Women have always been pioneers in education. From Patsy Mink, the first Asian American woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives who advocated for equality in education, to Ruth Simmons, the first Black president of an Ivy League university, women have a long history of shattering glass ceilings to transform the way we educate young people.
The legacy of changemaking persists today. In honor of Women’s History Month, I connected with a few leaders who are shaping the future of education across the country, each in their own unique way. I asked them to reflect about their current career path, the role mentorship plays in their professional journey, and what they’re currently reading.*
Catera Scott is the managing director of leadership development at Teach For America (TFA) based in its Greater Philadelphia region.
Catera Scott
Christine Dickason: Tell our readers about your current role and what a typical day looks like for you.
Catera Scott: I’m responsible for supporting a TFA cohort of first- and second-year teachers at various schools in the Greater Philadelphia region. I help teachers develop their leadership by connecting them with resources that support their overall wellness. On a typical day, I may visit the teachers at schools and provide real-time and/or post-observation feedback. I host individual or group meetings to support teachers in setting goals for themselves and their students, and we monitor progress towards those goals. I also create and deliver professional development sessions for teachers from pre-service through their two-year commitment in TFA’s corps.
CD: Why are you engaged in this work? What motivates you to take on the tough issues we face in our education system today?
CS: Education is one way to combat the systems of oppression that exist for Black and brown people in this country. The idea that a child’s ZIP code dictates the quality of education they receive has always been problematic for me. The gravity of this work motivates me to take on the tough issues within education. I believe that adequate education is a matter of life or death for many children in Philadelphia. These children are my family members, fellow church members, and community members. This work is personal.
CD: How have you benefited from mentorship throughout your career? Now that you’re a leader in education, how do you approach/value mentorship for rising leaders today?
CS: One of my favorite quotes is, “None of us is as smart as all of us.” It demonstrates the interdependence of multiple people in order to move the work we do forward. My mentors have shared opportunities for personal and professional development. They have challenged my thinking when I believed “my way” was “the way.” My goal is to do the same for people I mentor. I value sharing information and opportunities with rising leaders. I’m also intentional about sharing wisdom and tangible tools that have helped me along my journey in education.
CD: What are you currently reading?
CS: I’m currently reading “Not Paved for Us: Black Educators and Public School Reform in Philadelphia” by Dr. Camika Royal. As a Philadelphia educator who is also a native Philadelphian, this book has given me a lot of insight into the history of education in this city starting in the 1960s. In the book, Dr. Royal explains how systems of racism and capitalism have limited the progression of the Philadelphia school system over a 50-year time period.
In 2008, Rachel Canter co-founded Mississippi First, a non-partisan, nonprofit education policy and advocacy organization, and currently serves as its executive director.
Rachel Canter
Christine Dickason: Tell our readers about your current role and what a typical day looks like for you.
Rachel Canter: As an executive director, some days feel like I have to be “all things to all people,” despite the adage that one cannot do that. This is not unlike my other job title of “mom.”
A typical day for me starts at 7:30 a.m., when I’m arriving at the office to see what lurks in my inbox. After that, I’m just running as fast as I can to keep all the fires going — or to keep them from exploding. No day looks the same for me. Some days, I’m reading and writing all day long from the confines of my office. Other days, I’m talking to someone, anyone, about the issues and children that we care about. Once in a while, I also do all the unglamorous-but-necessary work of an executive director, including financials, fundraising, discussing inventory, etc. Often, I’m doing a little of everything until the magical hour when I clock off and return to my second job: Being a mom.
CD: Why are you engaged in this work? What motivates you to take on the tough issues we face in our education system today?
RC: I grew up in Mississippi and went to public school here from grades K-12. I’ve also been a public school teacher in the state. Those experiences deeply shaped who I am and what I believe. I think about my classmates, my former students, and, now, my own children in public schools whenever I make decisions about what we work on or how we work on it at Mississippi First.
CD: How have you benefited from mentorship throughout your career? Now that you’re a leader in education, how do you approach/value mentorship for rising leaders today?
RC: I think an important part of my job is growing the education policy leaders of the future. At every stage in my career, I feel lucky to have met people, including many women, in more senior leadership roles that I could learn from, even if they were never formal “mentors.” There are so many instances where I wish someone had been there to guide me or simply to tell me something that everyone but me seemed to know. But I often had to learn the hard way — by trying and failing.
The policy space can feel very intimidating to people who did not grow up around politics or who are not “connected.” Sometimes, mentoring is as simple as telling a person that they belong in this conversation, which is something all of us can do. I also think those of us who have been here for a while need to model humility for rising leaders. No one has it all figured out; we’re all still learning. We need to pass on what we’ve learned and be open to new ideas at the same time.
