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At the Equity Assistance Center – South, our team is dedicated to improving equity in the public education system. We have pulled together a group of experts with experience in teaching, school board administration, education research, technical assistance, program management, and communications. Get to know us a little better.
Eshé P. Collins
Director
Eshé P. Collins is director of the Equity Assistance Center-South (EAC-South) at the Southern Education Foundation (SEF). She oversees the center’s operations and leads its work with public school systems to address long-term disparities in pre-K through 12 education across 11 southern states and th...
Eshé P. Collins
Director
Eshé P. Collins is director of the Equity Assistance Center-South (EAC-South) at the Southern Education Foundation (SEF). She oversees the center’s operations and leads its work with public school systems to address long-term disparities in pre-K through 12 education across 11 southern states and the District of Columbia. Eshé also is responsible for identifying and establishing partnerships with like-minded organizations to advance equitable practices in education in the region.
She brings a wide range of experience to the EAC-South, holding such roles as the senior director of programs for the education nonprofit Jumpstart, senior program director for the Georgia State University College of Education, and an educator with Atlanta Public Schools. She currently serves as a member of the Atlanta Board of Education. Early in her career she served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable James A. Winn, Jr., on the North Carolina Court of Appeals and a policy analyst for the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington, D.C.
Eshé has earned high recognition for her work, including the Andrew and Walter Young YMCA Woman of Innovation in Education award; Carl V. Patton President’s Award for Community Service and Social Justice; and the Martin Luther King, Jr., Torch of Peace Award. She also was named to Georgia Trend magazine’s and Georgia State University’s 40 Under 40. A civil rights lawyer, Eshé earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Spelman College, master’s degree in educational leadership from Georgia State University, and her Juris Doctor from the North Carolina Central University School of Law, where she graduated cum laude.
Max Altman
Director of Research and Policy at SEF and member of the TA team
Max Altman is a technical assistance (TA) team member for EAC-South and the director of research for the Southern Education Foundation. As the TA lead, Max assesses the needs and assets of a school district and develops individual training and TA plans to assist schools with addressing their unique ...
Max Altman
Director of Research and Policy at SEF and member of the TA team
Max Altman is a technical assistance (TA) team member for EAC-South and the director of research for the Southern Education Foundation. As the TA lead, Max assesses the needs and assets of a school district and develops individual training and TA plans to assist schools with addressing their unique equity challenges. Max also designs, develops, and implements research agendas to improve policies and practices.
Max previously served as a managing researcher and Task 5 (Training, Coaching, and Technical Support) lead for the Pacific Regional Educational Laboratory at McREL International, where he facilitated ongoing technical support projects in Hawaiʻi and throughout geographic Micronesia. A former high school math teacher, Max has also taught courses at the University of Michigan and has served as a professional developer and curriculum writer. His work has emphasized the implementation of culturally responsive policies that support student success in K-12, college, and workforce contexts.
Max earned his bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and secondary education from Vanderbilt University and a doctorate in educational administration and policy from the University of Michigan. He has published several articles and a book chapter on topics related to education equity and justice.
Tabitha Reynolds Hoang
Research and Policy Analyst and member of the TA team
Dr. Tabitha Reynolds Hoang is a technical assistance (TA) team member for EAC-South and a research and policy analyst at the Southern Education Foundation. Tabitha supports SEF’s partnerships, publications, dissemination work, and research design and planning. Previously, Tabitha worked in school, n...
Tabitha Reynolds Hoang
Research and Policy Analyst and member of the TA team
Dr. Tabitha Reynolds Hoang is a technical assistance (TA) team member for EAC-South and a research and policy analyst at the Southern Education Foundation. Tabitha supports SEF’s partnerships, publications, dissemination work, and research design and planning. Previously, Tabitha worked in school, non-profit and academic spaces as a researcher, programs team fellow, and classroom teacher. Tabitha earned her Ph.D. in Educational Policy from the University of Texas in Austin, TX; her Master of Arts in Educational Policy from The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, and she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR. In her spare time, Tabitha enjoys traveling, spending time with family, reading novels and listening to podcasts.
Tawheedah Abdullah
Technical Assistance Lead
Dr. Tawheedah Abdullah is the technical assistance (TA) lead for EAC-South. In this role, she develops and implements strategic TA plans to support school districts as they work to achieve unique, equity-related goals. A former English Educator, school leader, and equity coach in the Detroit and ...
Tawheedah Abdullah
Technical Assistance Lead
Dr. Tawheedah Abdullah is the technical assistance (TA) lead for EAC-South. In this role, she develops and implements strategic TA plans to support school districts as they work to achieve unique, equity-related goals. A former English Educator, school leader, and equity coach in the Detroit and Metro Atlanta areas, Dr. Abdullah is dedicated to dismantling inequitable practices and amplifying the voices of powerful groups targeted for oppression. Before joining the EAC team, Tawheedah served as the Social Justice Implementation Director and Director of the School Leaders Program at the Center to Support Excellence in Teaching, housed within the Stanford University Graduate School of Education. Through these roles, she leveraged her professional expertise to provide technical assistance in disrupting inequitable power structures, developing equity-centered instructional strategies, and promoting community-based transformative learning. Dr. Abdullah currently holds a Bachelor of Science in Jazz Studies from Florida A&M University, a Master of Arts in Educational Studies with a focus on Urban Pedagogy from the University of Michigan, and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy from Florida State University.