Jill Hodges Gans is a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, where she currently teaches English Language Development to students who have immigrated to the United States within the past two years. Many of her students have walked through a jungle and across the border to get here.
Jill knew that pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice at LMU would prepare her to take on meaningful research from a servant leadership perspective. As a white woman who works in educational environments of marginalized communities, she wanted to ensure that she is conducting research in a way where she is partnering with her educational communities, not martyring for them.
Jill’s dissertation research explores whether new teachers in induction programs build a capacity to engage in courageous conversations about inequities in education as a result of the California Commission for Teacher Credentialing Teacher Induction Program Standards.
The Ed.D. Program has allowed Jill to give voice to new teachers who are interested in improving educational outcomes for their students. Being an advocate speaking about developing advocacy skills has allowed her to engage in multiple conversations with community members regarding new ways to envision the possibilities for improving K-12 public education.