Texas Tribune Festival 2019

Swaby has covered public education for the Tribune since 2016. Previously, she worked for the hyperlocal nonprofit New Haven Independent, where she covered education, zoning and transit for two years. After graduating from Yale University in 2013, Swaby spent a year freelance reporting... Read More →

Simmons is a world geography teacher at MacArthur Ninth Grade School in Aldine ISD. Previously, he served as president of Bay Ridge Christian College in Texas for eight years. Simmons has taught courses in communication studies and history at community colleges and four-year universities... Read More →

Perez is an English-language arts and social studies teacher at Riverside Park Academy in San Antonio ISD. She was a senior policy fellow during the 86th legislative session at Teach Plus, a training program that empowers teachers to become advocates for education policy change. Perez... Read More →

Torres is a 2018-19 policy fellow with Teach Plus DFW, a program that trains teachers to become education policy advocates. He teaches fourth grade math at Cesar Chavez Learning Center in Dallas ISD and previously worked for Teach for America. Torres was named 2017-18 Teacher of the... Read More →

Rhodes is a second grade teacher at Lockhart Elementary School in Houston ISD. She previously taught abroad in the United Arab Emirates. During her teaching career, she has served as a team lead, SDM committee representative and campus steward. Rhodes is also a graduate of the Teacher... Read More →