Analiza: Welcome to the Women of Color Rise podcast. I'm Analiza Quiroz Wolf, proud Filipino-American executive leadership coach and former CEO of a nonprofit and Captain in the U.S. Air Force. I'm also the author of The Myth of Success: A Woman of Color's Guide to Leadership. It's based on the lessons learned by many women of color leaders, including those on this podcast. We talk with successful CEOs and C-suite women leaders of color and learn about their leadership journeys. I'm on a mission to support having more diverse leaders at the table. If you're a woman or a woman of color who wants to sit at that table, you're in the right place. Now let's get into today's show.

I am thrilled to be with Judith Cruz today. Judith is a native Texan. She's got Guatemalan heritage. She's in Houston with her husband and three sons. She has a BA from UT Austin, and then Master of Arts and Curriculum and Instruction from George Washington University. She has a ton of experience over 25 years as an educator, nonprofit leader, and volunteer.One of the things that has impressed me so much about Judith is that she served on the Houston Independent School District Board, was actually the board president, and now she's been the, uh. The Texas Assistant Director of Houston region at EdTrust in Texas, also in her, in her past. So there's so much about Judith that I am excited to dig in. We are actually coaches with the Leadership for Educational Equity Organization, so this is something that we've shared. Judith, I'm grateful to know you. Thank you so much for taking time. Welcome.

Judith: Thank you for having me, Analiza. Very excited to be here and just always great to chat with you.

Analiza: So, Judith, let's start with your identity.Can you share, how do you identify and how has that shaped your career?

Judith: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I always list mother first. First and foremost, a mom. I have three sons, all teenagers. I am a Latina, a tejana. I grew up in Texas. I very much identify with those roots, feel part Mexican because I grew up so close to the border.I'm also a woman of faith. That really does define a lot of what I do and shapes my decisions and my outlook on life. I'm a true believer in human rights and injustice. That really stems from my upbringing, and I always say that I'm kind of obsessed with education and education advocacy, and I'll talk a lot more about that.But really what shaped, I would say my career path is. My upbringing, my parents really rooted us in social justice from a very young age. I mean, I saw them in action doing very grassroots work to improve people's lives. I can. One of my earliest memories, I was five years old when Jesse Jackson ran for president and we had the button, you know, the regular coalition.I remember canvassing with my parents, and I had no idea, right, what that actually meant in a large context. I just remember being excited and it was fun. But just, you know, that just shows at a very early age, my parents were instilling that in us.

Analiza: So Judith, this sounds like you have had a foundation where you've been with community, you've had your faith, you've had people model for you what it means to stand up and do something different for all that we we have in America, but also that there can be ways in which we can shape the future.And so I want to fast forward here. You end up being a teacher. You're in TFA, you're working through education. You share that you're passionate about student outcomes, and you're also a mother. And so here you are. And this is why I was so fascinated because not only did you take this career path of education, but you jumped into, I would say, some of these hot seats, which is serving on a board.Can you tell us about that? 'cause often people don't follow that career path and add, you know, it's a volunteer position. Like, tell me about how this happened in your life.

Judith: Ooh, it's kind of a long story, but I'll try to make it as short as possible. I mean, it's interesting because. I actually ran twice for the school board and the first time I had left the classroom, which I thought was temporary. I had three kids under the age of five and just wanted to dedicate a little bit of time to them and I was. Approach about running for the school board. And when I was approached, I was like, I couldn't even tell you who was on the school board when I was a classroom teacher, I just stayed in my classroom, did my magic. I knew there were people that made decisions, especially when it came to resources, but I didn't really pay attention. And so my first thought was, yeah, I mean, this is good for kids, right? I can have an impact on children. Like I want to make a difference in children's lives. I had no idea. Big city politics, the amount of contracts that come before school boards and all of the just outside influences.

So I thought, okay, sure. Let's, you know, consider this. Ended up running in a six person race. It was an open election. The person had resigned with one year left of her term. And you know, I had no name recognition. I was a mom, I was a teacher, you know, no, I wasn't in. Politics, rub shoulders with folks. But I blocked what, and my family blocked what went crazy.

