SPEAK UP BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Katie Braude, Chair

Katie Braude co-founded Speak UP in March 2016 with a group of LAUSD parents who want a more powerful voice in education policy. Katie has participated in public education efforts in Los Angeles since the late 1980s. In the 1990s, Braude helped lead parents, teachers and administrators in the launch and implementation of the Palisades Charter School Complex, the first K-12 public charter school complex in the country. The Palisades Charter Schools sought to foster a high-quality, K-12 articulated curriculum serving all students in an ethnically and economically diverse student body.

From 2005-2010, she served as Director of Advancement to the KIPP LA schools. Prior to launching Speak UP, she was a Senior Consultant to Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, the nation’s first evidence-based parent leadership training program for Latino parents of children 5 and under. Katie was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Education from 2011-2017.

Austin Dragon, Treasurer

Austin Dragon has worked as a Fortune 100 corporate recruiter and manager in such diverse industries as healthcare, banking and finance, IT, manufacturing, sales and marketing, and HR for nearly 25 years. He ran for office to serve on the Los Angeles Board of Education in 1999 and served as the Chief Deputy to the President of the Los Angeles Unified School District from 1999 to 2000. For the last 15 years, he has served on the board of Strive, a mini campus offering after-school academic programs, tutoring, computer workshops and arts to children in Watts. A native New Yorker, Mr. Dragon also served in the U.S. Army and received a degree from the L’universite Sorbonne in Paris, France.

Christian Esperias

Christian Esperias is a Democratic political strategist, with nearly a decade of experience in electoral politics, advocacy, and public engagement. Christian's electoral history includes; President Obama's 2012 campaign, a DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) Frontline victory, Governor's races, and municipal races. Christian attributes his nearly two years of community organizing on President Obama's campaign as the foundation of his political approach. Christian has led advocacy campaigns on Immigration Reform, Marriage equality, Gun Safety, Climate Change, to name a few. Christian currently serves as the Political Director for Murmuration, which specializes in fighting for education equity.

Shirley Ford

In Memorium

Shirley Ford, Speak UP Board Member 2016-2018

"Fifteen years ago, I was blessed when a school flyer randomly landed at my door, but the educational destinies of children like mine shouldn’t depend on luck. To end that unjust status quo, we need two things. The first is a dramatic increase in quality options for families in low-income communities and communities of color. The second is to help all families have a greater awareness about their options and remove many of the barriers that currently prevent some families from accessing school choice." -- Shirley Ford

The Speak UP Foundation Board of Directors may be viewed here.

The mission of Speak UP is to engage, educate and activate parents and community members to advocate for excellent, equitable public education at their children’s schools, in their communities, with elected representatives and at the ballot box.

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La misión de Speak UP es involucrar, educar y activar a los padres y miembros de la comunidad para abogar en las escuelas de sus hijos, en sus comunidades, con representantes electos y en las urnas por una educación pública excelente y equitativa.

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