Principal Leadership Institute
The purpose of the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) is to recruit, train, and support a diverse group of individuals committed to the principles of academic excellence, equity, and integrity as a way to maximize achievement and opportunity for students in urban schools. The Principal Leadership Institute at UCLA has designed a rigorous 15 month program aligned with the California Administrative Professional Expectations (CAPEs) that will prepare the next generation of urban school leaders. The program grants a Master’s degree and completion of the courses required for the California Tier 1 Administrative Credential. The program is designed to attract outstanding educators who have administrative interests and recognized potential.
Welcome Cohort 17!
Congratulations Cohort 16!
Alumni Speak About the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) Experience
Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) Alumni in the News
Refugees in America - ABC World News Tonight with David Muir
As is evident in the clip below, the fight to include ALL students, regardless of where they are from or what language they speak, is clearly a cause worth fighting for as it affects scholars not only here in the United States but around the world.
- Miguel Espinoza (PLI Cohort 12), Principal of Chrysler Elementary School in Modesto, California, which is featured in this video.
How a Lincoln High teacher gets all his students to pass the AP Calculus exam -
Anthony Yom (PLI Cohort 9)
Lincoln High teacher Anthony Yom was featured in the news after one of his students, Cedrick Argueta, was among only 12 in the world to complete the Advanced Placement Calculus exam with a perfect score.
LA Times ArticlesHow a Lincoln High teacher gets all his students to pass the AP Calculus exam
High School student gets perfect score on AP Calculus exam -- 1 of 12 in the world to do so
NPR Interview
'An Average Guy' Excels At Teaching Students AP Calculus
Washington Middle School moves forward to become award-winning school.
By Jay Seidel La Habra Journal
Washington Middle School, led by Principal Mario Carlos (PLI Cohort 3), has seen increases to student success with a feeling of hope and enthusiasm for learning on the campus. Since his arrival eight years ago, Carlos has worked to change the culture at Washington. “It is our moral imperative at Washington Middle School that we instill in our students the personal responsibility and love for learning, this way they can reach their full potential for a successful life,” Carlos explained. http://lahabrajournal.com/?p=4697
Three PLI Alumni Named Inspirational Teachers of 2015 by United Way
Lauryn England, Patricia Kay Hanson and Shanika Honeycutt have been honored as Inspirational Teachers of 2015 by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, celebrating LAUSD educators who are wholly committed to their students, parents, schools and communities.
http://www.unitedwayla.org/our-work/ensure-children-youth-succeed/inspirationalteachers/
Parents Launch Pilot High School with Principal Tommy Welch (PLI Cohort 8)
LA Times | December 18, 2014
By Stephen Ceasar
Maria Melendrez's daughter thrived for three years at the Julian Nava Learning Academy, a sparkling middle-school campus in South L.A. where she was pushed to excel.
But Melendrez feared what would come next for her daughter. She could send her to underperforming Jefferson High, or perhaps put her on a bus to a magnet school in the San Fernando Valley. She and other parents lamented the lack of quality high schools in the neighborhood.
So they decided to start their own. Read the article.
Randy Palisoc (PLI Cohort 4) - TED Talk on Math Education
Ian Eddy Honored with Social Justice Teacher Award
Ian Eddy (PLI Cohort 13) was awarded the Social Justice Teacher Award and was promoted to the position of PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Support) Coordinator at Hawthorne High School in the Centinela Valley Union High School District.
Outstanding Educator of the Year Award
Jose Navarro (PLI Cohort 11) was nominated and selected to receive the outstanding educator of the year award from the Los Angeles Times in the Latinos de Hoy Awards.
The Latinos de Hoy Awards spotlight the diverse and influential Latino luminaries in Los Angeles. The awards were launched to provide a platform with which to showcase the year’s most impactful Latino leaders whose vision, accomplishments, and influence have not only helped shape the Los Angeles community, but whose reach and footprint serve as beacons of inspiration for people worldwide.
Jose Navarro and his school are also featured in an article written by Sonia Caus Gleason and Nancy J. Gerzon and published in the November 2013 issue of Principal Leadership, "The Principal’s Role in Personalization."
United Way - Teachers to Watch 
Lisa Quon Heinsen (PLI Cohort 14) and Jorge Lopez, a PLI alumnus, were selected as Teachers to Watch by United Way of Greater Los Angeles. They were honored as educators who demonstrate a willingness to go above and beyond basic instruction, ensuring that their students are given every opportunity to achieve academic and extracurricular excellence.
