Seats at the Table - A BoardDocs Panel Discussion
Join BoardDocs for a conversation with contributors to Seats at the Table: School Board Members’ Perspectives on Race & Racism. Diana Baker Freeman, Senior Manager of Thought Leadership for BoardDocs, will facilitate a panel discussion featuring Jacinto Ramos (Ft. Worth ISD, TX), Shante Avant (Shelby County Schools, TN), and Ty G. Jones (Lancaster ISD Board Trustee), sharing the experiences that led to writing this book.
The panel will discuss the importance of representation and access in all areas of the community. Equity of access to information and increased transparency ultimately fuels a more democratic governance process and drives student success. Panelists will share the experiences of BIPOC board members, the impact on boards and communities when representation is improved, and ways that school boards and districts can engage their communities to increase representation and ultimately support greater trust and transparency with their communities.
Diana Baker Freeman is a governance specialist with an MS in Education Leadership and is a certified Master Trustee through Leadership TASB. She has presented at regional, state and national education conferences including NSBA. As a former educator, board member, and board development consultant, Diana focuses on the role of modern governance in improving organizational and community outcomes.
Board President, Forth Worth ISD, TX
Jacinto Ramos ("Cinto") is a national, state, and community leader on educational policy, racial/ethnic equity and school board governance. Jacinto is the national chair of the 2019-2021 Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE), on the National School Boards Association (NSBA) board of directors, serves on the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) board of directors as well as the president of the Mexican American School Boards Association (MASBA).
Chair, Shelby County School Board, TN
Shante K. Avant has served as Chair of the Shelby County School Board, representing District 6 which includes the South Memphis, Riverside, Westwood, and Whitehaven communities. Shante works towards the economic security of thousands of women and their families in the Greater Memphis Area as Vice President of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis (WFGM).
Ty G. Jones is an Advisor, Advocate and Educator. He was first elected to the Lancaster Independent School District in May 2011 and was unopposed during his May 2014 and May 2017 bids for re-election. After serving his first year on the Board, he was elected as Board President and re-elected to the officer position for a total six consecutive years. His passion to ensure the district’s mission is realized inspired him to become an advocate and ambassador for Lancaster ISD and public education nationally. He has been a featured presenter at the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) and the National School Board Association's (NSBA) annual and regional conferences.