Our Team
- All
- Staff
- Leadership Council
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Maribel Gonzalez
Executive Director
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Edgar Rodriguez-Ramirez
Leadership Council
Why I GO
"I GO because the stories of our students and families are pivotal in how/why those in power make decisions."
Edgar Rodriguez-Ramirez
Leadership Council
Why public education?
I’m a proud product of Los Angeles public schools. With the help of selfless educators, my mom made STRATEGIC decisions in my educational career to ensure that I was on a path toward success. Public education should not be about strategy, but opportunity for all.
Favorite quote and why?
Isang Bagsak, in Tagalog means “one down” or “one fall”. It’s a reminder of my time in Berkeley working in solidarity with a multicultural coalition, ensuring that students of color were fairly represented and advocated for. It reminds me how we rise and fall together in “the struggle”.
The members of our Leadership Council are Oakland natives, residents, parents, grandparents, former teachers, principals, and alumni of Oakland public schools. Our leaders have deep connections to Oakland and strong backgrounds in education. The Leadership Council supports and guides our work in the best interest of Oakland students.
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Miriam Vasquez
Leadership Council
Why I GO
Miriam Vasquez
Leadership Council
BIO COMING SOON
The members of our Leadership Council are Oakland natives, residents, parents, grandparents, former teachers, principals, and alumni of Oakland public schools. Our leaders have deep connections to Oakland and strong backgrounds in education. The Leadership Council supports and guides our work in the best interest of Oakland students.
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Reggie Lee
Leadership Council
Why I GO
"It took me until the first of my two children entered the public school system to truly see the inequities and inadequacies within education as currently constituted. Every child and family deserves an enriching and continuously improving school experience. My belief in this lines up very well with GO's mission."
Reggie Lee
Leadership Council
Why public education?
Growing up, after several moves, I was fortunate that my family settled for my formative years in a school district with supported, well-trained, and passionate teachers in a fiercely pro-education community that revolved around its schools. In my mind, this has always been the prototype for what a school should look and feel like. A student focused and constantly improving public school system plays such a massive role in preparing our children and young people for life. All efforts must have that as the end goal.
Why Oakland?
My family and I relocated to the Bay Area in 2013 and Oakland in 2015. It is a city that I have always been fascinated by and one I believed I would live in at some point of my life. We, as a family, value diversity and feel most comfortable in rich diverse environments. We have that in loads here in Oakland, and I think all residents are made better by it.
What are my vices?
I really enjoy working out, and it’s a big part of my life. This is important because I have an extreme weakness for Oakland’s own Angel Cakes’ cupcakes. I can’t get enough of them!
The members of our Leadership Council are Oakland natives, residents, parents, grandparents, former teachers, principals, and alumni of Oakland public schools. Our leaders have deep connections to Oakland and strong backgrounds in education. The Leadership Council supports and guides our work in the best interest of Oakland students.
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Yannell Selman
Leadership Council
Why I GO
"As the daughter of Cuban immigrants, former FRL recipient, first generation college student, and K-12 public school alum, I know how transformational education. My theory of change centers on addressing both systemic and family-level equity gaps, and GO's advocacy and organizing work mirrors that exactly. If we're able to shine light on the power of individual families toward a more excellence and equitable public school system, we can finally achieve our dreams of providing every child with a world class education."
Yannell Selman
Leadership Council
Yannell identifies as a Latina entrepreneur, organizer, and educator. She began her career as a 2nd grade bilingual teacher in WCCUSD while living in North Oakland. In 2014, she became a parent organizer, supporting hundreds of mostly low-income families in decisions around school choice and school quality. She went on to manage a team of community organizers across northern California, including Oakland, Richmond, San Jose, and Sacramento, impacting 3,000+ families. This experience gave her visibility into how community empowerment can make change at all levels of the school system. She went on to found P.S. 305 in my hometown of Miami, Florida, and served as the Executive Director for three years. After experiencing intense founder burnout, she decided to take time off and go back to school, earning her MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. While there, she launched Cultiveit, a wellness organization that helps teams prevent burnout by taking high quality, evidence-based breaks.
Why public education?
Despite having graduated high school with a 6.4 GPA, Yannell was unprepared for college. Her public high school served 4,000 students, 91% of which were students of color. As she struggled through her freshman year at Northwestern University, she wondered why expectations for her community were so much lower than those of her peers. This deep seated unfairness still motivates Yannell to fight for quality and equity for all kids today.
Favorite Quotes:
“Lo que es bueno hoy Quizás no lo sea mañana He ahí el valor del momento He ahí el presente perfecto” -Celia Cruz
The members of our Leadership Council are Oakland natives, residents, parents, grandparents, former teachers, principals, and alumni of Oakland public schools. Our leaders have deep connections to Oakland and strong backgrounds in education. The Leadership Council supports and guides our work in the best interest of Oakland students.
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Zabrae Valentine
Leadership Council
Why I GO
"GO creates space for honest, well-informed and respectful public dialogue; listens with deep curiosity; and helps move conversations toward constructive, inclusive solutions that can enable Oakland families, faculty, administrators and other key players to build and sustain great public schools that welcome all Oakland kids."
Zabrae Valentine
Leadership Council
Zabrae has been working to engage policy makers and the public in conversations to strengthen civic literacy and public policy for over 25 years, and currently provides strategic advising to initiatives in these areas. Since 2016, she has convened and facilitated the Economic Mobility Collaborative, an intentionally multi-partisan group of policy and political leaders who believe current barriers to economic security in CA present a critical threat to the state’s future both economically and socially, and who want to accelerate change that enables all Californians to be secure, feel valued, and thrive.
Why public education?
