BOARD OF DIRECTOR BIOS
Manny Soto Jr.
Data Director, CREEED
Manuel “Manny” Soto, Jr. brings more than 40 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, and education advocate to his role as Director of Data for CREEED.
Manny received his Master’s in Education from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in 1975. As an educator, Manny worked at Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) to deliver quality instruction and wrap-around services to the region’s migrant and low-income students. He served as an educator for 15 years, before becoming Assistant Superintendent for YISD and then Associate Superintendent for the Divisions of Instruction, Support Services, and Learning Standards and Assessment Support.
At CREEED, Manny’s work is informed by his hands-on experiences in using various metrics to improve educational outcomes and academic performance for all students. As Chief Instructional Officer (CIO) for YISD, Manny was responsible for the accountability and accreditation ratings of 58 campuses. He began as CIO in 1993 with seven “Low Performing” campuses and no “Recognized” or “Exemplary” schools under the Texas Education Agency ratings. By 2000, his leadership and instructional program reforms resulted in 11 Exemplary, 33 Recognized, and 7 Acceptable schools within YISD.
Manny also served as YISD’s chief advocate in the effort to establish an equitable school finance system in Texas. In 1990, he led the newly established Texas School Alliance (TSA), an association of the largest school districts in Texas which provides advocacy for legislative initiatives to address and support the needs of large diverse school systems. TSA now represents 30 districts across Texas serving 2.2 million students (40 percent of the state total).
In 2002, Manny joined Oklahoma City Public Schools as their Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director for student performance. He provided district-wide leadership overseeing a $500-million construction and $50-million technology program with the goal of building 12 new schools and renovating 60 existing campuses to bring state-of-the-art facilities and technology to every child in Oklahoma City Public Schools. He also helped preserve teachers’ jobs when the city’s education budget was slashed.
Manny returned to southwest Texas in 2007. Since then, he served the City of Socorro, TX both as City Manager (2008-2011) and as a municipal consultant. Manny served as United Way campaign coordinator for Ysleta for 10 years and was selected as Countywide Volunteer of the Year in 1983. Manny also served on the Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) Board of Directors, and was elected Chairman in 1995. He is a founding member of Community En Accion (CEA).
Data Director, CREEED
Manuel “Manny” Soto, Jr. brings more than 40 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, and education advocate to his role as Director of Data for CREEED.
Manny received his Master’s in Education from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in 1975. As an educator, Manny worked at Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) to deliver quality instruction and wrap-around services to the region’s migrant and low-income students. He served as an educator for 15 years, before becoming Assistant Superintendent for YISD and then Associate Superintendent for the Divisions of Instruction, Support Services, and Learning Standards and Assessment Support.
At CREEED, Manny’s work is informed by his hands-on experiences in using various metrics to improve educational outcomes and academic performance for all students. As Chief Instructional Officer (CIO) for YISD, Manny was responsible for the accountability and accreditation ratings of 58 campuses. He began as CIO in 1993 with seven “Low Performing” campuses and no “Recognized” or “Exemplary” schools under the Texas Education Agency ratings. By 2000, his leadership and instructional program reforms resulted in 11 Exemplary, 33 Recognized, and 7 Acceptable schools within YISD.
Manny also served as YISD’s chief advocate in the effort to establish an equitable school finance system in Texas. In 1990, he led the newly established Texas School Alliance (TSA), an association of the largest school districts in Texas which provides advocacy for legislative initiatives to address and support the needs of large diverse school systems. TSA now represents 30 districts across Texas serving 2.2 million students (40 percent of the state total).
In 2002, Manny joined Oklahoma City Public Schools as their Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director for student performance. He provided district-wide leadership overseeing a $500-million construction and $50-million technology program with the goal of building 12 new schools and renovating 60 existing campuses to bring state-of-the-art facilities and technology to every child in Oklahoma City Public Schools. He also helped preserve teachers’ jobs when the city’s education budget was slashed.
Manny returned to southwest Texas in 2007. Since then, he served the City of Socorro, TX both as City Manager (2008-2011) and as a municipal consultant. Manny served as United Way campaign coordinator for Ysleta for 10 years and was selected as Countywide Volunteer of the Year in 1983. Manny also served on the Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) Board of Directors, and was elected Chairman in 1995. He is a founding member of Community En Accion (CEA).