Dr. Christopher Davis
Senior Director of Data and Information Management, Uplift Education
2010 EP Fellow in Houston, TX
2012 EP Fellow in Fort Worth, TX
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Education Pioneers (EP), a significant milestone in our organization’s journey. To honor this occasion, we’re sharing an ongoing blog series to showcase EP Alumni who are actively addressing opportunity gaps within their communities.
Though public education reform is ever-shifting and challenges are myriad, EP leaders like Dr. Christopher Davis stand as champions for change. Dr. Davis is a two-time Alumnus of the EP Fellowship and embodies the ethos of thoughtful leadership, leveraging his experiences to mobilize others, and working diligently to reshape the narrative of public education in Texas and beyond.
Dr. Davis currently leads the Data and Information Management team at Uplift Education, a network of 45 high-performing, tuition-free, public charter schools serving 23,000 students in underserved areas across the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex. Uplift boasts a Whole Scholar Approach focused on four key areas: global learning, strong scholar culture, programs for parents and caregivers, and college and career prep services. For the past 21 years, 100% of Uplift’s graduates have been accepted to college.
A Journey of Purpose
Fueled by a passion for equity and commitment to making a difference, Dr. Davis left corporate America to become an EP Fellow, effectively launching a career in education that would see him impacting thousands of Texas students every year.
Though it’s been more than a decade, he still sees the ripple effects of his Fellowship experiences in his current role. He shared, “My second Fellowship took place at the Rainwater Charitable Foundation. There, I identified early childhood educational resources and wrap-around services in the Fort Worth community. Fast forward a few years later when my current organization began implementing early childhood education and wrap-around services. Though I’ve never served as a K-12 teacher or administrator, my Fellowship experience gave me an entry point into this subject matter. As a result, I can fully engage with the work of our strategic partnership and early literacy teams.”
The collective impact of EP Alumni is palpable within organizations like Uplift Education. As an Alum, Dr. Davis was invited to attend a Fellowship roundtable event where he met Uplift’s Chief Operating Officer, Johnny Deas, who then became one of his mentors.
After joining Uplift, Dr. Davis became a founding member of the Data and Information Management team. He was joined by two EP Alumni and together, they laid the groundwork for the organization’s data systems. He recalls, “The foundation we laid 10 years ago when we started this team is still serving Uplift Education well all these years later.” Dr. Davis has gone on to guide this team as its senior director, where he develops the organization’s data strategy and oversees a team of data leaders.
It Takes a Village
Transforming public education is challenging, yet critical work. That’s why we must create on-ramps for diverse leaders from inside and outside of education, and provide those leaders with the necessary development to navigate the sector’s evolving challenges. To that end, Dr. Davis shares a call to action for his peers: “My colleagues in the Fellowship are mid-career professionals now, and my hope is that we are all serving as mentors for newer EP alumni and the newer leaders in our organizations,” he said. “We sometimes forget the bumpy road we traveled to get where we are, but those coming behind us can learn a lot from our testimony.”
And, it’s not enough to recruit new professionals into education. We must work to connect and mobilize veteran leaders and advance their collective impact. “It’s crucial for those in education to stay engaged and for former members to continue championing the cause,” concluded Dr. Davis. “The more experience and intellect we have around the table, the better. There’s more work to be done.”
EP believes in the power of mobilizing diverse, skilled professionals from inside and outside of the sector to transform education as we know it. That’s why EP is actively recruiting Impact Fellows to join us in this vital mission. If you’re an Alumni looking to multiply your impact, you can get involved by referring a Fellow or hosting a Fellow at your organization.
About our Alumni Network
After completing their Fellowship, EP Fellows join our vibrant Alumni network made up of more than 4,600 connected changemakers at every level of educational leadership. Together, EP Fellows and Alumni drive meaningful change and work towards creating a more just and equitable future for all students. Learn more about the impact of our Alumni network here.
