Julene is the Executive Director of IDEA Public Schools, Tampa Bay where she is responsible for the successful launch and growth of twenty high performing K-12 IDEA public schools, educating 15,000 students at scale and maintaining IDEA’s legacy of sending 100% of its graduates to college. As a parent and Tampa resident, Julene brings to IDEA more than 25 years of experience as teacher and leader in elementary, middle school, high school, and post-secondary education settings.
Prior to joining IDEA in June 2019, Julene served as the Vice Provost of Programs and Academic Affairs for Ultimate Medical Academy, a non-profit nationally accredited institution based in Tampa, growing post-secondary online degree and career pathing opportunities for adult learners and Regional Executive Director with the Bureau of School Improvement at the Florida Department of Education supporting differentiated accountability efforts for persistently low performing public schools in 18 school districts.
Julene was also the School Founder of KIPP Houston High School, KIPP’s first high school; a Founding Mathematics Teacher at KIPP Academy Houston, KIPP’s first middle school; and a Special Education Teacher with the Teach For America corps in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. In her time as principal, the school Julene founded in Texas earned the state’s highest rating and was ranked 16th on U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best High Schools” and 86th on Newsweek’s “Top Public High Schools in America” lists.
Julene has a Master’s of Education from National Louis University and a Bachelor of Arts in American Culture from the University of Michigan.
2115 W. Pike Blvd.
Weslaco, TX 78596
Main: (956) 377-8000
Fax: (956) 447-3796
IDEA’s Title IX Coordinator is: Jessica Neyman, VP of Human Resources, 2115 W. Pike Blvd., Weslaco, Texas 78596, (956) 377-8000, titleixconcern@ideapublicschools.org.
As required by Title IX, IDEA Public Schools does not (and is required not to) discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs or activities. This non-discrimination requirement applies to admission to and employment with IDEA Public Schools. Inquiries into issues related to Title IX may be referred to IDEA’s Title IX Coordinator(s) (identified below), to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the Department of Education, or both.
IDEA Public Schools National Board Members: Collin Sewell – Chair, Ed Rivera – Treasurer, Ryan Vaughan – Secretary, Reba Cardenas McNair, David Earl, Erich Holmsten, Saam Zarrabi, Xenia Garza, Michael Adams, Gary Lindgren, Ovidio Vitas.