And I ended up coming in with a very strong lead. There were six of us on the ballot, right? And so two of us went into a runoff 'cause in Texas, if you don't have 50% of the vote. In a school board race, you have to go into a runoff and lose by 44 votes. It was the only thing on the ballot the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and I didn't think I was ever gonna run again.It was a very eye-opening experience and I realized very quickly that. School boards are very political. They deal with a lot of things that they don't always have to do, dealing with the education of students. And so I was like, you know, I'll just go back to the classroom and I'll do my thing. But after having that experience, it's like I kind of got catapulted into.

Being a leader in the community, it was like my life changed overnight, essentially. The community, a lot of parents viewed me as someone, oh, you know how to work the system. You, you're the person I can go to with questions. You can help me navigate this. And then folks in the city, you know, viewed me as, okay, there's this Latina from the East end.You know, she's grassroots, she's from the community, she speaks for the community. And so my positioning changed very quickly.and I spent nine years there. Trying to find someone else to run. I was like, okay. Like there's, now, there's, you know, a year later there was a regular election, four years later, another election.

And then by the time I ran again, the school board was under investigation. There was a threat of a state takeover of, because of student outcomes. And I kept looking around, looking around, and I'm like someone, I mean, I had asked several people, come on, you want to do this? But you know, most people are like this.Volunteer position, people yell at you, people hate you. You're never well liked because you're always making tough decisions. So it was really hard to find someone who was willing. And like I said, I had never imagined, but you know, my faith definitely drives a lot of what I do, and I felt very compelled to do it again, even though I knew it was gonna be crazy.

And even though there was a part of me that was like, oh, is this really. I want to do it. So it's interesting, you know, the reflection and all the, the lessons learned and, and getting into those positions. But, I definitely, it's not something I regret at all. And. A lot of us go into this thinking, oh, I'm gonna be the one that can make the difference. Right? I'm the one that can be the change. I'm gonna be better than the previous board member or the previous board. But systems this large are very, very hard to change. Right?

And it, it's, it's the long game coming into these positions and thinking about what is it that I can make a difference doing? so it was a hard lesson to learn that I couldn't be alone. Right? Couldn't be that. That change that I wanted to be. It doesn't mean that I couldn't, couldn't change and make small changes, but definitely learned a lot through the process. And it's opened so many doors in the sense of the lessons that I learned. I mean, there's it, there's nothing quite like being on a school board. It's different from other elected positions. And those skills that I developed, I'm able to take with me to so many different things that I lead.

Analiza: Judith, there's so much there. I'm so excited to dig in. I want to start with. Talk to us because often we know it's a hairy system. We want change. We're very mission aligned. We have our own unique experiences, our identities that drive us to work. And yet you said it, that there, because of the system that we live in and we, it's not an individual that will change. It's got to be something else. Can you tell us the school board itself, being a member of the school board, why is that? Important role for specific change. Would you like to get into it to say, yeah, here's what a member of the school board can do that not a teacher can do. A principal, a community leader, like what is the unique position of a school board member to actual change?

Judith: Yeah, absolutely. A school board has a ton of power and oversight.I mean, you think about the budgets alone, right? And how they allocate resources. The main responsibilities of school boards are to hire and manage a superintendent, adopt an annual budget, and I think the most important thing is to set goals and monitor student outcome goals that really should drive the vision and the work of the district. So when you think about like all the things that, there's contracts that you have to approve, so many different things that come before a school board, and it's really easy to get distracted by so many things. And then there's folks showing up to school board meetings or emailing you and saying, Hey, I have these issues. This is happening at my school.

But really the job of a school board member is to govern and really hold the superintendent accountable to what the vision is. The school board is, and, and if you think about the purpose of a school district, right, it's to educate students to make sure that they are learning to the best of their abilities.That they're able to, not just do basic reading and math and writing, but be able to live out their dreams and be able to have,Fulfilling life after high school, right? So all of the K12 system is designed to prepare students for that.

Analiza: With that dig something earlier, which is. It's political and a lot of the things that we deal with actually don't relate to.

Judith: Yeah.

