Marcus Ceniceros

Marcus Ceniceros is a prominent figure in the field of educational equity and civic leadership, currently serving as the Vice President of Regional Impact at Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE).

Background and Education

Marcus Ceniceros graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Government from The University of Texas at Austin. He began his career in education by joining Teach For America as a 2008 Houston Corps Member, where he taught and later took on various leadership roles.23

Career

Ceniceros has a diverse and extensive career in education and community organizing:

• Teach For America: He started as a corps member and later held roles such as School Director at the Atlanta Summer Institute and Corps Member Advisor at the Phoenix Summer Institute.2
• KIPP Schools: He spent eight years with KIPP, teaching and holding leadership positions in Houston, New Orleans, and Chicago, including roles like Lead Third Grade Teacher, Dean of Culture and Community Engagement, and Director of Community Engagement.2
• LEE: Marcus joined LEE in 2016 and has served in several capacities, including Director of Houston Impact, Senior Director of Regional Impact, Chief of Staff to the Executive Director, and currently as Vice President of Regional Impact. In these roles, he has been instrumental in coaching and supporting LEE members, engaging in community organizing, and advocating for educational equity. He has directly engaged over 700 LEE members through one-on-one coaching and group leadership development training.234

Impact and Contributions

Marcus Ceniceros is known for his work in:

• Community Organizing: He launched weekly Impact Meetings in Houston to help educators and students build skills to eliminate educational barriers, leading to significant policy shifts in school discipline practices and support for undocumented and DACA students.1
• Leadership Development: He focuses on helping LEE members develop civic leadership skills, connect with the network, and take action in their communities to promote educational equity.3
• Advocacy: He is committed to engaging the Latinx community in civic change, voter participation, and clearing the path for a strong, youth-led movement.1

Personal and Professional Philosophy

Marcus emphasizes the importance of growing a diverse movement of civic leaders to address systemic inequities. He believes that seats of power need to be filled by equity-minded, diverse leaders to change broken laws and policies for the benefit of all communities. His personal experiences, particularly growing up in the South Bronx, have galvanized his commitment to this work.3