A great education for every single child is one of the most important investments we can make in our hyper interdependent society: It prepares each individual to access their best future (which every human deserves to do), and it seeds a secure, vibrant, resilient economy, and happy communities primed to meet and best challenges as they come—and they will come. It’s as important to each individual, and to every community, as the air we breathe. And that means it’s gotta be a public good.
Favorite Quotes:
You must do the things you think you cannot do –Eleanor Roosevelt; The truth will set you free – but first it will piss you off –Gloria Steinem
The members of our Leadership Council are Oakland natives, residents, parents, grandparents, former teachers, principals, and alumni of Oakland public schools. Our leaders have deep connections to Oakland and strong backgrounds in education. The Leadership Council supports and guides our work in the best interest of Oakland students.
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Vince Steele
Political Director
Why I GO
"Working at GO marks a full circle movement for me. Back to reforming an education system that has been historically cruel to low income communities. Back to using our political voice to shape the type of school district we deserve. Back to building a grassroots movement of families and educators that are concerned with one goal – the success of Oakland students."
Vince Steele
Political Director
I’ve always been led to roles where I’m able to play a part in helping communities realize their collective power. I’m inspired by the way community organizing can reform broken systems, create movements and disrupt the status quo. This informs my work as Political Director. As a former union organizer, I represented teachers and classified employees in the country’s second largest school district – Los Angeles Unified. Mainly working in the underserved communities of South Los Angeles, I witnessed what lack of educational resources does to a community. I also learned the power of using politics for social change. My work as Organizing Director at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights focused on the broken criminal justice system. Working with community to shift resources away from systems of oppression and into programs, services and job opportunities that build our community.
The members of our Leadership Council are Oakland natives, residents, parents, grandparents, former teachers, principals, and alumni of Oakland public schools. Our leaders have deep connections to Oakland and strong backgrounds in education. The Leadership Council supports and guides our work in the best interest of Oakland students.
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Thomas Maffai
Managing Director
Why I GO
"Schools should truly serve all students and school systems should be responsive to the communities that they serve. Our work tips the balance of power in favor of students and families allowing them to claim their rightful place at the policymaker’s table. "
Thomas Maffai
Managing Director
I got my start in education as a high school teacher in a largely immigrant community in Miami. Through the lens of my students, I saw the deeply personal impact of policy decisions made at every level of a system that stacks the odds against them. Since leaving the classroom, I have continued to fight against those odds leading school improvement efforts – as a social worker, district leader, and policy director.
Why public education?
Both of my parents were lifelong public school teachers. They taught me that education is not just how an individual student can get ahead in life, but it’s also how families can break generational poverty and how communities unite people across their differences and expand opportunity for all.
Favorite quote and why?
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” – The simplicity and urgency of this question posed by Mary Oliver pushes me to examine whether my daily decisions truly align to what I value most in life.
The members of our Leadership Council are Oakland natives, residents, parents, grandparents, former teachers, principals, and alumni of Oakland public schools. Our leaders have deep connections to Oakland and strong backgrounds in education. The Leadership Council supports and guides our work in the best interest of Oakland students.
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Saige White
Communications Manager
Why I GO
"I GO because I want to see all children experience that opportunity to learn and grow in an environment that truly serves their needs and provides them with all the resources necessary for them to thrive in education and ultimately, their lives."
Saige White
Communications Manager
For the past few years I’ve worked in environmental education for various conservation organizations, focusing on connecting kids and communities to green, outdoor spaces. As a kid growing up in the public school system, I watched as funding for programs in arts, music, and environmental education slowly declined in my community. Entering into the environmental education advocacy realm allowed me to work towards connecting kids and families with opportunities to experience hands-on educational opportunities and resources they otherwise wouldn’t receive in the classroom. I’m excited to be a part of the GO team and work towards elevating the voices and needs of Oakland students and communities, bringing both awareness and systemic change to our public schools.
The members of our Leadership Council are Oakland natives, residents, parents, grandparents, former teachers, principals, and alumni of Oakland public schools. Our leaders have deep connections to Oakland and strong backgrounds in education. The Leadership Council supports and guides our work in the best interest of Oakland students.
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Brandon Nicholson
Leadership Council
Why I GO
"We are in this period of time where what predicts kids' experiences is zip code. Across zip codes there is great disparity. There needs to be a way to address those disparities. We need to change or transform the system in a way where more kids will succeed."
Brandon Nicholson
Leadership Council
Brandon is the founding executive director of The Hidden Genius Project, an Oakland-based nonprofit that supports young African-American males in technology, leadership, and entrepreneurship. The Hidden Genius Project has served close to 1,000 kids.
Why public education?
I went to Oakland public schools from K-8, and then I had the opportunity to participate in the Better Chance Program. I attended a private high school for free. I felt I was prepared for the school thanks to my experience at Claremont, but what struck me was ‘Why was I able to afford this as opposed to someone else?’ Not everyone has the opportunity and support at school and home that I did.
Why Oakland?
I was born and raised here. As I was able to see more of the world in high school and college, I realized how diverse Oakland is and how important of a place it is politically and culturally. I know it has its challenges– school achievement, violence, and poverty– but it also has a certain level of swag, cultural intelligence, and a great deal of pride.
What are your vices?
I definitely try too much, in a good way. I try to do as much as possible in a given day and sit on various boards. I don’t have a problem saying no. I just want to do things and make things happen.
The members of our Leadership Council are Oakland natives, residents, parents, grandparents, former teachers, principals, and alumni of Oakland public schools. Our leaders have deep connections to Oakland and strong backgrounds in education. The Leadership Council supports and guides our work in the best interest of Oakland students.
