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The Honorable Senator JoséRodríguezTexas State Senator, District 29Sen.Rodríguez represents Senate District 29,which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth,Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He representsboth urban and rural constituencies and morethan 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Sen.Rodríguez currently serves as the chairman ofthe Senate Hispanic Caucus, vice chairman ofthe Senate Jurisprudence Committee, and amember of the Senate Committees on CriminalJustice, Veteran Affairs and Military Installations,and Government Organization. Sen. Rodríguezgraduated from Pan American University in 1971and received his law degree from the National LawCenter at George Washington University in 1974.Prior to his election to the Texas Senate, Sen.Rodríguez served as the El Paso County Attorneyfor 17 years. As a state senator, he is a staunchadvocate for those in need. He has advocatedfor increased funding for our schools; fought toensure equal access to the justice system; helpedstop anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic legislation;and authored a number of state laws to protectworkers’ rights, to increase transparency andaccountability of local governments and schooldistricts, and to establish a new health sciencesuniversity in El Paso. Sen. Rodríguez also hasfiled bills to increase access to health care byexpanding Medicaid and shoring up funding forour safety net hospitals, to promote equality byrepealing the state’s unconstitutional anti-gaylaws, and to grow and develop the renewableenergy industry.Albert Cortez, Ph.D.Director of Policy, IDRADr. Albert Cortez is a nationally-recognized expertin school finance, education of ELLs and recentimmigrant students, and student assessment.Since 1975, his continuous work in these areasprovides him with an extraordinary command ofthe issues and solutions. At IDRA since 1975,he has served in various capacities ranging fromtrainer, evaluator, program director, researchand evaluation division director, and as theorganization’s policy director. For over threedecades, Dr. Cortez has stood for children’srights, as an expert witness in landmark cases,such as Alien Education Litigation, Edgewood vs.Kirby I; Edgewood vs. Kirby II; Edgewood vs. KirbyIII; Edgewood vs. Kirby IV and Edgewood V, andbefore select education committees, includingthose of the Texas Senate and Texas House ofRepresentatives, and a U.S. Senate Educationand Labor subcommittee hearing on public schoolfinance. He also was an expert witness in theWest Orange-Cove vs. Neeley case in 2005 andthe current Texas Taxpayer and Student FairnessCoalition vs. Michael Williams, et al., case. Dr.Cortez received a doctorate in cultural foundationsof education with a support area in educationaladministration from the University of Texas atAustin.Bradley Scott, Ph.D.Director, South Central Collaborative forEquity, IDRADr. Scott directs the IDRA equity assistance center,the South Central Collaborative for Equity. Thecenter works with school districts in Arkansas,Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Heleads technical assistance and training to publicschool districts, school personnel, students inthose schools, parents and community membersin the development and implementation plans tocope with educational issues emerging from thedesegregation, unitary status, and settlementagreement processes and the effort to createeducational equity and excellence for all learnersin public schools regardless of their race, genderor national origin. Dr. Scott served as assistantdirector and teacher in a child development center,working extensively with Head Start programsthroughout Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, andproviding instructional leadership and trainingto administration and staff. Dr. Scott earnedhis doctor of philosophy with a concentration ineducational administration from the University ofTexas at Austin.Symposium PanelistsAlbert Kauffman, J.D.Professor of Law, St. Mary’s UniversityMr. Kauffman is a Professor of Law at St. Mary’sSchool of Law in San Antonio teaching courseson education, state and federal procedure,constitutional law and complex litigation, anddirecting the Practice Credit Program. Sinceleaving MALDEF in 2002, Mr. Kauffman hasworked at Harvard and Berkeley as a researcheron education civil rights. He also was a lecturer onlaw at Harvard Law School. He was a civil rightslitigator for 28 years, specializing in the education,voting, and employment rights of Latinos. As aMALDEF attorney, Mr. Kauffman was the leadattorney for plaintiffs in the Texas school financecases, for Latino plaintiffs in the Texas highereducation system finance and desegregationcase and in litigation challenging Texas’s useof the TAAS test for graduation from Texas highschools. He has also litigated affirmative actioncases, local and state voting rights, employmentdiscrimination cases, immigration and hospitaladmission policy cases. Mr. Kauffman has beenan advocate on civil rights issues and was one of asmall team of experts involved with passing Texas’Top 10 Percent Plan for admission to universitiesand Texas’ recent changes to its admissionsand scholarship criteria for public graduate andprofessional schools. He was selected in 2010 asone of the “The 25 Greatest Texas Lawyers of thePast Quarter-Century” by Texas Lawyer. In 2013, hereceived the “Drum Major for Justice Award” fromthe American Association for Affirmative Actionand the Maria A. Berriozabal Visionary LeadershipAward from Our Lady of the Lake University.

