Talina Avila: “Building Fair and Inclusive Assessment Systems”

Title: Assessment Manager
Organization: Voices Language Academies / Latinos for Education
Age: 35

Latinos for Education Aspiring Latino Leaders Fellow. Talina Avila is a bilingual educator and education leader with 9+ years of experience spanning classroom teaching, instructional support, assessment coordination, and central office roles. She builds inclusive systems, facilitates PD, and strengthens family and staff engagement to drive equity.

Her early education celebrated her culture, but attending a wealthier high school revealed disparities and erased her identity. Now, as a Latina leader, she uplifts others’ voices and backgrounds, believing student experiences are essential to transformative education.

As an assessment coordinator, she uncovered gaps in accommodation practices for non-IEP students during state testing. She plans to create a tracking system and improve communication to ensure all students, especially newcomers, receive equitable support based on their learning needs.