08/04/2026
Spent a couple of insightful days at Loyola Marymount’s School of Education Secondary Schools Redesign Institute with OUSD administrators and cross sectional education leaders from various sectors including OCDE, CSBA and the State Board. It was inspiring to be in a room with thought leaders whose deep expertise and unwavering commitment to student success were evident throughout.
As a board member, most of the conferences I attend are geared towards a policy perspective. This one gave me a completely different lens. It was interactive and reflective, grounded in real situations and how to improve them. It was valuable to watch our OUSD team process and reflect on what they were learning in real time.
✅ A shared and clear identity, purpose, vision, and communication drive continuous improvement.
✅ A strategic compass aka North Star is essential to guide planning, ex*****on, and accountability.
✅ Create conditions for students to learn, feel supported and to thrive.
✅ It’s not enough to look at scores; we have to understand the “how and why” behind them.
✅ Break down teaching silos, through professional learning, shared accountability, and real investment in developing teachers.
✅Connection and engagement are key levers for reducing chronic absenteeism and improving student outcomes.
✅AI has potential to increase efficiency and support collective work.
I left with a lot to think about, not just what our schools should look like, but how we as a board can help create the conditions for this kind of work to thrive.
Grateful to LMU School of Education for putting together such an conference , and to our OUSD administrators for the work they do every day to bring these ideas to life in our schools.
