Meet Amanda Clair, CPO for United to Learn

Championing Literacy and Student Opportunity Across Dallas ISD

Every day, students across Dallas ISD walk into schools filled with talent, leadership, and possibility. As a Dallas education nonprofit, United to Learn works alongside campuses to ensure the systems around them rise to meet that potential. That’s the work Amanda Clair has devoted her career to and why we’re proud to welcome her as our new Chief Programs Officer.

Amanda began as an ESL teacher in Dallas ISD. Since then, she has led strategy to strengthen instruction, educator development, and literacy programs in Dallas ISD and beyond. She brings national experience from TNTP, an organization founded by teachers that is now one of the nation’s most influential nonprofit forces for education transformation, and a master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction with a Reading and Literacy emphasis. Most importantly, she brings a deep belief in Dallas students and educators.

Since joining us in September, Amanda has been listening, learning, and building alongside our school partners. We’re excited for you to get to know her.

First things first — tell us a bit about your background.

From Dallas ISD Classrooms to National Education Leadership: Amanda’s Journey

I started my career as an ESL teacher at Pinkston High School in Dallas ISD through Teach for America. Later, I led network-wide strategy for English Learners at Uplift Education. At TNTP, I partnered with school systems across Texas and beyond to strengthen instruction, adopt high-quality curricula, and develop educator talent. Most recently, I served as Director of TNTP’s 2024 national report, The Opportunity Makers, where I helped translate learning into tools and resources for educators and system leaders.

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Texas A&M University and just completed my master’s in Curriculum & Instruction with a Reading and Literacy emphasis. In fact, I just graduated in December!

Outside of work, I’m a proud mom of three boys. Most weekends you’ll find me cheering (not quietly!) from the sidelines at baseball, soccer, or football games, watching Aggie sports, or volunteering with our local PTA.

What drew you to United to Learn and this role?

An Asset-Based Approach to Dallas Student Success

This role brought me home. Dallas ISD took a chance on a 21-year-old version of me, and it’s where I found my love of education and who I am as an educator. The opportunity to come back and partner with the district that shaped me feels incredibly meaningful.

I’ve followed United to Learn for years, dating back to 2019 when I first connected through consulting work with TNTP. What has always stood out is U2L’s multi-pronged, coherent approach to changing trajectories. It’s not just one initiative — it’s intentional systems, structures, and environments that create belonging and opportunity for students and adults.

I’m especially drawn to U2L’s asset-based mindset. In a world that often focuses on what schools aren’t doing, United to Learn uplifts what is working and throws fuel on that fire. That positivity, belief in people, and commitment to solutions — not deficits — is powerful.

And from my perspective at TNTP, I’ve always admired Tim’s leadership and the opportunity to work for an organization that deeply cares about people, holds high expectations, and leads with humanity. That combination matters.

Take us back to your early days at Pinkston High School.

Teaching at Pinkston High School: Where a Career and a Calling Began

I joke that during my first year of teaching, my students learned as much as I did — if not more. Pinkston will always have a special place in my heart. It’s where I found my passion for education and truly grew up.

I was a Political Science major who had always wanted to be either a teacher or the first woman president. But Texas A&M didn’t have a pathway for secondary education at the time. Teach for America gave me a way to explore teaching without changing my major, and in 2009, that path led me to Pinkston.

Those years reshaped how I understood our communities. I had to unlearn bias and confront assumptions. I taught high school students who were still learning to read — not because they weren’t capable, but because systems hadn’t set them up for success. My students and their families gave me so much. They welcomed me, challenged me, and helped shape who I am today.

Tell us about the Programs team and the work they’re doing.

Inside United to Learn’s Programs Team: A Holistic Approach to Student and Educator Support

This team is truly incredible. I get to work alongside some of the brightest, most passionate educators I’ve ever met. They are constantly thinking about how to pour fuel on the fire of what’s already working in schools.

What excites me most is how the team thinks holistically — not just about individual pillars of work, but how they operate together as levers for real change. How does community engagement support literacy? How does educator support strengthen learning environments? How do we create the conditions for students to thrive — academically, emotionally, and physically?

Our team members are not only champions for classrooms, but also advocates for schools within their communities and across our city.

What’s your vision for this role moving forward?

Amanda’s Vision: Deepening Impact for Dallas ISD Students and Schools

So much great work is already happening, and the impact is real and measurable. In the 2024–2025 school year, United to Learn’s 103 Dallas ISD network schools saw 9.5% more third graders score Meets Grade Level in reading on STAAR, and 90% of schools receiving the highest level of support improved their 3rd-grade Reading STAAR scores. Over 19,000 books were distributed to nearly 15,000 students, and more than 2,000 volunteers contributed over 13,200 hours of service. This is the foundation we are building on.

My focus is on how we elevate and sustain that work as we grow. How do we continue to support our partners while doing more with less? How do we deepen impact, create sustainability, and evolve alongside district priorities — without losing sight of who we are and why we exist?

Ultimately, it’s about staying true to United to Learn’s mission while continuing to fuel the fire. We need to be the most powerful partner we can in creating opportunity, belonging, and success for students and educators.

Please join us in welcoming Amanda Clair to United to Learn. We’re so glad she’s here.