Raised in and out of foster care from birth until high school, Crabill bounced around enough that he attended 11 schools prior to high school graduation. He attended urban, suburban and rural schools and private, public and parochial schools; lived with white families and families of color and in racist communities and inclusive communities; and experienced loving homes and homelessness. Guided by the idea that student outcomes don’t change until adult behaviors change, he has devoted much of his adult life to advocating for the well-being of our nation’s most vulnerable youth.

In his role as deputy commissioner of governance at the Texas Education Agency, Crabill led the creation of Lone Star Governance, a governance framework, workshop series and coaching system. Lone Star Governance distills national research on student achievement into an applicable framework for local school board action. The framework allows school boards to evaluate their progress toward and hone their focus on improving student outcomes. To support implementation of the new template and actions, Crabill provided group training and individualized coaching for local boards and their communities.