Today we’d like to introduce you to Tenasia Pagano.
Tenasia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was always interested in helping people. Being an educator was in my blood, as I would (according to my older sister) force my siblings and friends to practice reading. At the time, I didn’t think much of those practices and had my mindset on becoming a physician. After attending Xavier University of Louisiana for pre-med, I ended up really finding my joy in English Language Arts and tutoring. I made the decision to become an educator.
I started out as a full-time substitute, then a teacher in the same school that I graduated from in 2007, Lakeview Centennial High School in Garland, Texas. It was amazing to be in the same halls and classrooms that bred me. It was even more inspiring to work with teachers who had made an impact in my own education. This is also where my love for poetry was reignited and my connection with Young DFW Writers began.
After working as an educator, coach, and sponsor in two different districts, I joined Urban Teachers as an instructional coach and adjunct professor. The organization’s core values and mission resonate with me. I held that position for almost two years before transitioning into my current role of Assistant Director.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Over the years, I’ve experienced every “-ism” possible: racism, sexism, ageism, etc. But, I always tried to focus on the task of helping others.
The training and education part came easy, but my personal life sometimes made advancing my career and remaining focused very difficult. I was a single mother while teaching full-time, serving in the military, learning the poetry scene, and going through graduate school. From a professional standpoint, I had to figure out how to show that I was knowledgeable while only being a few years older than my high school students and their parents, having less experience than the military members that I was leading and managing poetry events when I had never toured nor learned project management. What’s worse is that all of these issues were happening at the same time. I was even nervous about continuing this pattern with my career at Urban Teachers, working with participants who are close to my same age or who are older.
Thankfully, with the leadership and values at Urban Teachers DFW, I’ve been able to have one piece of my professional life that harbors no “-isms,” further establishing that this is the place that I want and need to be.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I serve as an Assistant Director at Urban Teachers DFW. We prepare culturally competent, effective teachers who seek to disrupt the systems of racial and socioeconomic inequity. Urban Teachers trains and places participants in high-need partner districts (Dallas ISD and Uplift Education), and encourages participants to continue their teaching and leading at that location throughout their careers. Participants also graduate with a Master’s degree from John’s Hopkins University School of Education.
I am most proud of our anti-racism values and recent Black Educator Initiative (BEI) $25 million grant. BEI is an effort to recruit aspiring Black educators to Urban Teachers, prepare them to be effective in the classroom and support them to stay in the profession. The goal is to prepare nearly 1,000 Black educators to teach in DFW, and our DC and Baltimore sites, over the next few years.
Most recently, I am proud of the way that we have supported our participants through the COVID-19 pandemic. With teachers in multiple districts, Urban Teachers has worked tirelessly to make sure that our participants are supported with resources for teaching, mental health, and physical health.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t attribute anything to luck. Everything that I’ve gone through and learned are a result of my faith in God and my own choices, both good and bad. In an effort to avoid a cliche, my “circle” has been my biggest support. It is small and loving. I am constantly surround by friends and family members that support my commitment to the work that I do, how busy I am, and are always ready to lend a helping hand or create connections where they may not have previously existed. My parents molded my work ethic, and my husband and children fully support it.
Credit also goes to the students that I’ve taught and coached in the past. Seeing their success and hearing their appreciation for the impact I’ve had on their lives motivates me to continue my work in education.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1825 Market Center Blvd Suite 320
Dallas, Texas 75207 - Website: www.urbanteachers.org
- Phone: 214-238-4783
- Email: tenasia.pagano@urbanteachers.org
- Instagram: @urban_teachers
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UrbanTeacherCenter
- Twitter: @Urban_Teachers
- Other: Personal Twitter: @DreadedTeacher, Poetry Twitter: @ydfw_LTAB
Image Credit:
Cher Musico
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