CD: What are you currently reading?
RC: Right now, I’m reading “Collaborating with the Enemy: How to Work with People You Don’t Agree with or Like or Trust” by Adam Kahane.
Karishma Merchant is the associate vice president of policy and advocacy at Jobs for the Future (JFF), a nonprofit focused on equitable economic advancement through education and workforce transformation.
Karishma Merchant
Christine Dickason: Tell our readers about your current role and what a typical day looks like for you.
Karishma Merchant: I lead the policy and advocacy team at JFF. We seek to influence state and national policy conversations, and design and advance nonpartisan, practice-informed public policy to address systemwide issues in the education, employment, and workforce development. A typical day for me really varies. It can range from meeting with policymakers and external stakeholders to gathering insights from practitioners and JFF subject matter experts that inform our policy priorities to overseeing the daily operations of our policy team.
CD: Why are you engaged in this work? What motivates you to take on the tough issues we face in our education system today?
KM: I grew up in a single-parent household in Houston. Most of the students at my high school were students of color and the achievement gaps were vast. Some of my peers went to college, some went straight into the workforce, and some pursued postsecondary education then dropped out. I owe a lot of my success to my mother who put a lot of time and effort into making sure that I was focused on my education. After I graduated college, I was a high school teacher in Washington, D.C. The experience was eye-opening — I saw the issues that my peers had experienced now from the perspective of a teacher. Both experiences motivated me to search for policy solutions so that give all students a path to equitable economic advancement.
CD: How have you benefited from mentorship throughout your career? Now that you’re a leader in education, how do you approach/value mentorship for rising leaders today?
KM: Navigating a career path that isn’t particularly linear and that’s traditionally male dominated has been intimidating. Luckily, I’ve been fortunate to have strong female mentors throughout my career. Some of the most valuable lessons I learned came from observing strong female leaders along my journey. Seeing how they carried themselves and handled different situations gave me a starting point for how to grow as I moved along my own career path. I now realize that mentorship comes in many forms and is sometimes not a direct relationship. I try to keep in mind that someone may be watching me now, especially as a woman of color, so I’m always cognizant of that and try my best to set a good example in any situation I face and proactively connect with aspiring policymakers from diverse backgrounds.
CD: What are you currently reading?
KM: I have an infant, so reading for pleasure is a bit tough these days. But I just started “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig and am enjoying it.
Hanna Skandera is president and CEO of the Daniels Fund, a private foundation focused on impact in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming via nonprofit grantmaking, a scholarship program, and an ethics initiative.
Hanna Skandera
Christine Dickason: What was your experience with school growing up?
Hanna Skandera: School was a unique patchwork of experiences as I grew up. I was home-schooled for a significant period, but also attended parochial school and participated in sports at the local public school. These experiences showed me firsthand that education isn’t the same for every student at every school, and that it shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach.
CD: Briefly describe your career path that led you to your current role.
HS: I’ve had the honor of working with tremendous leaders throughout my professional career. In each role, I’ve sought to increase opportunities and impact for students, families, and communities.
Following graduate school at Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy and a research fellowship at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, I served in various state and federal government positions in education. This experience includes serving as the undersecretary for education at the California Office of the Secretary for Education under then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and deputy commissioner of education for the Florida Department of Education under then-Gov. Jeb Bush. In the U.S. Department of Education, I served as the deputy chief of staff and senior policy advisor for then-Secretary Margaret Spellings. Following that experience, I returned to state government as the Secretary of Education for the State of New Mexico under then-Gov. Susana Martinez.
Now, I have the incredible privilege of serving as the president and CEO of the Daniels Fund, a private charitable foundation established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels. Prior to becoming CEO, I was a former grantee and board member of the Daniels Fund.
CD: Why are you engaged in this work? What motivates you to take on the tough issues we face in our education system today?
HS: I’ve been passionate about education for as long as I can remember. Education is foundational — it can have an unmatched impact to shape and transform a young person’s life and unlock unlimited opportunity. And it’s the key to equipping the next generation of leaders in our country. I work every day so that more children have an opportunity to get an excellent education — in both K-12 and college — that can lead to success and upward mobility.
