I had always been a social justice advocate in my heart, but PLI empowered me with the knowledge and confidence I needed to rise up as a leader in the fight for educational equity. PLI also introduced me to a powerful network of like-minded, visionary educators who are also seeking to create enduring and positive change in urban schools. Together, I believe we can begin to truly and fundamentally disrupt the systems that perpetuate educational inequity in Los Angeles.

For me, PLI represented a space in which leadership was discussed in its broadest sense as a manner in which to effect change in education, regardless of ‘position.’ I truly wanted to explore the actualization of social justice as it relates to teachers, students, parents and the community at large.