Dr. Maria Martha Chavez-Brummel is a visionary leader propelled by a deep-seated commitment to addressing societal challenges through innovative solutions, particularly in the realm of education. With a career spanning across various levels of education, from kindergarten to higher education, she has remained steadfast in her pursuit of equitable access and outcomes for all learners.
Currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer for Catch the Next, Inc., Dr. Chavez-Brummel leads a data-driven organization dedicated to closing the equity gap in higher education. Through strategic initiatives and collaborative efforts, she has cultivated a network of equity-minded stakeholders aimed at transforming teaching practices and improving outcomes for students in community colleges and beyond.
Affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin, Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, Dr. Chavez-Brummel extends her impact through academic endeavors. She offers graduate seminars to students, introducing them to the ASCENDER Framework for Student and Faculty Advancement. By equipping future educators and leaders with the tools and knowledge to implement equitable practices, she ensures a lasting impact on the field of education.
Below are highlights of the interview:
How did you get started in the education sector, and what motivated you to pursue a leadership role in this field?
As a first-generation student living in a foster home, I did not know the process of enrolling in college, navigating the system, and succeeding. Once I graduated, I approached Kansas State University to create a position to help recruit students like me, which they did. I became Assistant Director of Admissions while I pursued a graduate degree in Education and Counselling. Later, I transferred to Yale University as Assistant Dean of Yale College and faculty member.
What do you consider to be the biggest challenges facing the education sector today, and how do you think they can be addressed?
Literacy levels in English and Math have been low in this country for decades, and since COVID, many regions have decreased their average scores even further. Literacy skills are the gateway to higher education, college or certificate completion, and economic opportunity. Unless we tackle the education crisis in this nation, economic opportunity will not exist for segments of our population. For our democracy to prevail, we need an educated populace and a campaign to highlight the value of education and the investment return.
How do you see technology changing the education sector in the next 5-10 years, and what opportunities and challenges do you think this will create?
Technology is a blessing, yet even now, there is a digital divide in some regions of the country where partner colleges implement our ASCENDER framework. Broadband access is still an issue, as is access to hardware. Too many of our students still use their phones for homework, which can be a disadvantage. For those with access to technology, we find ourselves being challenged by students using Chat GPT with misconstrued notions of plagiarism and how intellectual property can be infringed upon.
On the other hand, as an educational services organization administering a program across different cities, we love what technology does to improve our work and keep us engaged with our institutional partners, faculty, students, funders, and the public.
I expect change five to ten years from now, but I fear that segments of our population will still be left behind. In 2000, I wrote an article for Public Agenda on the digital divide in the Navajo and Hopi reservations. Some changes have happened to date, but connectivity is still an issue. I find some of those same issues now in some areas of Texas. So, although we have made strides, especially after COVID, which forced us to grow our skill set, much has to be done to increase opportunities for people with low incomes.
How important do you think sustainability and environmental responsibility are in the education sector, and what steps are you taking to address these issues in your work?
Our goal as an organization is to be a good corporate neighbor in the cities where we partner with the educational institutions we serve. With our faculty and students, we attempt to educate our communities on the importance of environmental responsibility. Recently, one of our peer mentors, Allegra Villarreal, who co-authored the article, published a book on the subject, and we conducted webinars to educate teachers and ensure they embedded the subject in their classes. The book was highlighted in the education pavilion at The United Nations Climate Conference COP28 in Dubai.
As an agency, we do our best to be conscientious of our footprint and to educate others on the importance of the sustainability of our environment.
How do you approach team building and talent management in your organization, and what qualities do you look for in potential hires?
Team building is critical to our success because we work with colleges across a vast geographical sphere with teams composed of faculty from different disciplines, all under their department chair, dean, and or other administrators with their interest in mind, often content to be in their institutional silo. We also work with advisors, community mentors, and family members to ensure our students’ success. To achieve cohesive, solid teams, we first have to get buy-in from administrators and focus on team building through the professional development we provide to the faculty and administrators we work with. The colleges choose these faculty and administrators, so we are not privileged to hire them. Yet, we have to ensure that we can convert them to a culture of collaboration where they have to work as a team, as a cohort joining a larger community of what is to become like-minded individuals.
What advice would you give young professionals starting in education and looking to build a successful career?
Education is undervalued financially at certain levels, so it requires that people pursuing a career in education be passionate about transforming the lives of their students. Education is not about memorizing content but about creating critical thinkers with the skill set to pursue their dreams and contribute to society. A society that can not prevail without an educated populace. Education is the pathway to individual fulfillment in whatever profession one chooses, and it is essential for a thriving economy. One can play no more significant role than inspiring the minds that will lead the world. As a bonus, throughout your life, you will come across former students who excel in their spheres, and you always have the joy of them telling you how you changed their lives and the lives of their families. Through them, you continue to impact the world we live in.
What is your vision for the future of the education sector, and how do you see your leadership contributing to this vision?
Who needs to have a higher education and the value of education based on its cost and the level of student debt will remain a topic of contention for years to come. Yet, to be upwardly mobile, education is essential if you want to be competitive in the job market.
Through our leadership and the Leadership Program we have created, we have enabled participants in our programs to immerse themselves in the culture, policies, and decision-making process of the organization to maximize our potential as an agency of change by maximizing the potential of all the people implementing our transformative ASCENDER framework across the communities we serve. (ASCENDER stands for Achieving Student Confidence, Encouraging New Dreams Equity Realized.)
