2021 Impact Report

In Conversation: Dean Michelle D. Young, Ph.D.

medium shot of LMU SOE dean Michelle D. Young

“It’s important that we actively confront and assuage the trauma that Covid-19 has caused. And we must use this opportunity to reimagine schools and other educational communities as fully equitable spaces that benefit all students, their families, and the educators who serve them.”

Read the Conversation

Stories of Impact

SBUSD and SOE alum Hilda Maldonado with her students walking in a school hallway

alumni | leadership | representation

Alumna, First Latina Superintendent in Santa Barbara, Reflects on School Leadership During Covid

virtual reality image of students in a classroom as part of a Mursion simulation

research | educational technology

Mixed-Reality Technology Boosts Skills and Practice of Future Educators

Black male principal and Black female student walk down a high school hallway

partnerships | anti-racism | Los Angeles

LMU Partners with LAUSD to Train Principals on Improving Outcomes for Black Students

UB and SOE alumna Fatima Galvez standing in front of a pink flowering shrub

first to go | teacher preparation | alumni

Upward Bound Graduates Inspired to Return to LMU to Become Educators

middle-school aged Black boy works on laptop at kitchen table

Black mentorship | equity | tutoring

Tutoring Program for Black Scholars Stems Learning Losses, Fosters Relationships

exterior of very old Catholic church in New Mexico with one person standing outside

Catholic education | virtual instruction

Online Program Creates Leadership Pipeline in Rural Dioceses

Magaly Lavadenz and Elvira Armas and third person at Jornada conference in 2016

centers | English learners | equity

Bilingual Education Conference Has Biggest-Ever Reach During Pandemic

image of Antonio Felix with PLACE Corps students

teacher preparation | Catholic education

Community- and Faith-Based Teacher-Prep Program Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Picture of SOE professor Antonia Darder holding her book in LMU's University Hall

faculty | equity | changemakers

Retiring Scholar and Activist Antonia Darder Looks Back on Her Career

Download PDF of 2021 Impact Report

Guests Lecturers Focus on Anti-Racism

In spring 2021, SOE drew hundreds of attendees via Zoom to hear four renowned speakers discuss how to dismantle anti-Black racism. The events were organized by the Diversity Action Committee and the Center for Catholic Education.

circular image of Howard Fuller on a blue background

Dr. Howard Fuller, Civil Rights Activist

“Social justice demands that our society provide a foundation for each individual to become the best person that he or she can possibly become.” —January 18, 2021

circular image of Lecia Brooks on a gray background

Lecia Brooks ’78, Southern Poverty Law Center

“You can’t be anti-racist and not care about LGBTQ rights, or anti-Semitism, or ableism, or other forms of oppression.” —February 17, 2021

circular image of Bettina Love on a yellow background

Dr. Bettina Love, University of Georgia

“Our culture tells us we shouldn't take breaks from work. That’s a mindset of white supremacy. We all need to rest. Rest is resistance.” —March 15, 2021

circular image of Tyrone Howard on a dark gray background

Dr. Tyrone Howard, UCLA

“Safe spaces provide support; brave spaces encourage dialogue and hold people accountable. The work is uncomfortable. But it‘s necessary.” —April 15, 2021

SOE Launches Principals of Color Leadership Program

thumbnail images of 18 students in first cohort of LMU School of Education aspiring principals of color fellowship program

More than 60 percent of public-school students in California are Black or Latinx, but only 20 percent of school administrators reflect these demographics. To address this shortage, LMU School of Education’s Institute of School Leadership and Administration (ISLA) launched a fellowship program for aspiring principals of color last summer, in partnership with the nonprofit Diversity in Leadership Institute (DLI). The program was conceived by Manuel Ponce, Jr. M.A. ’09, Ed.D. ’13, director of ISLA, and DLI founder and alum Laura McGowan-Robinson Ed.D. ’16. We're pleased to welcome these 18 talented candidates to our community of equity-minded educators.

