Tiana Silvas is a 5th grade public school teacher in New York City. She has spent the majority of her career teaching upper elementary. In addition to teaching, Tiana researches, writes, and presents at national conferences. In 2016, Tiana was selected as a Heinemann Fellow. During this fellowship, she focused on researching ways writing can be used as a tool to create resiliency and agency. In 2017, she was appointed by the National Council of Teachers of English as a foundation trustee for the Research Foundation’s Cultivating New Voices Among Scholars of Color program and a member of New York City’s District 2 Advisory Council. Alongside district leaders, Tiana has developed tools to support anti-bias hiring practices and retainment strategies within the district. Tiana looks forward to developing her knowledge and skills to effectively work alongside school communities in establishing anti-racist school communities, educational access, and equity for all students.