocate for my students and ensure they have the support they need to thrive.”

“IDEA’s mission aligns with my core values—education as the key to economic freedom and breaking the opportunity gap,” Giovanni said. “IDEA schools focus on instructional excellence and systems that ensure success, especially for underserved communities. I’ve witnessed the transformative power of these systems at IDEA Achieve, where we’ve closed achievement gaps and elevated student success. I am proud to be part of an organization that prioritizes both academic rigor and community partnership to prepare students for college and beyond.”

These same core values also attracted Giovanni to LEE, and he believes his membership has played a crucial role in how he leads and engages with the school community. 

“What intrigued me most about LEE was their focus on policy and systemic change, which aligned perfectly with my belief that education is a key to breaking down the barriers of economic disparity,” he said. 

“One of my first experiences with LEE was the Exploring Public Leadership: Grounding Our Leadership in Our Identities session, which really pushed my thinking around the duty I have in creating a space for advocacy as a school leader,” Giovanni added. “This session allowed me to reflect on how my personal experiences shape my leadership style and advocacy efforts.”

Since joining LEE, Giovanni has focused his membership around ways to best amplify his impact beyond the school walls, including how to engage in policy discussions and civic initiatives that directly shape public education. 

“One of the most meaningful aspects of my LEE experience has been attending networking events and community dinners, where I’ve had the opportunity to connect with other education professionals who share my passion for improving schools through systemic change,” he said. “These connections have broadened my perspective on the challenges and solutions we face in education today.”

“Everything I’ve learned at LEE has had a direct impact on how I approach leadership at my school, particularly in creating and partnering with our PTA,” Giovanni added. “LEE’s emphasis on community organizing inspired me to use my position to create opportunities for parents to have a real voice in our school and in the broader education system. Through our PTA, parents are not only involved at the school level but are also gaining the skills and resources necessary to advocate for their children at the state level. These efforts have given parents the platform to speak at City Council meetings and other public forums, ensuring their voices are heard where decisions are being made.”

“LEE has provided me with the resources and opportunities to grow as a leader, advocate for systemic changes, and ensure that every child has access to a quality education,” he said. “These experiences have reinforced my belief that impactful leadership happens both within schools and at the grassroots level, where community engagement drives real progress.”

Partners in Action

LEE staff and members at the CHCI Leadership Conference

LEE continues to look for new and meaningful ways to engage with members through our partnerships.

• LEE hosted two sessions of Build Your Advocacy Toolkit (one with YES Prep and one with IDEA), a virtual event to support YES Prep Teacher Advocacy Captains and IDEA Family Advocates to help them better understand LEE’s civic change framework and resources, connect with stories that support their advocacy work, and identify immediate next steps for continuing to grow as a civic leader.
• DREAM welcomed LEE to an event with their senior class to talk about the importance of civic engagement and to prepare them to register to vote– the first time the entire DREAM senior class has been offered the opportunity to get registered to vote during school.
• LEE attended CHCI’s Leadership Conference 2024: Latino Excellence in Action. In partnership with CHCI’s alumni team, LEE created and facilitated Driving Local Change: Insights from leaders building coalitions in their communities. The session featured three LEE members, Ashton Millet (TFA), Elizabeth Tapia (CHCI) and Marissa Gorena (CHCI), along with Texas State Representative Christina Morales drove home the power of community organizing as a way to build grassroots power and effect positive change.
• LEE kicked off our new partnership with the KIPP Foundation at the annual KIPP Schools Summit (KSS). We met with staff and potential members and facilitated multiple sessions, including “Power Mapping: Strategies and Resources to Advance Your Policy and Advocacy Goals on the Issues that Matter in Your Community.” Attendees learned that creating policy change and advocating for the issues that matter in your community requires values-driven leadership and the skills of influencing and building relationships with the individuals who hold power in your community. 
• Memphis Lift and LEE (along with Ed Trust Tennessee) hosted a state policy briefing to help families and community advocates better understand and advocate for the issues that matter to them. 
• LEE hosted a South Dakota Education Equity Coalition (SDEEC) Meet & Share with members in Rapid City, SD. Nearly 30 participants traveled from all over the state to strengthen their connections and update others on their current work. Participants also heard about the impact of hosting LEE fellowships from SDEEC’s Executive Director.
• LEE led a session for 430 Teach For America Texas-based corps members as part of their back-to-school preparation. LEE members who hold positions in the Texas State Legislature and on the Texas State Board of Education were on hand to share their perspective on the state education policy landscape.
• Nearly 30 people attended a Sicangu Co and LEE event where Sicangu Co members were invited to activate their LEE membership and also learned about upcoming South Dakota local and statewide election ballot measures. Attendees were also given the opportunity to update their voter registration and register to vote.
• In partnership with New Memphis Institute, LEE led a values-based training incorporating policy formation, strategy, and real-time feedback. There were 32 attendees, most of which were new LEE members. Attendees were split into teams to advocate ‘for’ and ‘against’ current policy proposals being considered by local elected leaders, including the expansion of public transit, employee raises, and the use of firearms by teachers in schools.

LEE Fellowship programs are of deep value not only to our fellows, but also to our hosts, as LEE matches equity-minded leaders with equity-minded offices to add capacity and tackle major priorities. During the fellowship, members will lead significant policy and advocacy projects to advance equity within the mission of the office or organization placement. 

Host applications are now being accepted for both the Public Policy and Policy and Advocacy Summer Fellowships (deadline is November 22, 2024). As a fellowship host, you will have
access to exceptional local and national talent that will increase your capacity to achieve transformational change in your community.

“Our LEE fellows have brought professionalism, analytical capacity, and political acumen to their work, ensuring that their projects are both rooted in best practices and practically feasible in an environment of resource constraints,” said former host Beth Purvis, Former Illinois Secretary of Education.

Apply to be a host here or, for more information, come to office hours with Sandy Brown, LEE’s Director of Partnerships and Coaching, Policy and Advocacy.

If you have any upcoming events or opportunities you’d like highlighted in a future Partnership QuarterLEE, or you just want to get in touch, please feel free to email me at sarah.sandoval-mohapatra@educationalequity.org.

We look forward to continuing this quarterly opportunity to collaborate, connect, and celebrate our work together.