Shari Becker Albright ‘83 ‘86, the Murchison Distinguished Professor of Practice in Education and chair of the Department of Education at Trinity University since 2010, is stepping into a statewide leadership role of an organization that advocates the improvement of public schools in Texas.
Albright will serve as president of the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation, an Austin-based enterprise that supports initiatives to identify, pilot, and scale systemic improvements in public education. She will remain at Trinity until July 31.
“We thank Dr. Albright for her leadership and her outreach efforts in the San Antonio community as she begins her new position,” says Deneese Jones, vice president for Academic Affairs at Trinity. “Dr. Albright has been an invaluable leader of Trinity University’s education department and for the community. Her vision and energy have contributed to a robust program to prepare the best and brightest teachers in the field.”
“It has been an honor and joy to serve my alma mater for the last eight years as chair of the Department of Education,” Albright says. “Trinity University is the place that helped me grow into the educator that I have become and offered me the opportunity to serve as a faculty member with world-class colleagues in our department and the University. It also allowed me to work closely with the dedicated school districts and education partners across San Antonio, for which I am grateful.”
Charles Butt, chairman and CEO of H-E-B and founder of Raise Your Hand Texas, called Albright a “shining star” in the field of education who will serve as a “friend and passionate advocate” for the 5.3 million children served by Texas public schools. “Shari and other beacons of light within this organization are determined to ensure our public schools only get better and stronger.”
Albright worked with Butt to create The Holdsworth Center, an Austin-based leadership institute Butt founded and announced in early 2017, and she currently sits on its board of directors. Last summer, Albright helped announce Trinity as one of 10 partner universities chosen by the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation for its exemplary teacher preparation program and whose students are eligible for scholarships.
At Trinity, Albright has shepherded three nationally accredited graduate programs in education as well as select undergraduate coursework. The department has a rich history of offering educational opportunities and programs throughout San Antonio, including Upward Bound, Trinity’s College Advising Corps, Saturday Morning Experience, and the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Education that recognizes outstanding K-12 public school teachers in the region.
Albright is past president of the Texas Association for Colleges of Teacher Education and was secretary of Pre-K 4 SA, a citywide early childhood initiative for San Antonio. Prior to returning to Trinity in 2010, she was the executive director of education at the Asia Society and Chief Executive Officer of the Asia Society International Studies Schools Network, a national network of small, internationally-themed schools in urban, underserved communities dedicated to preparing college ready, globally competent citizens. She also was the principal of a public magnet school, the International School of the Americas in San Antonio and was named the Texas High School Principal of the Year for 2004 by the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards. In 2004, her school was awarded the Goldman Sachs Prize in International Education. Albright also has been an elementary school administrator, central office administrator, and elementary teacher in San Antonio’s East Central Independent School District.
Albright earned her bachelor and master’s degrees from Trinity University and her doctorate in educational leadership from Teachers College – Columbia University.
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