Arlena Gaynor is a Deputy Chief of Academics at Attuned Education Partners. Prior to this role, Arlena served as the Executive Director of Language, Literacy, and Social Studies for the Dallas Independent School District. In that capacity, she was instrumental in supporting the implementation and expansion of high-quality literacy resources and evidence-based instructional practices at the elementary and secondary levels. During her near decade with Dallas ISD, home to the nation’s largest dual language program, the district consistently grew in literacy scores pre- and post-pandemic.
She also served in various capacities in the central office literacy departments in Dallas ISD and DC Public Schools. She began her career as a tutor and site coordinator for DC Reads and was an elementary school teacher in both district and charter schools in Washington, DC.
Arlena was a fellow of the Cambiar Catalyst fellowship and holds a B.A. from Georgetown University and an M.Ed. from American University. She is currently working on her doctorate at Southern Methodist University.