Analiza: Educating kids. Can you talk about that? Because, and thank you so much in advance for your transparency, but Okay. Mission. That sounds great. I want to join a school board. I want to, yes. Support students and their well being and their dreams. That sounds amazing. And I mean, tell me the ugly side, like the reality is that tell me the reality and what we'd have to face if, if someone were to try to follow in your footsteps to also serve.

Judith: Yes. And so ideally, right. That's what the school system exists for. The role of a school board member is to drive that vision to make sure that you're holding a superintendent accountable, but Right. It's like what you're talking about. It is so hard because of politics. Come into play, interpersonal disagreements, right?I mean, you're a body of people and you need enough votes to be able to get the thing, the finish line that you want, or to be able to drive those changes further. But the interpersonal disagreement can really get in the way of really positive change, which sounds very. Like simple, like, well, can't you just all get along? Right?, and obviously we can see that on a macro level that can be really, really hard. And even on a micro level.

For example, my first two years on the board, we were all female, all democrats. Eight of the nine were women of color. You would've thought we were living the dream. And the second two years, the last two years of my four year term actually feel like we got more done.Then the first two years because it was just like the interpersonal stuff. Over where we should have been so aligned. So that can really get in the way. And

Analiza: So let's actually, like, without saying names right, and, and having like utmost respect for the people we work with, an Exactly. That is like what?That person likes red, I like green. Like give me an example of what it means interpersonal? Like are we talking about someone's badmouthing? Yeah. Are you talking about someone who was stubborn? Like what do, what do you mean?

Judith: Kind of all of the above. I mean, it can almost feel like middle school behavior in a sense.I don't know what it is. It's like we revert to some of those behaviors., and there's, you know, we're always gonna have differences, right? That's what makes humanity amazing, right? We're not all gonna agree even if we're of the same political affiliation or not. We're gonna have disagreements, but it's one thing to like. Take that disagreement to another level to have disrespect or,, to draw things out., you know, when I was on the board, I really, and especially when I was board chair, really made an effort to, like, if something bubbled up, it was like, let's resolve this immediately. If I need to apologize, I will apologize.Like, let's have a conversation like that next day about what happened, because then it's. It's like any other relationship, it's like feeling stuck I mean, it's very much like being in a marriage or any other, you know, you're working with these people day in and day out very closely, making really hard decisions. And so feelings can get heightened very, very quickly. Right. They can feel very personal, especially if we feel like, oh, the kids in, in my neighborhood or my community are, are getting shortchanged versus someone else's.

But when you're on the board, you really have to look at things in a bird's eye view and make decisions for the system, which can be very, very difficult. And especially if you have folks that are pulling on you., and it could be personal friends, right? People that help you block walk and they're saying, Hey, this doesn't, this doesn't jive with me. But in your heart and in your mind and looking at all the data, right, you know what's going to be best for the system. Those are very, very tough decisions. And so, the feelings get heightened and I think when feelings get heightened, then it's very easy to have misunderstandings, to take things personally, to say things that we probably shouldn't have said, and can be very offensive. And so those, then it just starts to unravel and you're like, we're not even talking about what we're here to talk about anymore.It now has become. Other conversations, right? I mean, think about when you have a disagreement or a fight with your spouse or, or a sibling, right? What you end up fighting about like hours later is not what you originally thought about. It's very similar.

Analiza: Judith, I want to go to this idea because you mentioned it earlier, so I'm in your quarter. I imagine I'm giving you not just my time and speaking about things like, please vote for her block blocking with you, but I'm also talking about maybe even giving money, right? Because it requires funds to run for something. Yeah. And I'm curious, like how does one take a leadership stance? Where the people who supported you get in that role, you'll need to make a decision that trades off that loyalty, that commitment to do what you think is right for the system or for whatever else. How hard is that? I feel it feels impossible. That's very hard. It's very hard. Yeah. So tell me about that. Do you have an example? That would be amazing.

