Reyes is a graduate of the Dominican College, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the University of Houston. Her research focuses on urban educational leadership in environments with minority populations, low income, and ethnically-isolated learning environments. In Texas, 60% of the students are low income and low achieving in math and science. How can school leaders change the achievement of low-income students? Her specific areas of research include: 1. urban school finance; 2. urban school leadership preparation; 3. urban school behavioral policies and disproportionality, language issues, race issues, and family involvement; 4. Examining the roles and responsibilities of principals in high-poverty and one-race schools; 5. turnaround schools; and 6. Disaster and public school policy. Her most current work is with immigrant and refugee secondary school students. Dr. Reyes is a former teacher, school administrator as the assistant superintendent for Bilingual/ESL Programs for Houston ISD: 260,000students, and member of the boards for the Houston ISD and the Houston Community College. Before joining the faculty at UH, she was an associate professor in the Texas A&M College of Education and was a Visiting Professor of the Division of Program Planning, Policy, and Leadership Studies, College of Education University of Iowa. Dr. Reyes has served on the NAEP Item Committee, the U.S. Human Services Committee of the National Commission for Children, and a number of other task forces and committees. She has received the Sor Juana Award, Harvard GSE Alumni of Color award, and the HCC award as the recipient of the Educational Empowerment Award. Dr. Reyes has received more than $1M in federal and foundation funding for her research, including the S.W. Richardson Foundation.
Dr. Reyes has published in several journals, including Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development,Loyola Journal of Public Interest Law, Peabody Journal, Urban Review, Education and Urban Society, Fordham University School of Law Urban Law Journal, Bilingual Review, Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice, A Journal of the University of Iowa College Of Law, and several other law reviews and refereed journals. She has written several chapters and a book on Zero Tolerance. She has presented her work at the local, state, national and international level.
Dr. Reyes’ service to her college and university has included numerous committees and raising funds for the University of Houston and the University of Houston Law Center.