Martha Alonso, M.B.A.ELL Transition Coach, John PaulStevens High School, San AntonioMs. Alonso has been in the education field for fiveyears. She taught sixth through eighth grade ESLfor three years at Rhodes Middle School in SanAntonio ISD. As the only ESL teacher at RhodesMS, she served all 60 ELL students on campus,connecting with core content teachers and herstudents’ families, and tutoring her students inmath and science before and after school. Duringthe last two years, she has been with NorthsideISD. Currently, she is the ELL Transition Coach atStevens High School. Ms. Alonso participated inIDRA’s Transition to Teaching program funded bythe U.S. Department of Education. She also is adoctoral student at the University of the IncarnateWord, pursuing a Ph.D. in education with aconcentration in organizational leadership.Veronica Alvarez, M.A.Bilingual/ESL/GT/LOTE Coordinator,Bilingual Department, Harlandale ISDMrs. Alvarez has worked with bilingual-duallanguage programs for more than 15 years asa teacher, regional educational specialist andcurrently as the bilingual/ESL coordinator forHarlandale ISD. She holds a master of arts ineducational leadership and bachelor of arts ininterdisciplinary studies with a concentration inbilingual and early childhood programs. She hasworked to support school districts in implementingand evaluating bilingual-dual language programs,provided various training sessions and coordinatedthe regional dual language conference in SanAntonio. She has collaborated in a variety of stateeducational projects and focus groups. CurrentlyMrs. Alvarez facilitates the operation of thebilingual/ESL programs in preK3-12 grades.Rogelio Sáenz, Ph.D.University of Texas at San Antonio andDean, College of Public Policy & PeterFlawn Professor of DemographyDr. Sáenz is dean of the College of Public Policyand Peter Flawn Professor of Demography at theUniversity of Texas at San Antonio. He is also apolicy fellow of the Carsey School of Public Policyat the University of New Hampshire. Dr. Sáenz haswritten extensively in the areas of demography,Latina/os, race and ethnic relations, inequality,immigration, and human rights. He is co-editorof Latina/os in the United States: Changing theFace of América, co-author of Latino Issues: AReference Handbook, and author of the PopulationReference Bureau’s Population Bulletin Updatetitled Latinos in the United States 2010. Dr. Sáenzis president of the Southwestern Social ScienceAssociation and is past chair of the council of theInter-University Consortium for Political and SocialResearch (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan.Dr. Abelardo Savaadra, Ph.D.Superintendent of Schools,South San Antonio ISDOn August 31, 2009, Dr. Abelardo Saavedracompleted a 36-year career in publiceducation when he retired from the position ofsuperintendent of schools for the Houston ISD.Dr. Saavedra has served as a classroom teacher,assistant principal, principal, director, assistantsuperintendent, associate superintendent,deputy superintendent and superintendent ofschools. During his tenure in Corpus Christias superintendent, the district received stateand national recognition for its “Real WorldAcademic Standards” in all grade levels. Whilesuperintendent in Houston ISD, the districtdeveloped and implemented the largest pay forperformance program in the country. Academicperformance increased dramatically, and therewas a substantial closure of the achievementgap by minority students and children of poverty.Since his retirement, Dr. Saavedra has remainedinvolved in several non-profit boards. After servingin the role of interim superintendent for SouthSan Antonio ISD beginning December 2013,he was asked and agreed to accept a five-yearcontract as superintendent and devotes his timeand energy, with the support of the school board,to transforming the district. Dr. Saavedra holdsbachelor of science and master of science degreesfrom Texas A&M University in Kingsville, Texas,and a doctorate in school administration from theUniversity of Michigan.Julian Vasquez Heilig, Ph.D.Professor of Educational Leadership andPolicy Studies and the Director of theDoctorate in Educational Leadership atCalifornia State SacramentoDr. Vasquez Heilig is an award-winning researcherand teacher. He has held a variety of researchand practitioner positions in organizationsfrom Boston to Beijing. These experiences haveprovided formative professional perspectives tobridge research, theory, and practice. His currentresearch includes quantitatively and qualitativelyexamining how high-stakes testing andaccountability-based reforms and market reformsimpact urban minority students. His researchinterests also include issues of access, diversity,and equity in higher education. His work has beencited by the New York Times, Washington Post,Associated Press, USAToday, Education Week,Huffington Post and other print and electronicmedia outlets. He has also appeared on localand national radio and TV including PBS, NBC,NBCLatino, NPR, Univision, Al Jazeera and MSNBC.He obtained his Ph.D. in education administrationand policy analysis and a masters in sociologyfrom Stanford University. He also holds a mastersof higher education and a bachelor’s of history andpsychology from the University of Michigan, AnnArbor. He blogs at Cloaking Inequity, consistentlyrated one of the top 50 education websites inthe world by Teach100. Follow him on Twitter @ProfessorJVH.

