For Deann Lee, retirement didn’t mean walking away from education.
After 32 years working directly in Texas public education—from the classroom to the superintendent’s office—Deann continues to advocate for the students, educators and communities she has spent her career serving. Today, as a Regional Advocacy Director for East Texas with Raise Your Hand Texas, she helps Texans become informed and engaged advocates for public education.
That work closely aligns with TRTA’s own commitment to advocacy and civic engagement. Raise Your Hand Texas’ mission is to “create a vibrant civic culture where Texans vote, engage lawmakers and their neighbors, and act together to champion public education in their communities and at the state Capitol.” Like TRTA, the organization believes that meaningful change happens when people use their voices and work together to support public education.
And for Deann, the reason is simple.
“You don’t shut off the ‘care switch’ just because you retire,” she said.
Those words capture something many educators understand instinctively. A career in education may end, but the concern for children, schools and communities doesn’t end with it.
“We got into education because of our deep love for kids and the opportunities education gives ALL children. How, then, can we stop advocating for the very ones our entire careers have been devoted to?”
A Career That Shaped a Vision
Deann has experienced Texas public education from nearly every angle. Her career included teaching, special education, state and federal programs, curriculum and instruction, support services and school administration before ultimately serving as a superintendent.
Those experiences shaped a vision centered on equity.
Deann describes her commitment as advocating for Texas students and educators “ALL of whom deserve THE BEST education and support, REGARDLESS of their zip code.”
“The scholars of Fort Davis deserve the same education as the students in Highland Park. The residents of Clarksville should receive the same health care as the people of Plano. And the citizens of Pineland need the same broadband capabilities as the locals of Austin.”
For Deann, the question isn’t whether Texas has the resources to provide those opportunities, but whether we make them a priority.
When Caring Becomes Action
Advocacy can be challenging, but Deann finds inspiration in the people who continue to show up.
“The work IS challenging, but when I feel defeated, I remind myself that what I’m feeling is a fraction of what our children will feel if the chance of a successful future is taken from them.”
She is especially encouraged by advocates who, despite busy lives and long days, choose to spend their time attending an event, making a call or taking action on behalf of public education.
“When they make it a priority amid the chaos of life, I am energized to do all I can to support them.”
Deann points to the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) as a powerful example of what can happen when individual and collective voices come together.
“People often don’t understand that there are two forms—individual and collective. To create movement on an issue, it takes individuals with connections to the right people at the most opportune times. But it also demands a strength of numbers that can’t be denied.”
She highlights TRTA Executive Director Tim Lee’s conversations with members of Congress, combined with thousands of people sharing their own stories and holding elected officials accountable.
“Tim is one vote. We are thousands.”
You Don’t Have to Start Big
Deann believes many people know what advocacy is but aren’t always sure how to do it.
Her own advocacy journey began more than 30 years ago, when a young Brock Gregg, now Associate Director of Strategic Partnerships and Member Outreach at TRTA, encouraged her to get involved.
“There was a lot of complaining in that old teachers’ lounge, but not many problems were solved there. If we want things to change, we must do more than talk about it.”
The important thing, she says, is to start where you are comfortable.
Not ready to talk to an elected official? Leave a message. Can’t travel to the Capitol? Submit written testimony. Ready to take a larger role? Become a Chapter TRTA Officer or Committee Chair—or consider serving on your school board or city council.
Organizations such as TRTA and Raise Your Hand Texas are there to provide support, resources and training for those ready to use their voices. Raise Your Hand Texas specifically works to equip educators, families, students and community leaders with the tools to become effective advocates for public education.
The Voice You Used Then Still Matters Now
For Deann, advocacy isn’t something reserved for experts. It is an extension of the work educators have already been doing throughout their careers.
“You know it’s there. You changed the lives of hundreds of kids in your classroom with it.”
That voice doesn’t disappear when the school bell stops ringing.
It can still encourage. It can still inform. It can still bring people together. And it can still make a difference.
For Deann Lee, retirement didn’t turn off the care switch.
Instead, it gave her another way to use it.
Because getting involved matters. And sometimes, the first step toward change is simply deciding to use the voice you already have.
