Each week, “Pop Quiz” features an interview with a member of Greater Houston’s education community. To suggest someone we should interview with an interesting story to tell, email us at education@houstonlanding.org.

Meet the interviewee

After years of volunteering on campaigns and helping Harris County residents register to vote, Dajauneke Minor still thought she would make her living as an accountant.

God and Sheila Jackson Lee had other plans.

In 2021, Minor abandoned interest rates and dividends for a paid public relations internship in the late congresswoman’s office. Then, in July, Minor joined Spring ISD as the district’s first civic engagement coordinator, taking on an unorthodox role: encouraging students, families and community members to register to vote, cast their ballots and get to know their elected representatives.

The three-year position, funded by a grant from the Houston Endowment and operated out of Spring’s Families and Community Engagement department, is intended to boost voter turnout in an area with below-average election participation in Harris County. The district is home to about 34,000 students, with over 70 languages spoken in the area.

While school administrators rarely get involved in election-related activities, Spring leaders say Minor’s role is an important part of a student’s education.

Two months into the school year, Minor has launched a Spring Votes campaign. She’s hosting meetings with parents, attending football games, going to school open houses and partnering with the district’s Ministerial Alliance. And she’s even blasted a few video ads about her work on the district’s Planet Ford Stadium Jumbotron.

What is your vision for this role? It seems pretty new and unusual for a school district.

My vision is definitely creating a community for long-term engagement, long-term change, building that engagement, building the knowledge that, ‘Okay, I have this problem. I know the voter process. I know who’s on the ballot. I have a plan when it comes to getting to the polls and casting my vote.’ Making sure that they know that their voice has power is super important, so that’s my plan. It’s really getting that fire under Spring ISD residents, so they know that they have power with their voice and with their votes especially.

What drew you to this kind of work?

I was planning to be an accountant, and I hated it when I was in college. I hated it, but I knew that I loved helping others from my grandparents and my parents, who were very involved and passionate about their communities. I already knew that I loved doing [the work] as a volunteer. … Why not make this into something that actually pays me to do it? It doesn’t necessarily even feel like work, even though I’m working all the time, planning meetings and everything, because it’s actually a passion. I love it.

Why do you think a school district like Spring ISD needs this kind of position?

Working with Houston Endowment, they helped us a lot when it came to learning the voter turnouts. And through the voter turnout, they kind of broke it down also by the voter precincts. And that’s where I really learned that certain areas had lower voter turnouts than others and what areas were underserved. … Being able to help and serve and educate those who don’t necessarily have the resources that some areas do, is a part of why I do what I do and why I love what I do.

Voting rights are particularly fraught in Texas right now, as state officials like Attorney General Ken Paxton crack down on what he calls illegal voter registration efforts. He has also gone after several school districts alleging that employees are illegally trying to influence elections related to their districts. How, if at all, is this increased scrutiny affecting your approach?

I recently read up on that, how in Travis County, they’re suing him over that, because they are creating more roadblocks [to vote]. For me right now, because it’s been so recent, I haven’t been able to see if it will affect my strategies … but I will continue to educate people about what’s going on in our area, in our district, and also still making sure that they know the importance of voting. Because at the end of the day, your voice is your power. So if you don’t go out to vote, then you have nothing to say. But if you have something to say, then why not go out and vote? …

What would you say to someone who isn’t sure how their vote can make a difference in Spring?

I love this work because you really get to connect with other people, and usually, when I’m approached with people who don’t necessarily know anything too much about the election process, I always find that connection between them and what’s on the ballot, or the positions that are on the ballot. And I always use this example, but for instance, like the last local election we had in Houston, one of the residents was talking about illegal dumping. … Our local officials really are the people who really affect our day to day living, and something like illegal dumping is what I consider a day-to-day issue. …

So I encourage people to know, “Hey, vote for your council member. Do you know who your council member is? You can reach out to him or her about that, and they can help you with that.” And then I go into, “Okay, let’s check who your representatives are. Let’s see who they are. …You know you have all these people who represent you. You can go to them. You’re able to talk with them. You can send emails. You can call their office. They’re reachable.” It’s just making sure that they have that connection to their elected officials, that’s how I get through to them.

What have you found are the biggest obstacles to getting people to the ballot box?

I always say this: You could register a million people, but only 99 people could go out to vote. For me, it’s about making sure they have that personal connection to the election this year, to who’s on that ballot. … I like to talk about current issues too … and when you bring up current issues, usually the response is, “Oh, I didn’t know that, I guess I’ll read up on that.” … And 100 percent of the time, I always get a call back to say, “Hey, can we have a discussion about this again?” or, “What can I do to make sure that I’m ready to go out and vote?” …

By year two into this role, where would you like to be in your vision?

Definitely more programs when it comes to student engagement. Like this year, I think I started my position at the end of July, so I’m very new to the position. Not the work, but the position. So this year, I’ve really just been attaching myself to events that have already been going on in the district. … But for next year, I definitely want to have more programs when it comes to really educating the students about civic engagement. …Like, “These are the different positions. This is how you can get involved.” Of course, with the parents, I want to do more workshops and in the community, just more partnerships, just do more of everything to solidify, “This is Spring Votes. This is what we’re doing.”

Where can parents and students find you if they want to learn more?

Here at the [Families and] Community Engagement building. I’m always here, or pretty much anywhere the district is hosting something, I’m there. Yesterday I was at the Westfield volleyball game, and literally three times someone has said, “You’re always here. I see you everywhere. You’re everywhere.” I was like, “Yes!” So, you can find me pretty much anywhere. Every event, if it’s pertaining to Spring ISD at this point.

Disclosure: The Houston Endowment, which funds the civic engagement coordinator position at Spring ISD, is a financial supporter of the Houston Landing. The Houston Endowment had no influence on decisions related to the reporting and publishing of this article. The Landing’s ethics policy and list of financial supporters are available online.

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