Dottie Smith is a trusted partner for education leaders, nonprofits, and organizations working to create meaningful change for students and educators. With a career spanning classrooms, school leadership, and national education initiatives, Dottie combines firsthand experience with a strategic mindset to help leaders address complex challenges, build high-performing teams, and achieve equity-driven outcomes.

Her journey began teaching in Compton, California, where she discovered the transformative power of literacy and a deep connection to the communities she served. From there, she coached teachers and developed instructional programs with Teach For America, igniting her passion for adult learning and leadership development. As a high school principal, Dottie led her school from “watch” to “high-performing” in just two years, a testament to her ability to rally educators, students, and families around a shared vision of success.

Dottie has also worked at the systems level, leading national teacher preparation efforts at The New Teacher Project and expanding their work to new regions. In Dallas, she spearheaded the Best-in-Class Coalition at The Commit Partnership, securing the conditions for more students to learn from excellent teachers. As President of Commit, she guided the organization’s growth and strategy, fostering a thriving, collaborative culture for its team.  

During Dottie's time as a Managing Partner with Transcend, she collaborated with leaders across Texas to design equitable learning experiences and improve student outcomes. She focused on incubating, codifying, and scaling educational innovations to create lasting impact for school communities statewide.