ABOUT US

Dr. Tonikiaa Orange is the Director of the UCLA Culture and Equity Project at Center X and the Director of the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies Educational Leadership Program. A former LAUSD teacher and K–8 principal, she brings both practitioner roots and scholarly depth to the work of equity-centered leadership and educator preparation.

Her scholarship centers on culturally responsive pedagogy, restorative justice in education, asset-based leadership, and the preparation of practitioners who lead with conscience and courage. She is a contributing author to All Students Must Thrive (Howard et al., Houghton Mifflin, 2019) and to Preparing and Sustaining Social Justice Educators (Francois & Quartz, Eds., Harvard Education Press, 2021). With Jo Ann Isken, she co-authored “Coaching for Equity” in Learning Forward Journal (2019). Her most recent peer-reviewed publication, co-authored with Jennifer Goldstein and Soraya Sablo Sutton, appears in Education Sciences (2025): “You cannot change the system without looking inward first: Three California preparation programs with coaching that makes a difference.”

Jo Ann Isken is a former principal whose career has centered on building equitable learning environments for the youngest students. She currently works with 21CSLA focused on early childhood education. Jo Ann is the co-developer, alongside Dr. Orange, of the Reciprocal Learning Partnerships for Equity framework, a model for equity-focused coaching and inquiry that has been used across California schools and districts.

Dr. Rita Suh is an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education at CSU Long Beach, where she serves as Coordinator of the Urban Teaching Academy and Co-Coordinator of the Long Beach Teacher Residency. A published author and educator, her work focuses on culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy, belonging, and equity-centered teaching.

Dr. Suh previously served as Co-Director of the Culture and Equity Project at UCLA Center X, partnering with educators across California to cultivate more humanizing learning environments. She also works as an educational consultant, facilitating professional learning on equity, language acquisition, and culturally and linguistically sustaining practices, including support for speakers of African American Language and Chicano English. Across her roles, she focuses on uplifting the languages, identities, and histories of students and families who have been historically marginalized and ensuring they are treated as vital assets in schools. She has led professional learning for districts and universities and presented at state and national conferences on teaching and educational equity.