JUDITH: That would be amazing. Oh, I'll try to think of an example. You have to be really centered on your values and I would say even before you run, if that's something you're considering doing and really in any leadership role where you have to make tough decisions, you really have to be centered in your values and what you know to be right. And like I'm not talking about right versus wrong, it's just like what, what you know is right and what you know is best for, for big large systems. Right. And I'm a pretty stubborn person and I'm a person like that, you know, one, when I know something's right, it's like I can, I can be very grounded in that decision. But it doesn't mean that there aren't moments, you know, leading up to those decisions that I was like, oh my gosh, what am I gonna do? What am I gonna do? Right. And thinking about, yeah, like if there were people that block walked for me, or donors that I knew would disagree with a certain decision, that it was gonna be really hard.I mean, as an example, I'm gonna give there, there were a lot of influences coming, coming at us, not just necessarily people that had supported me. So, I had asked the board president to place an agenda item for voting on a superintendent search. We had had an interim superintendent, for almost three years, I think, two and a half years at the time.

Again, we were on the threat of state takeover all of this time., and. In order to get something placed on the agenda, you needed at least three board members. So I'd asked two other board members to sign on to it with me. She placed it on the agenda when other board members found out they were very upset. And I started to get calls from so many community members, other elected officials, Congress people asking me to vote against it, to take it off the agenda. I mean, that could have easily been something like very, very, content. I mean, it was contentious, but I could have easily just given in and said, you know, the pressure's too high. The superintendent, the interim superintendent we have, let's just keep her., and I was open to keeping her, but I felt like we needed to do it as part of a search, right. And, and do the whole process, you know, as best practice. But it was even up until, I mean, I remember that very day of the meeting, getting tons of calls. There were a lot of contentious votes, that that would, you know, especially like we would, we could be working really, really well together and getting, making progress and getting things done. And then a vote like that would, it was like, it would take us. Backwards and every, I feel like the progress we would make would all unravel, right? And, and then we'd go back into our divisions, the kind of factions that we have on the board. And then it was like, okay, let's start. It was like, it was like we had to rebuild, you know, every single time and, and kind of almost start over and, you know, people felt betrayed or felt like for many different reasons, right? There were definitely some racial, uh, there was some racial tension, with that decision as well. That made it a lot more complicated.

Analiza: I mean, you're sharing these, this is hard work, hard leadership work, and now you're getting. A ton of press, a ton of publicity, and especially if it doesn't go their way and it's, you can imagine that sometimes it was a risk to you.so I want to talk about this idea of, of service because there are people I know in our networks who truly want to make a difference. And the reality is that it's not gonna be clean. And everyone's just getting along and singing songs, it's gonna be difficult. And so imagine if someone was, was said, you know, I'm willing to face these challenges, it's worth it to me. And so I'd love for you to just, what advice would you give? As someone who, someone, it feels like, a bit like you fell into it, but then just stuck. Stuck with it. Yeah. Can you give advice for someone interested? I also want to serve on a school board. I'm interested. What advice would you give?

Judith: It's so interesting 'cause I don't meet a lot of people that are like, oh my gosh. Uh, my dream is to serve on a school board, right? It's almost like, and it's almost like you want the person that is running away from this,, because you want someone that, that is doing it with, with their whole heart and not, you know, 'cause you'll get folks that run for school boards that are wanting to climb,, you know, a, a political letter and run for other things. And it's not like they can't, they can show up as great school board members, even if they have higher office in their future. So I'm not saying that, but a lot of times that can be a distraction. And so if you've got someone that is just, you know, I want to do this with full intention, I have the best interest of kids on my mind, then I say, let's do it right?

And even though it is super hard and can feel like you're taking, you know, two steps forward and five steps backward, It is possible to steer, you know, even if it is a teeny bit, steer the ship in the right direction. And what I tell folks is, at the very least. You can keep things from going backwards, right? It can feel like, oh my gosh, you know, I want to, I want more students to read, I want more students to be prepared for life after high school., but you also don't want things to go backwards. And so if you can at least hold that line, that is also, really, really critical. And you know, it's hard because you've got these systems that are, it's entrenched, right?

But I think. The way to get things done, is really the relationship and that, I can't emphasize that piece enough. and you have to be willing to work across differences. And we hear that all the time. Right? Especially in this political climate. Okay, fine. And I remember coming into this thinking, oh, I'm a bridge builder. This is gonna be great. You know, I was made for this. And I got in there and I was like, oh, this is, you know, like racial divide. This is intense. And, and the divide. It, it's, it's not just us. It's coming from the outside, outside influences too, and like very powerful elected officials. But I think that those relationships and, and really building that trust is so critical.And it's really part of the work. And it can be hard, right? Because somebody said something that offended me or I really don't have much in common with that person. And I would tell my board colleagues. We don't have to be best friends, but we have to talk to each other and we have to figure out how to get this work done.

