David Lopez

Overview

David Lopez (he/him) brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to advancing educational equity. With over a decade of leadership and expertise in the field, he has honed his specialties in racial equity and intersectionality with a focus on race and ability, diversity, disproportionality, and culturally responsive and sustaining education. Lopez’s work is driven by the belief that every student deserves an educational system that recognizes and values their unique cultural identity. As the Director of Equitable Systems of the Culturally Responsive and Equitable Systems team, Lopez empowers state educational agencies, district leaders, and educators to dismantle systemic barriers and foster inclusive learning environments. By providing tailored technical assistance, developing evidence-based resources, and facilitating impactful training and professional learning sessions, he helps clients and partners create educational spaces where all students can thrive.

In his role, Lopez spearheads the development and execution of systemic equity reviews/equity audits, a cornerstone initiative at WestEd designed to transform educational institutions at their core. He guides them through a comprehensive process that assesses and overhauls existing structures, policies, and practices to ensure they are equitable and culturally responsive. These systemic equity reviews are more than just an evaluative exercise, they support educational communities at every level to create a more equitable future for all learners. 

Before his tenure at WestEd, Lopez made significant contributions to the field of educational equity as a senior equity associate at the Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools (Metro Center) at New York University. His time there was marked by dedicated efforts to train educators and provide technical assistance across the diverse landscape of New York. Lopez played a key role in the rollout of the statewide framework for culturally responsive and sustaining education, ensuring that schools could create and maintain equitable systems. 

Lopez also held a position as project associate at the New York State Education Department’s Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality at the Metro Center. He was instrumental in providing targeted assistance and training to school districts focused on addressing and rectifying the disparate outcomes and experiences by students of color with disabilities. 

Education

• MA, educational leadership, politics, and advocacy, New York University  
• BA, political science, Haverford College  

Select Publications

Lopez, D. M., Mallet-Moore, E., & Nabors, A. (2024). Reviewing education policies to advance equity. WestEd. 

Powell, K., Jacobs, J., & Lopez, D. (2024). Designing equitable systems through youth partnership. WestEd. 

Lopez, D. M., & Jacobs, J. (2023). Reimagining approaches to dismantling disproportionality in special education and beyond. Western Educational Equity Assistance Center. 

Lopez, D. M., Nabors, A., & Jacobs, J. (2023). Using quantitative data to identify and address inequities: An introduction for practitioners. WestEd. 

Hernández, M. G., Lopez, D. M., Swier, R., & Kaur, J. (2023). Dismantling disproportionality: A culturally responsive and sustaining systems approach. NY Teachers College Press. 

Warner, S., Browder, E., Browning, A., & Lopez, D. M. (2021). Advancing culturally responsive and sustaining education: Challenges, solutions, and recommendations for future investment. WestEd.