Working in partnership with public school districts, Alvarez - Ortiz successfully
pioneered innovative education reform initiatives targeted at improving opportunities and outcomes for students, schools, and districts deemed at risk of failure.
During that time frame, North Carolina also decided to compete for a federal Race to the Top grant, which the U.S. Department of Education offered for states that promised to engage
in innovative education reforms.
Although they represented a wide spectrum of cultures, ethnicities, and education systems, they shared the characteristic of a commitment to
innovative education reform.