And we have to figure out where we align. Otherwise, one, what are we here for? And two, we will never make the change that we need to for students if we can't figure out how to get across our, you know, our differences. And mostly, you know, like, just very, uh, I, I wouldn't, I don't want to say small differences, but it's like those, you know, you offended me.You said something, but it's things that we like, we have to figure out how to overcome. and like I mentioned, I'm pretty stubborn so I don't give up easily, right? If somebody would say something offensive to me or would be like, I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm like, Nope. I'm gonna figure out a way to talk to you.Knock on your door, and I'm gonna keep texting and calling you and I'll follow you down the hallway at the board meeting if you're ignoring me because work is too important.

Analiza: Yeah. I mean, it sounds like a theme, Judith, of sharing, just when I listen to you. It truly is a commitment to the mission, the children, knowing that even if you can't move forward, that we can prevent backwards slide.That it's about relationships, staying in relationship with people, especially it seems like especially differences. How do you build the relationship, maintain the relationship, and keep that front and center? Judith, I want to ask you about, okay, so say, I want to run, this is hard. You continue to pile on about how hard it is going to be, but I want to do it.I want to run. So talk about please, Judith, give advice. What, what do I need to actually win? Because that's so hard. Like, what exactly does that mean?

Judith: Yeah. What does it take for you to win? you know, a lot of people will say, oh, you need money, which you do. I mean, I'm not gonna lie. If you have money to do mailers and paid social media ads, all that helps.But I will say the best thing that you can do is talk to voters. Are the people that are gonna go to the polls and vote for you? And it's very easy. You'll see a lot of candidates going to, you know, all these meetings or being on TV and trying to get endorsed by other elected officials. They're not the ones voting for you.So block walking, canvassing is the best. It is the only thing that will make the difference and, and hearing from a candidate directly can really make a huge impact. I mean, think about how many candidates have knocked on your door over the years. Probably not many. Maybe not at all.

The second time I ran, I personally knocked on 3,500 doors in three and a half months.I mean, I was block walking literally seven days a week, Saturdays and Sundays all day. And I had family and, you know, volunteers helping as well. But personally, I was running against an incumbent with a lot of name IDs, so I knew I had to. You know, double down and work a lot harder probably than most candidates. And I did win by a very large margin. The first time I ran. Nine years before, like I had mentioned, I had zero name idea id, and we did the same thing. My family and I knocked on so many doors. We actually knocked on all the doors twice because I went into a runoff. So it was like, here we go, all the precincts again.

We're knocking on the doors again., so folks knew, you know, got to know who I was, got to know who my family was. And I feel like that is so powerful. It's a lot of work, right? Houston pot and muggy. And it's not like, oh, I want to just, you know, I wake up in the morning and I'm like, I want to walk, you know, several miles and knock on doors. But once I was doing it, I would enjoy it. Which is crazy, right? Most people are like, what? But you get to talk to people and have really amazing conversations, right? And that wasn't like I would speak to some one person for hours and hours because I'm like, okay, I gotta hit more doors. But just in a few moments, that connection, hearing what their concerns are. Their hopes and dreams for education, whether or not they had their own children or grandchildren or, or maybe no children at all, but everyone wants something better for kids. And just being able to connect with them, that just kept fueling me for the next doors that I would, I would go knock on.

So I can't emphasize that enough and making connections with folks, going to your civic club meetings, not just the one you live in, but others, is really important too. Start going to board meetings. A lot of people run for the board and have never been to a board meeting or don't really pay attention to what's going on or what decisions are being made. Try to learn as much as you can about governance. It's kind of nuanced, and a very unique space to be in. So if you're able to read books or attend training, I would definitely encourage you to do that. And nothing beats, grassroots community, right?, being connected to others.

Other parents, other leaders in the community that care about public education. So that when you do go run, you have a network of folks that are like, oh yeah, I want to support her. She's doing great work, right? I've seen her work, I know what she's about. She's genuine, she's been showing up. If you just kind of come out of nowhere, people are like, who's that? I don't even know who that is. Right? So having at least a little bit of a base can really help.

