Sophia Acevedo is the 2021 Texas recipient of the U.S. Department of Education’s Terrell Bell award. As principal, Sophia led her school to several TEA distinctions, including being named a National Blue-Ribbon campus. As a campus principal, Sophia has worked with local and state committees to streamline processes and resources for special programs, including dual language, RTI systems, and special education. Sophia is an active member of Raise Your Hand Texas and has attended the Harvard Summer Institute for School Turnaround Leaders.

With over 10 years of campus administration experience, Sophia believes that the campus principal is the most important change agent in a school setting. She works with new and experienced principals to simplify and prioritize the many complex duties of the principalship with a focus on instructional leadership: to develop their competencies, set up and refine systems, and prioritize their work. Sophia’s deep commitment to building leadership capacity in those around her results in high-performing campuses. She works side-by-side with principals as they navigate difficult decisions and changing demands while setting up systems that ensure high-quality tier one instruction for all students.