“It doesn’t matter how many math, reading, or writing strategies teachers have. If we don’t know who our students are culturally, historically, or individually, we can’t teach them effectively.”
Salandra Grice-Johnson, Ph.D.
Equity is Non-Negotiable
Culture counts and equity is everything! PreK-12 students are growing increasingly diverse and the demands of 21st century society continue to transform and change, thus educators need to be equipped to meet the needs of 21st century students. As decades of educational inequities among culturally and linguistically diverse students continue to persist, now is the time to prepare every educator to embrace, empower, educate, and include EVERY student, EVERY day! Equity in education is at the heart of this mission and the pursuit of recognizing, disrupting, and dismantling barriers which perpetuate academic and social inequities for our students is non-negotiable!
Conscious Educators for Equity is a nonprofit organization here to support every educator in this journey to becoming culturally conscious and equity-minded educators! Founded by Salandra Grice (founder of Conscious Education Consulting, LLC), Conscious Educators for Equity creates self-reflective, critically engaging, interactive, and transformative learning experiences for educators ready to create positive change in the lives of their diverse students and families through culturally relevant and equity-based pedagogies.
To learn more about the work we do to equip educators and schools with the skills to create more equitable learning opportunities for our students, visit our sister organization, Conscious Education Consulting.
About Our Board
-
Salandra Grice-Johnson, Ph.D. | Executive Director
Salandra Grice, M.Ed., is an educator, author, and advocate for equity in schools. As the founder of Conscious Education Consulting, LLC, Salandra extends the mission of creating equitable and liberatory school experiences for all students to the next level through Conscious Educators for Equity.
She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with Teacher Certification from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2006. She received her Masters of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction in Urban Education from Texas A&M University in 2019. She obtained her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction in Multicultural Education at Texas A&M in 2024.
Salandra has a decade of classroom experience and her journey as a student, an educator, and a parent have helped shape her approaches in helping educators create high-quality, caring, positive, and equitable school experiences for EVERY student.
-
Alexes Terry, M.Ed. | Director
Alexes is a passionate educator with over a decade of experience in education. She possesses a Bachelor's degree in History, a M.A. in History, and an M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Urban Education. Currently, she is pursuing her Doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University. Her research interests include urban education, culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy and teacher efficacy and wellness.
She is the author of the book Real Love: Strategies for Reaching Students When They See No Way Out and the founder of TwistED Teaching Educational Consulting Company, where she strives to twist the way teaching and learning happens in urban schools by building educators’ capacity to cultivate and sustain culturally responsive learning environments.
-
Elissa Frazier, Ph.D. | Director
Elissa Frazier is an Education Consultant and specializes in professional & organizational learning in the areas of culturally responsive teaching, technology integration, instructional design, and continuous improvement through coaching. She draws from extensive knowledge as an educator having served in several capacities, as an English teacher, Reading Specialist, Instructional Coach, Edtech Integrationist, Researcher, and Evaluator.
Her ability to understand the needs of intersecting communities of practice is an asset as well as her professional and personal knowledge of the challenges teachers face when creating learning environments that are designed for all kids to thrive.
Her current research focuses on culturally responsive teaching with technology & digital equity in K12 schools. Elissa lives with her wonderful husband and fantastic kids. She is also a proud Autism advocate.
-
John A. Williams III, Ph.D. | Board Member
John A. Williams III, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Multicultural/Urban Education at Texas A&M University at College Station, in the department of Teaching, Learning and Culture.
His research focuses on developing and replicating best practices, policies, and personnel to dismantle inequitable discipline outcomes for Black students in K-12 school environments.
-
Maiya Turner, Ph.D. | Board Member
Maiya Turner is an educator with a background in English Language Arts Instruction. Maiya is passionate about creating equitable learning spaces for all students through accessible and culturally relevant professional development for educators. She is excited to work with educators and guide them towards becoming culturally responsive.
Maiya received her M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Urban Education in 2019 from Texas A&M University. Maiya recieved her Ph.D. in Multicultural Education from Texas A&M University. Maiya also holds an Advancing Educational Leadership (AEL) certification.
-
Taylor Gilley, Ph.D. | Board Member
Taylor A. Gilley comes to Conscious Education Consulting with a background and a passion for providing equitable classroom communities for diverse learners. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing from Texas A & M University in 2001. After her time in the Human Resources sector of corporate America, she returned to school to receive her teaching certification in 2011.
Ms. Gilley received her Masters of Education in Teacher Leadership with an emphasis in ESL in 2016. She will complete her Ph.D. in Urban Education from Texas A&M University in December 2020. Ms. Gilley’s personal experiences growing up as a student and the child of an educator in a diverse, rural school district in deep East Texas, and her own experience as a white teacher in an urban district, fueled her desire to provide leadership and direction for teachers new to urban school settings.
Currently serving as a Lead Development Specialist for Spring ISD, she provides professional development, mentoring, and coaching to teachers to support their efforts to provide a successful environment for today’s population of diverse learners.
“I have always heard it said that a student will do for the teacher long before they will do for the task. By truly understanding the cultural component of today’s learners, teachers can build meaningful relationships with students, parents, and stakeholders empowering them for a successful future.”
– Taylor G.