[1] Davids co-founded, along with Eric Steinhilber, Azania Holdings International Inc., a firm that promoted trade and investment between the United States and African countries.
Taking its name from the historical geographic region Azania, the firm identifies itself as a "Black Economic Empowerment Company" registered both in the U.S. and South Africa.
[2] As an officer of Azania, Davids reportedly organized investment conferences in partnership with JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and other banks, and sponsored trade and networking events in New York City.
[4] In September 2014, as CEO of Azania, Davids gave a talk opening the International South Africa ICT & Telecom Tactical Investment Forum in New York City.
At the event, Elizabeth Daly, Director of the Division for International Business of the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York, "offered words of support from the Bloomberg administration to the attendees and applauded Azania Holdings International Inc. for bridging the gap and facilitating partnerships between New York City based and South African companies.
"[5] Davids "became involved in education advocacy while on maternity leave in 2008," serving as co-president of the PTA at her daughter's school, according to the website of the New York City Parents Union.
[1] In November 2013, the New York City Parents Union joined with Public Advocate Tish James and Class Size Matters in a lawsuit against Mayor Michael Bloomberg in response to his co-location of various district and charter schools.
The next month, Davids was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the New York State Department of Education involving the disclosure of student and parent data.
[1] The New York Post noted on November 10, 2011, that despite its self-identification as an independent group, the New York City Parents Union had "already received $10,000" from the United Federation of Teachers, and that it would host "its first annual awards benefit" that evening at UFT headquarters, at which honorees would include UFT President Michael Mulgrew, NAACP head Hazel Dukes, and Arthur Z. Schwartz, identified by the Post as "a longtime labor lawyer who represented the transit union during its unlawful 2005 strike, which crippled the city."
[12] The Protea Group describes itself as "a communications and public affairs consultancy based in New York City...that provides a full suite of services including community relations, strategic advice, issue advocacy, grassroots organizing, public affairs, website development, political management, social media marketing, investment forums and trade missions."
Noting that the majority of pre-K programs "are operated by nonprofits and community-based organizations," she insisted that it was "time for the mayor to provide more substance and reduce the rhetoric.
The future of the Davids case, in the New York State Appellate Division as of April 2016[update], was called into question after an April 14, 2016 ruling by the California Court of Appeals which reversed and remanded the trial court's ruling on Vergara, on the grounds that "plaintiffs failed to establish that the state's tenure laws violate students' constitutional rights to equal protection".
Furthermore, he notes journalist Dana Goldstein's research based on figures from National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Labor Statistics reports which show that despite the concerns of opponents of teacher tenure laws, tenured and untenured teachers are fired annually with cause across the United States at a rate higher than private sector employees were either fired or laid off - 2.1%, and less than 2%, respectively, during the years for which the data was collected.
[24] Davids has said that she is "disgusted that [CEO of Success Academy Charter Schools] Eva Moskowitz and other charter leaders are using parents and students as political pawns while continuing to violate the law by not serving their fair share of students with disabilities and English Language Learners, by not establishing Parent Associations and by refusing to be audited by the State Comptroller."