Finding a Sustainable Role:
Oscar Avilés’ Steps to Becoming a Life-Long Education Champion
What inspired you to go into education?
Growing up in a predominantly rural white community in Central Texas, I had very few male teachers, specifically male teachers of color. Education was important having been the first in my family to graduate high school and then to go to college. After college, I wasn’t sure I would be a life-long educator, but I knew that I needed to give something back.
I only had one Latino male teacher in my education experience. I recognized the type of impact it had on me personally—having a role model who looked like me and had a shared, similar experience and background resonated with me. I knew that our educational system, because of historical legacies, placed most students of color in the public education spaces with teachers who were not people of color. I knew there was a need for me to provide that opportunity—to be a role model who looked like, spoke like, and had a similar story to them.
I decided to teach in elementary school because there was an even greater level of disproportionality when it came to male/female teachers, resulting in fewer male teachers. Teaching in San Antonio, a majority Latino city, all my kids were Latino. During my first year of teaching, some of my second graders called me “Miss” as a slip of the tongue because all they’d ever had were female teachers, and here I was—their first male teacher. It was my experience having one kind of positive and impactful Latino male role model that really drove me to do that kind of work from the very beginning.
Was there a specific moment where you first considered transitioning to the private sector?
While I was working in schools, I had the opportunity to mentor first-year teachers and had a really positive experience doing that work in San Antonio. There is a very well-mapped path in the educational system of going the administrative route. I realized that was one way I could continue to do the work that I enjoyed of supporting other teachers, and I could see myself impacting more students beyond just my classroom.
I understood that our teachers needed both internal and external champions to support them as they strived to provide equitable learning opportunities for their students.
The other option I considered was how I could be an external champion for teachers. The biggest non-negotiable was that it had to be a role at an organization that focused on supporting teachers so that student outcomes improved. That was when I first started exploring opportunities in the private sector that eventually led me to Goalbook.
The biggest nonnegotiable was that it had to be a role at an organization that focused on supporting teachers so that student outcomes improved.
What new specific skills did you develop in your current role? How did you learn these new skills?
The new skills I developed in my role at Goalbook are around traveling to meet with potential district partners and to support conferences across the country. This, by far, has been the most critical part of my role. My role has, at least on paper, called for 25% travel. Traveling this much and being away from home can be taxing, so making this travel smooth and sustainable has been critically important for me. The three most important components for smooth travel in my opinion are time management (travel time to and from airport, to meetings, to events, talk time with loved ones…etc), saying “no” to late nights to get a decent night’s sleep, and finally, doing my research about where I’ll be going so I can do things I enjoy like consuming great food, nature, or culture. These are skills that mitigate stress, set me up for success, and make this level of travel sustainable.
In your current role, how do you measure your impact on the education system?
There are two things that I reference to validate the fact that our work as an organization and my contribution to our mission is having a meaningful impact.
The first is quantitative, which is the total number of districts, their teachers, and students that we work with and support across the country.
The second is probably my favorite, and that’s reading teacher surveys. These include the initial surveys following a training and the ones we gather throughout the year tied to analytics reports we share with district leaders. Reading personal accounts about how Goalbook has had a positive impact on teacher practice and student outcomes is fulfilling and rewarding to me.
When you reflect on current impact, do you feel like you are still an external champion for teachers by bringing Goalbook to districts around the country? Why? Are there ways you are continuing to be a role model for Latino students?
I believe my work and my role allow me to be both an external champion for teachers as well as a role model for Latino students.
When we look at public education and the leadership in our public schools, Latino superintendents make up approximately two percent of the leadership in over 14,000 school districts in the United States. Compared to the actual Latino population of the US, which is closer to 20 percent, it’s clear there is a large discrepancy there. To me, being present at conferences, school visits, and district leadership conversations normalizes seeing a Latino person as a leader in all of these spaces. Whether it’s superintendents, teachers (unions), parents, and other stakeholders I interact with in my role, I always bring my teacher voice and experience into these conversations which is intrinsically linked to my identity as a Latino in America.
I believe my work and my role allow me to be both an external champion for teachers as well as a role model for Latino students.
What steps would you suggest educators take when thinking of how to be a life-long champion in education?
- Reflect: Focus on yourself and figure out what you want in your next role and where you see yourself. Do you want to be on an accelerated career track or steadily grow and develop? What are your nonnegotiables and must-haves?
- Research and Connect: Do your homework and expand your network in the industry you are interested in exploring. Reach out and ask them hard questions: What is it really like in your role? What would you say was the critical piece that led you to the offer? What questions should I ask in the interview? This is your chance to learn about the role before applying and interviewing.
- Prepare: Do your due diligence and set yourself up for success. Prepare for interviews and make sure to do your research. Your dream job should not be your first interview. Get feedback from others and keep improving.
- Say Thank You: Always thank anyone you communicate with during the process. You can’t do this by yourself and it is best practice to ask for help from your friends and your network. You would be surprised how willing people are to help.
To learn more about Oscar’s role at Goalbook, check out his Q&A.
Oscar’s story is part of our series “Transitioning to the Private Sector”. Read about Erika and Chrissy’s transition from the classroom.
Be sure to follow Goalbook on LinkedIn for this series and other content.
