The language, theories, and concepts I have learned in PLI have strengthened my identity as a social justice leader. I learned how to disrupt injustice from Theoharis, utilize Yosso’s community cultural wealth, and apply Moll’s funds of knowledge. I soaked in Dewey’s words on the role of democracy in education, bell hooks’ passion in seeing marginalization as a site of resistance, john powell’s speech on bridging and building belonging, and Jeff Duncan-Andrade’s rose-out-of-concrete metaphor illustrating critical hope. Empowered with the voices and vision of these courageous leaders, I now teach and lead with a greater purpose and urgency.”

Participating in UCLA Principal’s Leadership Institute provided me the opportunity to understand that most of the challenges we face in education are structural rather than instructional. The UCLA Professors pulled back a veil obscuring inequity hidden within the blueprints of the school system and with each class provided a new set of tools to rework the structure in collaboration with parents, students, and teachers. After graduation, their coaching network continues to support me personally and professionally as I advocate to change the rules for our students and community. Thank you PLI!”