Venola Mason
I am driven by my belief that all students deserve a high-quality education. One that will open doors and give them many opportunities as they transition to adulthood. My love for learning blossomed as a small child playing “school” with my older brother and younger sister in the East End of Louisville, Kentucky. With limited opportunities in our community, my mom, determined to offer a better life to her children, moved our family to Los Angeles, California when I was eight years old. She worked hard as a certified nursing assistant caring for elderly patients. She didn’t make a lot of money or have any fancy degrees, but she taught me the importance of working hard, caring for others, and not being afraid to take chances in life.
Inspired and encouraged by many exceptional teachers in Los Angeles, I took my first big chance when I left home, to pursue a liberal arts degree focused on Spanish and African-American studies at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2001, I worked at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for two years providing leadership support to the minority student organizations and strengthening coalitions between the faculty and administration. Though I greatly enjoyed my time brokering relationships and fostering diversity and inclusiveness in the college setting, I felt a strong calling to teach students growing up, as I had, in socio-economically challenging environments.
Over a career of nearly 20 years, I have proudly worked in education. I served as a 4th grade teacher, one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had. During this time, I earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership & Technology, two areas I passionately feel are the cornerstones of education and obtained my principal certification. After five years in the classroom, I decided to pivot my career in education and transitioned to designing and launching alternative teacher certification programs across the state of Georgia with non-profit organizations. In the last eleven years I have consolidated my teaching, leadership, and non-profit experience into operating my own educational consulting firm and working for corporate organizations to partner with school districts across the country to develop district strategies, coach teachers and leaders, and facilitate professional learning that supports school and district priorities to positively impact student achievement.
In 2021, I published my first book, Teach Up! Empowering Educators through Relationships, Rigor, and Relevance, to further contribute to the advancement of education. My book offers practical strategies to help educators build a positive culture for learning in the classroom and create rigorous tasks for students that develop critical thinking skills through authentic experiences.
As a member of the DeKalb County Board of Education, District 6 I aim to bring the breadth of my personal and professional experience to bear in my work with parents, teachers, district staff, elected officials, and other board members to develop and promote policies that increase engagement, equity, and excellence across the district. Your voice will be my voice as we lead DeKalb County into the future!