Dr. Debra Cantu

Associate Professor

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Biography

Debra Cantu serves as an associate professor of practice and co-director of the Texas Principal Leadership Academy at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy. Cantu holds the Maxine Foreman Zarrow Endowed Faculty Fellowship in Education and has contributed significantly to the field through her roles in various committees and advisory boards. With a focus on authentic educational practices, she has supported graduate students and developed leadership initiatives aimed at improving educational outcomes. Cantu has a diverse professional background that includes being a teacher, assistant principal, and director at middle schools, as well as a chief academic officer. She has successfully led projects that enhance school governance, curriculum alignment, and leadership development. A first-generation college graduate, she earned her bachelor's, master's, and PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests encompass executive coaching, school improvement, and continuous educator preparation. Since joining UT Austin in 2015, she has been dedicated to fostering strong educational leaders and advocating for effective practices in principal preparation.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Professor Practice

2015-01-01 — Present

University of Texas at Austin • Austin, TX

Teaching and developing programs in Educational Leadership and Policy, leading initiatives for principal preparation.

Co-Director

2018-01-01 — Present

Texas Principal Leadership Academy • Austin, TX

Co-directing the academy to enhance principalship practices through collaboration with school districts.

Awards

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Maxine Foreman Zarrow Endowed Faculty Fellowship

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Dean's Distinguished Career Faculty Award

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Servant Leadership Award

Courses

Principalship Admin Individual School Leading Equity and Justice K-12 School Improvement: Instructional Leadership/Development Public School Leadership Graduate Internship Foundations of Bilingual Education/Second Language Acquisition Public School Administration

Requirements for University of Texas at Austin

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE General
TOEFL
Total
Required:79
IELTS
Overall
Required:6.5
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Application fee
  • Official transcripts
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • CV/Resume
Specialization Notes

General requirements for the Graduate School at UT Austin apply to all programs unless otherwise specified.