Community Voices: Martha Duran

Martha Duran is a parent representative at LAEP partner school Belvedere Elementary. Family engagement is a core element of LAEP community schools, so our community school coordinator works closely with Martha. See what Martha had to say about this partnership, especially during distance learning:

“I have been working at this school since 1988. What I appreciate from LAEP is that they are consistent in their work. This is important to me because it makes the team know that we can count on each other. I have learned and collaborated with this team, and I can see the difference it makes in the kids. Being virtual was a challenge for everyone, especially for the parents that had a hard time with technology. We tried to support them as best as we could. We tried to have Zoom rooms open for parents to join us if they ever had a questions or just to talk about anything. LAEP has always been supportive of any ideas and they always jump on the idea to support us in any way. The partnership with LAEP benefits the students, parents, and the staff, and we have a solid team.”

Thank you for your partnership, Martha! We love working with you and Belvedere Elementary School.

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Eric Barela, Ph.D.

Senior Consultant, Raya Cooper Impact Consulting

Dr. Eric Barela has worked as a measurement & evaluation professional for over 2 decades, helping organizations to better understand and act on their social impact. He’s currently a Senior Consultant with Raya Cooper Impact Consulting and previously worked at Salesforce, where he led efforts to measure the social impact of the company’s work with nonprofits and educational institutions across the globe. He began his career working with the Los Angeles Unified School District and with the nonprofit, Partners in School Innovation. Eric previously served on the Board of the American Evaluation Association and currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Journal of Evaluation.

Eric grew up in East LA and was educated in the Montebello Unified School District. He holds a Ph.D. in education from UCLA. He loves a good road trip, with his husband serving as trusty navigator.