What experiences brought you to ELP?
Performance assessments have always played a big role in my educational journey, even when I was unable to name it. As a Bilingual teacher in Chicago, I centered my teaching on performing and bringing the content to life. The traditional assessment measures were invalid and were unable to capture the pure brilliance of my students and their community. In the past three years, I’ve focused on partnering with school districts in New England to develop high quality performance assessments that promote joy and equity. Now, as an Assessment Design Partner at ELP, I’m excited to engage in deeper ways with assessment systems and Graduate Profiles.
What are you hoping to learn while you’re at ELP?
I’m hoping to deepen my understanding of graduate profiles and how they can serve as a lever for equity for school districts. Most importantly, I’m looking forward to collaborating with the wonderful ELP team to design learning experiences that promote antiracism.
What are you most excited about starting at ELP?
I’m most excited to work with the wonderful team at ELP and their school partners. It is energizing to work with a team that is unafraid to think outside-the-box with antiracism at the center of the work.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
There are many things that bring me joy and restore my spirit. One of my top priorities is exercise- I like early morning runs or group workouts followed by an iced coffee and a relaxed afternoon by the beach. I also appreciate time with my family and friends-especially after living on the East Coast for several years. In fact, one of my favorite activities with my mom is to visit TJMaxx and browse the clothes and home decor section. It’s the little things that count.
A picture with me and my beautiful family and a picture of me and my birthday piñata (Selena)!
Soraya’s Bio:
Soraya is joining the Envision team as an Assessment Design Partner. With nearly a decade of experience in education, Soraya has worked to promote and support anti-racist teaching and learning practices through her roles as a teacher and as an assessment designer. Before joining Envision, Soraya served as a Senior Associate at the Center for Collaborative Education (CCE). There she worked in partnership with schools and districts in New England and nationally to design high quality assessments and systems that promote equity and engagement. In addition to professional learning and coaching, she led a consortium of districts in Massachusetts in their pursuit of designing an alternative assessment and accountability system. Soraya believes that lasting assessment systems need to be in alignment with a community’s vision and coherent to a district and school’s priorities. Soraya holds an Ed.M. in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Chicana/o Studies and Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles.