Roundtable LeadersNilka Avilés, Ed.D.Senior Education Associate, IDRADr. Avilés has worked in the governmental sectorin Puerto Rico, serving as a teacher, personneldirector assistant, and director of a cultural andrecreational center. She later taught science in theEdgewood ISD in San Antonio along with teachingESL and GED prep to adult learners. She laterserved as academic dean and then principal.In 2004, she became the director of the EarlyCollege High School, a pioneer program in thestate of Texas and of the University of Texas atSan Antonio P-20 Initiatives Office. At IDRA, shefocuses on teacher professional development incollege readiness and science, particularly, inserving ELLs. She also is a site coordinator forthe Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program in New YorkCity. Dr. Avilés earned an Ed.D. in education ineducational leadership from the University of Texasat San Antonio and is a graduate college instructorfor UTSA as well.Rebeca Barrera, M.A.Director Latino Initiatives, ScholasticMs. Barrera is the director of Hispanic Initiatives atScholastic, managing its partnerships with Latinoorganizations and creating new opportunities forinteraction in the Latino market. Understandingthe emerging trends and issues of Latinocommunities, she strives to extend the powerof literacy and education to these communities.Her position was an outgrowth of the 13 yearsduring which she served on Scholastic’s boardof directors. Prior to joining Scholastic, Barrerawas president of the National Latino Children’sInstitute, an organization she founded to createa voice for young Latinos, and seven yearsas executive director of the Corporate ChildDevelopment Fund for Texas. Loyal to her culturalheritage, she also is owner and designer of TresRebecas, a Latino cultural arts design studio thatfeatures fashion accessories from the Borderlandsregion and Latin America. Ms. Barrera has an M.A.in bilingual early childhood education from theUniversity of Texas at San Antonio.Frances Guzmán, M.Ed.IDRA ConsultantMs. Guzmán, M.Ed., has four decades ofexperience in the field of education, includingteaching at the pre-kindergarten, primary,secondary and college levels; serving as thedirector of professional development for a majormetropolitan school district in Texas; workingin administration, supervision and evaluationof elementary campuses and districtwide TitleVII programs; and research and curriculumdevelopment for IDRA, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,Scott Foreman and DDL book publishers. AtIDRA, Ms. Guzmán led early childhood activitiesfor the IDRA Texas Parent Information andResource Center. Ms. Guzmán also has providesparent leadership training in public schools. Sheserves on the advisory boards and taskforcecommittees of the Texas state and local HIPPYprogram sites, Voices for Children, the NationalParenting Education Network, and the City of SanAntonio Head Start Policy Council and EducationCommittee.David G. Hinojosa, J.D.Southwest Regional Counsel,Mexican American Legal Defense andEducational Fund (MALDEF)Mr. Hinojosa is MALDEF’s Southwest RegionalCounsel, directing the office’s litigation and policywork. Since joining MALDEF in 2003, He hasbecome a leading litigator and advocate in thearea of civil rights, with an emphasis in education.He has spearheaded several education impactcases, including school finance/educationalopportunity cases in New Mexico, Colorado, andTexas. Mr. Hinojosa has testified before local andstate governments, lectured at universities and lawschools, served as an expert panelist at severallocal, state and national conferences, and writtentwo book chapters on school finance litigationthat are pending publication. A proud graduateof Edgewood High School, Mr. Hinojosa receivedhis bachelor’s degree from New Mexico StateUniversity and his J.D. from the University of Texasat Austin.Celina Moreno, J.D.Legislative Staff Attorney, MexicanAmerican Legal Defense andEducational Fund (MALDEF)Ms. Moreno is the legislative staff attorney forMALDEF’s Southwest Regional Office in SanAntonio. She analyzes legislation and advocatesfor the protection and promotion of Latino civilrights in the areas of political access, education,immigration, employment and access to justice forthe region. Ms. Moreno has testified in numerousstate legislative hearings on issues ranging frompublic school finance reform to immigrant rights.Prior to joining MALDEF, Ms. Moreno served as anattorney and Equal Justice Works Fellow at TexasRioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA), where she directedthe organization’s School-to-Prison PipelineProject, seeking to obstruct the forces channelingstudents from schools into the juvenile and adultcriminal justice systems. Ms. Moreno receiveda bachelor’s of journalism from the University ofTexas at Austin, a law degree from the University ofHouston, and a master’s of public policy from theHarvard Kennedy School.