However, we’re facing a crisis in education that is failing the next generation of young people. I have seen firsthand that the existing education systems alone won’t deliver the outcomes we seek for our children. The traditional education system is struggling to meet the needs of students, and there are concerning trends of declining academic performance that have only gotten worse since the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is also an opportunity to reimagine education and its role, and expand school choice and shape the future of this country. Parents are demanding options beyond the traditional public school system as they seek alternatives that genuinely work for their children. We are seeing how choices benefit families across the country, empowering them to choose an educational environment that best suits their unique needs. Whether it’s charter schools, private schools, home-schooling or a hybrid model, the freedom to choose fosters competition and encourages innovation and excellence, ultimately benefiting students.
Philanthropy can play an important role in spurring needed innovation and transformative solutions for the challenges we’re facing. That is exactly what the Daniels Fund is doing, making a “big bet” on education through a commitment to add 100,000 choice seats across our four-state region by 2030. It’s a bold goal, but one that can move the needle for education in our region.
CD: What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to future education leaders?
HS: Education in this country has made strides when it has purpose. When we’ve had moments of cohesion, and rallied around that purpose, we’ve been able to help students. Right now, we need to find that anchoring purpose. Leaders must not lose sight of education’s pivotal role in developing contributing citizens and guiding future generations of Americans.
I would encourage future education leaders to be innovative and have the courage to take chances on big-bet ideas. Being entrepreneurial is not merely about taking risks, but is also about seizing opportunities and creating value where others see none. Cast an aspirational vision, persevere, and set rigorous goals. Have a heart of compassion when pursuing your goals. Those who dare to act on their vision shape the world and make it a better place. Think big, but impact one life at a time.
Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell is superintendent of Oakland Unified School District in California, which serves 34,059 students from transitional kindergarten to grade 12 as of the current 2023-24 school year.
Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell
Christine Dickason: What was your experience with school growing up?
Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell: Growing up in Oakland, my journey through school was a rollercoaster of highs and lows. I faced instances where my abilities were underestimated, yet I was fortunate to have teachers in the classroom and after-school programs who believed in me and pushed me to excel. Above all, my family was my unwavering support system that emphasized the importance of education in shaping my future. These diverse experiences, filled with both joy and pain, have deeply influenced my views on education and ignited a fire within me to champion inclusive and fair learning environments for every student.
CD: Briefly describe your career path that led you to your current role.
KJT: Being a third-generation educator has been a defining part of my journey, shaping my path from a young age. From teaching piano classes in high school to tutoring middle school students in college, working with children has always fueled my passion. Returning to my hometown after college, I embarked on my teaching career in East Oakland, where I discovered my love for leadership while serving as a grade-level chair. This newfound passion propelled me into the world of administration, first as an assistant principal of a middle school and later as an elementary school principal.
Stepping into the role of a site leader opened my eyes to the power of systems-level thinking and transformation, and prompted me to transition to central office administration with a desire to make a broader impact on educators, students, and families. While I never actively pursued the superintendency, the role seemed to find its way to me, bringing both challenges and rewards as I took on the position of superintendent of Oakland in the 2017-18 school year. Each day presents new opportunities to make a difference in the lives of those within the community I call home.
CD: How have you benefited from mentorship throughout your career? Now that you’re a leader in education, how do you approach/value mentorship for rising leaders today?
KJT: Mentorship has been the cornerstone of my professional journey, offering me guidance, unwavering support, and invaluable insights. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have had mentors and sponsors who believed in me and advocated for my growth throughout my educational career. Having someone to offer honest feedback, provide encouragement, and open doors for me has been crucial in my leadership development, especially as a woman and a woman of color in a field where diversity in leadership roles is still lacking.
As an educational leader, I see it as my duty not only to provide mentorship opportunities for emerging leaders but also to create pathways, facilitate connections, and participate in their leadership evolution. By paying forward the support and guidance I’ve received, I aim to empower the next generation of leaders and contribute to a more diverse and inclusive educational landscape.
CD: What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to future education leaders?
KJT: If I could share one piece of advice with future leaders, it would be this: lead with empathy, authenticity, courage, and unwavering conviction. Embrace the discomfort that comes with leadership, knowing that not everyone will agree with the tough decisions you must make to uplift students and families facing the greatest challenges. Navigate crises with a steady hand while keeping your purpose and mission at the forefront of your actions. And above all, prioritize your well-being by cultivating healthy habits that nurture your mind, body, and spirit. Remember, by taking care of yourself, you can better care for those you lead.
*Editor’s note: These discussions have been edited for clarity and content. As part of our commitment to transparency, a list of Bellwether clients and funders since our founding in 2010 is publicly available on our website. An organization’s name appearing on our list of clients and funders does not imply any endorsement of or by Bellwether.