Top row, l-r: Roberto Hernandez, Natalie Garcia, Michael Gebreslassie, Aumornai Edinburgh, Edward Garnica, Alejandra Orozco Alvarado

Middle row, l-r: Tanisha Garrett, Tyjun Mack, Asija Chappel Wuorenmaa, Ash Carera-Henry, Abel Guzman Domenech, Erin Hartfield

Bottom row, l-r: David R. Blanco, Raquel Huerta, Filiberto Chávez-Guerrero, Elena Julia Martyn, Arthur Lee Harris Jr., Hannah Bossenger

Alumni Vote for Vaccines for Los Angeles Students

composed photo of Kelly Gonez, Nick Melvoin, and Tanya Ortiz Franklin from LAUSD board

On September 9, 2021, the Los Angeles Unified School District's Board of Education—three of whose seven members are alumni of LMU School of Education—voted unanimously to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for all eligible students. LAUSD is the nation’s second-largest school district, serving a diverse population of more than 650,000 students. “To defeat the pandemic, we must collectively prioritize public health by following the latest science,” says LMU SOE dean Michelle D. Young. ”This decision protects students, teachers, and staff, and demonstrates the human-centered values we take pride in as a community.”

Left to right: Kelly Gonez M.A. ’13, youngest female LAUSD board president in history; Nick Melvoin M.A. ’10, LAUSD board vice president; and Tanya Ortiz Franklin M.A. ’07, board member

Linda Tillman Named Distinguished Visiting Professor

Dr. Linda Tillman, professor emerita of educational leadership at UNC-Chapel Hill and a nationally renowned scholar in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in education, joined LMU School of Education’s doctoral program in Educational Leadership for Social Justice as a distinguished visiting faculty member in fall 2021.

In addition to teaching courses for doctoral students, she’s hosting several brown-bag seminars, supporting the school’s Diversity Action Committee, and assisting the SOE in recruiting a permanent scholar to lead its doctoral program, which doubled in size in 2021 with the addition of an all-virtual Ed.D. option.

Tillman was recently honored as the inaugural winner of a new award named for her by the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA). The Linda C. Tillman Award for Courageous Contributions to Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice celebrates her prolific career and significant contributions to diversity within the field of educational leadership.

SOE In the Media

“The primary purpose [of threats of electoral violence] is to intimidate and prevent [voters of color] from making their voices heard through the voting process.”

—William Pérez, professor of educational leadership and associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion, “Latino immigrants who’ve survived electoral violence are anxious about Nov. 3rd,” Los Angeles Times, October 28, 2020

“This is not the time to use traditional means to recruit teachers and leaders. [Increasing diversity] needs to be an all-hands-on-deck recruitment strategy.”

—Michelle D. Young, dean, “How the Pandemic Is Already Changing Principal-Prep Programs,” Education Week, June 4, 2021

“The upcoming Olympics—from a mental health perspective—represent the most challenging environment in which athletes from across the globe will be asked to compete.”

—Willam Parham, professor of counseling, “Olympians are Crying Out About Their Mental Health Challenges. We Should Listen,” The Washington Post, June 19, 2021

“[The Supreme Court’s decision] leaves a lot of room for how they are going to define and regulate off-campus speech. Leaving precise descriptions to future cases is not very helpful.”

—Martha McCarthy, presidential professor of education law, “Educators Look for Guideposts in Supreme Court Ruling on Student Free Speech,” Education Week, June 23, 2021

“Wellness days for principals, like sick days, drive home the message that school systems value mental and social-emotional health.”

—Maia Niguel Hoskin, visiting assistant professor and program chair of counseling, ”Principals Need Social-Emotional Support, Too,” Education Week, September 14, 2021

“Churches and schools decide all the time what to emphasize and what their values are. People who practice a religion don’t follow every rule that has been written.”

—Emily Fisher, professor of school psychology, ”Suburban Catholic School Conflicts Over Gender Pronouns, Same-Sex marriage Highlight Tension Between Church and Flock,” Chicago Tribune, September 30, 2021