Priscilla Aquino Garza
M.P.A. in Social Policy, LBJ School of Public Affairs, 2007
B.A. in Sociology, Undergraduate Teaching Certificate, Latin American Studies Certificate, Harvard University, 2001
Email: pagarza@utexas.edu
B.A. in Sociology, Undergraduate Teaching Certificate, Latin American Studies Certificate, Harvard University, 2001
Email: pagarza@utexas.edu
Priscilla Aquino Garza is a doctoral student in the Policy and Planning in the Department of Education Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas College of Education. Her research interests include teacher preparation, selection, placement, teacher labor markets, diversification of teacher workforce, culturally responsive pedagogy, and various school-based programs that support success in low-income Latinx and African-American students in public schools. She is currently a member of a research team led by Dr. Jennifer Holme and Dr. Jabbar titled Teacher Turnover and School Improvement: Examining the Mechanisms Through Which Instability Disrupts Schools, and How to Mitigate It. She is also engaged in research focused on community college as a potential for increasing the teacher pipeline.
She has a B.A. in Sociology from Harvard University, a Latin American Studies Certificate, and completed the Undergraduate Teaching Education Program (UTEP) at the Harvard School Graduate School of Education. She also received her M.A. in public affairs with a specialty in social policy from the LBJ School for Public Affairs at the University of Texas. She received the Barbara Jordan Scholar Fellowship and the Graduate School Diversity Mentoring Fellowship. She wrote her masters professional report on the High School Completion Program for Young Latinas and her thesis on Cuban education.
Aquino Garza currently serves as the Director of Policy for Educate Texas responsible for K-12 policy strategy and implementation related to college and career readiness and effective teaching. Originally from New York City, she began her educational work as a middle school teacher in Boston, New York City, and Austin. She then served as a research associate for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Initiative. She worked as the Director of Educator & Student Policy Initiatives at the Texas Education Agency leading a variety of educator initiatives and programs. She then served as the Interim Executive Director and Deputy Director for Stand for Children Texas leading organizing and policy strategies related to empowering students and parents in local and state policy efforts.
She has a B.A. in Sociology from Harvard University, a Latin American Studies Certificate, and completed the Undergraduate Teaching Education Program (UTEP) at the Harvard School Graduate School of Education. She also received her M.A. in public affairs with a specialty in social policy from the LBJ School for Public Affairs at the University of Texas. She received the Barbara Jordan Scholar Fellowship and the Graduate School Diversity Mentoring Fellowship. She wrote her masters professional report on the High School Completion Program for Young Latinas and her thesis on Cuban education.
Aquino Garza currently serves as the Director of Policy for Educate Texas responsible for K-12 policy strategy and implementation related to college and career readiness and effective teaching. Originally from New York City, she began her educational work as a middle school teacher in Boston, New York City, and Austin. She then served as a research associate for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Initiative. She worked as the Director of Educator & Student Policy Initiatives at the Texas Education Agency leading a variety of educator initiatives and programs. She then served as the Interim Executive Director and Deputy Director for Stand for Children Texas leading organizing and policy strategies related to empowering students and parents in local and state policy efforts.