HEB, Mrs. Prosper served as the director ofstrategic planning and research for Garcia 360ºin San Antonio. Some of her clients included:KB Home, Papa John’s Pizza, Anheuser-Busch,Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),Minute Maid, Dial Corp., Fannie Mae Corp., AudiUSA, The Home Depot, Infinity Insurance, SimonMalls, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, New York lifeInsurance, the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico, LasVegas Convention and Visitor Authority, Harrah’sEntertainment, and Blue Cross Blue Shield.Growing up as a migrant in the Rio Grande Valley,Mrs. Prosper holds a masters in communicationfrom the University of Pennsylvania, and abachelor’s degree in Plan II liberal arts and secondbachelor’s of science in advertising from theUniversity of Texas at Austin. She and her husband,San Antonio Councilman District 8, Ron Nirenberg,have one son, Jonah.Ezequiel Peña, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Psychology,Director, Center for Mexican AmericanStudies & Research at Our Lady of theLake UniversityDr. Peña is associate professor of psychologyand director of the Center for Mexican AmericanStudies and Research (CMASR) at Our Lady of theLake University. He oversees Higher Educationfor a New America’s La Cosecha—The HarvestFunding Initiatives; Transnational Health StudyAbroad and Exchange Efforts; Campus-CommunityPartnership Building; CMASR Research CollectionsCurating Efforts; and cultural and academicprogramming events. Previously, he served asdirector for the OLLU Counseling PsychologyDoctoral Program and the Psychological Servicesfor Spanish-Speaking Populations bilingual therapycertificate program. Dr. Peña earned his Ph.D.in counseling psychology from the University ofTexas at Austin. His scholarly and clinical interestsare in Latina/o and multicultural psychology; thereduction of mental health disparities for Spanishspeaking communities; Spanish-English bilingualtherapy, training, and supervision; increasingequity and access for first-generation Latina/ouniversity students; and the intersections ofLatina/o identity, class, gender, sexual orientation,spirituality, and individual voice.Adela Solís Ph.D.IDRA ConsultantDr. Solís has more than 25 years of experienceas a professional development and evaluationresearch specialist in the field of ESL/bilingualeducation, much of that time with IDRA.Throughout her career she has been dedicated towork that promotes excellence in the educationof minority students. She has worked with schooldistricts and universities in Texas and throughoutthe United States. Dr. Solís has a bachelor of artsdegree in political science from Southwest TexasUniversity, a master of arts degree in bilingualbicultural studies and teacher education fromthe University of Texas San Antonio, and a Ph.D.in education and applied linguistics from GeorgeMason University.Gerardo RojasCivil Rights Staff Attorney, Office forCivil Rights, DallasMr. Rojas is originally from Brownsville, Texas,and has been living in Dallas for 21 years. Hereceived a bachelor of arts degree in sociologyfrom Baylor University, and his Juris Doctorate fromthe University of Wisconsin-Madison. Mr. Rojas hasbeen an attorney in the private and public sectorsover the last 21 years. He has been a staff attorneywith the U.S. Department of Education, Officefor Civil Rights (OCR) for approximately 10 years.In that position, he provides legal guidance andconducts complaint investigations and participatesin compliance reviews, pro-active enforcementactivities and provision of technical assistance asrelated to the laws enforced by OCR that prohibitdiscrimination based on race, color, national origin,sex, age, disability and discrimination againstany group officially covered by the Boy Scouts ofAmerica Equal Access Act of 2001.Erika Prosper, M.A.Director of Consumer Insights, H-E-BCorporationMrs. Prosper has carved a career focused ongaining a greater understanding of the keydrivers that can persuade people to changetheir behaviors. Currently, she leads a team thatcaptures, measures and evaluates the influencesof the company’s efforts on its customers. Theknowledge gained through her team’s work inresearch and analyses is used to develop andput into action H-E-B’s strategic vision. BeforeParting WordsRaquel MijaresPresident, Bilingual Education StudentOrganization (BESO) at Our Lady of theLake UniversityMs. Mijares is a senior at Our Lady of the LakeUniversity. She will be graduating in December2015 with a bachelor of science in interdisciplinarystudies early childhood through sixth grade witha concentration in bilingual education. Raquel isan active membe

INTERCULTURAL DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH ASSOCIATION MARÍA "CUCA" ROBLEDO MONTECEL, PH.D., PRESIDENT & CEO 5815 CALLAGHAN ROAD, SUITE 101 SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 7 82 210.444.1710 FAX 210.444.1714 CONTACT@IDRA.ORG WWW.IDRA.ORG Noon Luncheon and Roundtable Discussions Roundtable Leaders Nilka Avilés, Ed.D., Senior Education Associate, IDRA