WABE 2026 Annual Conference

 Dr. Julie Lara is the Multilingual Programs Managing Director at Ensemble Learning, leading initiatives to enhance educational opportunities for multilingual learners. 
Previously, she was the Director of the Emergent Bilingual Support Division at the Texas Education Agency (TEA), where she oversaw the development of policies and resources for 1.3 million emergent bilingual students. During her five years as director, she led efforts such as the Texas Effective Dual Language Immersion Framework (TxEDLIF) and the state’s first strategic plan to improve bilingual education, as well as other key initiatives. 
Dr. Lara is dedicated to advancing educational equity, focusing on ensuring all students, especially from underrepresented communities, have access to quality resources. She holds a Doctorate in Multicultural Special Education from the University of Texas at Austin, where her research explored cultural identity and learning differences in bilingual classrooms. She also earned a Master’s in Educational Administration and a Bachelor’s in Psychology, grounding her leadership in both human development and educational systems. 
Her leadership is rooted in the belief that true educational equity is achieved when schools embrace the cultural and linguistic diversity of their students. She is passionate about fostering the professional growth of educators and ensuring that every student has access to a high-quality, inclusive education. 
The eldest daughter of nine siblings and a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Lara is a proud Texan who has made Austin her home.