DIAL EE Fellows

Dr. E’leva Hughes Gibson is an education leader committed to strengthening partnerships that support children and families, building systems that serve “each and every” child, providing access and equitable supports, and developing innovative solutions.  She has worked in public education for over 23 years, from PK-12 to higher education.  

Dr. Gibson has served as a teacher, a school administrator, an adjunct professor, a department supervisor, director, an executive director, and assistant superintendent.  

Working collaboratively with schools, colleges, local government agencies, and community-based organizations, Dr. Gibson has created programs, developed strategic plans, implemented initiatives, addressed systemic issues, and has developed an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) template that has been adopted, revised, and scaled out. She is dedicated to closing the opportunity/achievement gap, providing educational opportunities for 21st century learning, and promoting teaching the “whole child.”

Emily has over 18 years of experience in education, including teaching in TK and Kindergarten classrooms, coaching and training for SEEDS of Learning™, and serving as Program Director for FluentSeeds, which became part of the Collaborative Classroom family of resources in 2024. Emily participated in the 2022 Promising Ventures Fellowship and is currently a 2022-2024 Dial Ee Fellow, with a focus on continuous improvement and program quality in the TK early childhood environment.

She has been a SIPPS-certified trainer since 2018, holds an administrative credential from Reach Institute for School Leadership, and a K-8 BCLAD credential from Cal State University Long Beach. Emily resides in the Bay Area with her husband, two children, and rescue pup, Meggie.

Jennifer Marroquin serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for Tulare City School District. Within her current role, she oversees Alternative Education, Special Education, Early Childhood, and Curriculum and Professional Development. Jennifer has approximately 20 years of experience in education. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and a Master’s in Special Education.  

Jennifer began her teaching career as a third-grade teacher. She then became a special education preschool teacher. It was in this role that Jennifer developed her love and passion for early childhood education. She went on to become a Preschool Teacher on Assignment, which included supporting and coaching other early childhood educators. From there, she became the Director of Early Childhood for her district. In this role, she supported the initial implementation of Transitional Kindergarten and began the work to align the district’s early childhood programs (Preschool-1st Grade). Jennifer has worked extensively within her district for the past 10 years on implementing developmentally appropriate instruction in Preschool-1st grade. This work includes establishing developmentally appropriate assessments, staff and administrative training on developmentally appropriate practices, parent education, and community outreach. The transformative work that Tulare City School District has accomplished in the alignment of early childhood has allowed Jennifer to serve as a collaborator with organizations such as West Ed, Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), and the Learning Policy Institute.

Lindsay Lewis is in her second year as the Director of Early Childhood Education for Pasadena USD. She has a passion for inclusive practices and innovative in ways to build the early foundation blocks of learning as they support the pipeline into the TK-12 schools. Her depth of knowledge in standard alignment and diverse and inclusive practices within the classroom will magnify and bridge the connection for families in the PUSD area.She had been principal at Sierra Madre Elementary School for 6 years prior to becoming the director. She first started in PUSD as a 1st grade student at Burbank Elementary and graduated as salutatorian from John Muir High School. She has worked in PUSD since 2002 as a classroom teacher, LDRT and instructional coach, prior to becoming the principal at Sierra Madre Elementary. While principal at SME, she has enhanced a robust enrichment program, specializing in the performing arts and STEAM, as well as redefined the positive support for social emotional well-being for all students. Mrs. Lewis is known for knowing EVERY student’s name and her infectious smile! The relationships she has made with the staff, students and their families, and community at large, will be cherished for years to come.

As a student who struggled in school with average grades, I attended California State University, Fresno, where I excelled and received a bachelor’s degree in home economics with a focus on early learning.

I decided to earn my multiple subjects credential and work as a long-term substitute. I stayed home to raise a family and returned to education 28 years ago. Since then, I have taught in State subsidized preschool and kindergarten through 5th grade, spending most of my time in kindergarten.  

Seeing how education was not developmentally appropriate for my kindergarten students, I went on to earn my master’s degree in educational leadership and became a Program Manager of a State preschool. Working as an advocate for children and families, it soon became clear that to make a difference in education, I would need to earn an advanced degree. I earned my doctorate in education in 2014, with my research focused on children 3-5 and self-regulation. From there, I worked in the community college system as the Director of Early Childhood Education, where I influenced both the instructor and the college lab school. I left the college to work in Alisal Union School District (AUSD). I was attracted to the district as I learned their commitment to early learning. AUSD is committed to the community by using its Supplemental and Concentration grant funding to ensure all children receive high-quality preschool education. I have been working with AUSD since 2018. I am currently the Director of Early Learning Programs, overseeing all day-to-day operations of the State Preschool program in addition to preschool funded out of Title I and the Supplemental grant. I work with the principals to help them understand what developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) looks like in TK-2nd grade. The Early Learning Programs provide professional development for teachers on literacy and DAP, support grade level teams from TK-2nd, and review curriculum and assessment to align PreK-2nd grade.

The Early Learning Program believes that it is a social justice issue that all children have a high-quality pre-kindergarten experience.

Tanya is the Director of Elementary Education at Alameda Unified School District (AUSD). She is deeply committed to providing access to high-quality educational experiences for all learners. In her current role, she focuses on strengthening early childhood education and elementary education within AUSD by leading collaboratively and providing professional development to staff. Prior to becoming the Director of Elementary Education, Tanya was the principal for Otis Elementary School.

Tanya has previously directed the Emeryville Child Development Center, and led Oakland Unified School District’s initial implementation of Transitional Kindergarten as early adopters. Most recently Tanya has worked as a Lead Trainer with the 21st Century School Leadership Academy at UC Berkeley.

Tanya received her BA in Psychology from CSU Long Beach, her teaching credential from Holy Names College, and her MA and administrative credential from UC Berkeley.