Analiza: Judith, there's so much of it where you gotta really put, you put yourself out there and talk to people. Again, this relationship piece, Judith, it's a theme. Yeah. I love also that you're, it fed you like, it seems really aligned to who you are. So you got to be yourself and I mean, it is a grind. I'm so grateful, Judith, to your service and thank you so much for, as a fellow mom, putting yourself out there. It's hard, hard, hard. With that, Judith, let's go to lightning round questions. Are you ready?

Judith: Yes.

Okay. Chocolate or vanilla?

Judith: Always. Chocolate. It's the best.

Analiza: Cooking or takeout?

Judith: Cooking.

JUDITH: I love cooking. I always say it's one of my favorite languages. I love to cook for others.

Analiza: Would you rather climb a mountain or jump from a plane?

Judith: I'm terrified of heights, so definitely climb a mountain. I can feel the ground under me.

Analiza: Have you ever worn socks with sandals?

Judith: Never. Although my gen Z kids are like, mom, like what? Cover your toes. Put the socks on. They don't understand it.

Analiza: How would you rate your karaoke skills scale one to 10, 10 being Mariah Carrey?

Judith: Pretty decent. I mean, I would say a six. You know, put on some Selena and I can definitely karaoke with Selena.

Analiza: What's a recent book you read?

Judith: I just finished like two nights ago. the book that John King, he's the former Secretary of Education under President Obama. It's called Teacher by Teacher. I highly recommend it. He's someone I've always admired, it's his memoir, it's his story, his journey, but also just kind of like everything about public education inside of it. So pick it up if you haven't read it yet.

Analiza: What's your favorite way to practice self-care?

Judith: Dancing. I can dance all the time. It's my happy place.

Analiza: What's a good professional development you've done?

Judith: So I'm currently in the American Leadership Forum. It's in several cities across the country. I am really enjoying it. It is very introspective, but also figuring out how to work across different mines. a different way to approach problems and, and how you ask questions. It's been fascinating so far. I'm really enjoying it.

Analiza: What's your definition of a boss mama?

Judith: I think someone who shows up, authentically and in their values and really practicing self-care so you can continue to be a boss mama. And when I think of a boss mama, I think of my mother and my grandmother who were just, they work. So hard,, to do everything for, for their kids and their grandkids and to give us a better life. And, and, you know, I, I can only, you know, halfway fill their shoes, so always honoring my ancestors.

Analiza: What advice would you give to your younger self?

Judith: Woo. you know, I kind of shortchanged myself when I was much younger.so I would say that anything is possible. In high school I did debate and I was like, oh my gosh, I would love to be a lawyer, but I literally never told anyone that because mm-hmm. I didn't. I thought, oh, that's for smart people. I didn't view myself as.

Analiza: Or can we find you, Judith, like LinkedIn, anywhere like that?

Judith: Yes, I'm on LinkedIn.Judith A. Cruz on LinkedIn. On X, Judith4students. And then on Instagram, I'm Judith4students. So yes, follow me.

Analiza: And then last question, what final ask, recommendation or parting thoughts?

Judith: Don't be afraid to ask questions and, and to seek out others, right? I talk about these relationships, but even as you're. trying to find ways to, to grow as a person or to grow your career, or if you're thinking about running for school boards, like start reaching out to folks and having one-on-one meetings with them. Ask 'em about their path. Ask 'em what, you know, what motivates them and it'll be amazing what you learn. And then you, those relationships will lead to other relationships. So I'm always like, don't be afraid to ask questions and don't be afraid to reach out to others.

Analiza: Amazing. Judah, thank you so much for all your work and for being here and sharing your story.

Judith: Thank you.

Analiza: Thank you so much for carving out time to hear today's podcast. 3 things before you go. First, if you found it helpful, please leave a five star review. Second, you can get a free chapter of my book, The Myth of Success: A Woman of Color's Guide to Leadership at analizawolf.com/freechapter. And lastly, if you're interested in executive coaching, please reach out to me at analiza@analizawolf.com. Thank you so very much