To Our Readers
ACSA Executive Director
Wesley Smith
Lessons of challenge and change
offer the opportunity to grow
Director of Communications
As I prepare to step down from the ACSA presidency and pass the
leadership baton to Dr. Lisa Gonzales, I reflect on how grateful I am for
this amazing year. Every region offered a warm welcome during visits, and
graciously provided time to meet with their leadership teams. Conference
committees provided time and space for me to get involved in the various
professional development offerings throughout the state.
Naj Alikhan
Editor
London Roberts
Design/Layout
Stephen D. Long
Production Coordinator
Emily Senecal
Board of Directors
President
Ralph Gómez Porras
President-Elect
Lisa Gonzales
Vice President
Holly Edds
Vice President for
Legislative Action
Linda Kaminski
Past President
Tom Armelino
Directors
Eric Andrew, Mauricio Arellano, Randy Bangs,
Angel Barrett, Ana L. Boyenga, Jonathon
Brunson, Daryl Camp, Katherine Castleberry,
Craig Helmstedter, Linda Hutcherson, Andrew
Ishibashi, Darrien Johnson, Peter Johnson,
Sue Kaiser, Jon LeDoux, Robert Martinez,
Mary O’Neil Grace, Elsbeth Prigmore, Rob
Stockberger, Craig Wheaton, Denise Wickham,
Ron Williams, Roxanna Villasenor
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#LeadershipMatters
The ACSA staff helped guide me as I participated in critical discussions
about equity, learning, and being a champion for public education. And,
perhaps most impactful, members throughout the state gave me the gift of
their own stories, so that I might, in turn, share them as examples of outstanding leadership with
our legislative leaders and policymakers. I continue to be humbled by the remarkable people who
pave the way for excellent service to all students.
I also think about the lessons of “change” as we experience new challenges in our field. Change
is an opportunity to grow and innovate in previously unconsidered ways. Change can also be daunt-
ing, as demonstrated by the unprecedented events unfolding at the federal level. Yet even as there
are shake-ups at the U.S. Department of Education, California is honing its own system of account-
ability and continuous improvement, and settling in to local leadership control. That is at the heart
of this issue of Leadership as we explore some best practices for the future of California education.
Trevor Painton and Julie Vitale share their experiences with whole system reform in Romoland
School District (page 8). The Local Control and Accountability Plan process, they say, facilitated
change through stakeholder engagement. “When new ideas are initiated by stakeholder groups,
they are more likely to align with the values of the community and the organization, which mini-
mizes the roadblocks throughout the change process,” they write.
Rodrigo Arancibia (page 14) takes a look at how a district’s Expanded Learning programs
can be capitalized upon to build relationships with students and increase achievement. Expanded
Learning is the untapped resource and a sleeping giant that can be called upon to help transform
our schools, he proposes.
Edwin Lou Javius (page 18) aims to add clarity and clear actions to initiate, sustain and deepen
our equity work. “We must take clearer steps to articulate that equity is not just about black and
brown students,” he writes. “It’s about all students.” Amy Cranston (page 24) reminds us, “Before
students can learn, we must address their physical and social-emotional needs in order to create a
safe and effective learning environment and a healthy school culture and climate.”
Facing a shortage of both teachers and school leaders, the Los Angeles Unified School District
has prioritized their growth and development, as well as the retention of district employees in
instructional leadership positions. A cadre of leaders from the Professional Learning and Lead-
ership Development branch (page 28) write that, “The development of our own employees to be
effective leaders is a priority to addressing LAUSD’s instructional and human capital needs.” Their
principles can prove useful in designing your own pipelines and pathways to leadership.
My experiences and memories of serving as your ACSA president for this past year will remain
a very cherished highlight of my life. You, my colleagues, peers and friends have helped me grow
as a professional and as an individual. I look forward to our future interactions and conversations
while we continue to lead the way in education for our children.
Sincerely,
Ralph Gómez Porras
ACSA President
May | June 2017
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