Claire Ramirez is the Program Specialist for the Orange County Department of Education, where she oversees juvenile court schools and coordinates programs related to SEL and the CA MTSS framework. As an administrator, she has authored grants, supervised mental health providers, and implemented continuous school improvement strategies. Her dedication to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts is evident through her participation in the Multicultural Studies Community Curriculum, and her contributions to the district's curricular development have played a vital role in advancing these efforts.
Claire pursued the Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice at LMU to equip herself with the necessary skills and knowledge to conduct meaningful research from a servant leadership perspective. She chose LMU's program because of its explicit focus on social justice and the deeper insights and greater skillset it would provide her to better serve her community. By obtaining an Ed.D., she knew she would develop the vital leadership skills that are required to work in diverse educational settings and to positively impact students’ lives.
Claire’s dissertation, “Indigenous Ancestral Assets: The Ecology of Native Hawaiian Education Through Youth Perspectives,” chaired by Ernesto Colin, Ph.D., aimed to identify lived experiences, cultural wisdom, and strengths Indigenous youth carry with them into school. The secondary purpose of this study was to understand how educators support youth voices through culturally sustaining and revitalizing pedagogical practices in their classrooms. The study used the Community Cultural Wealth framework and Culturally Sustaining and Revitalizing Pedagogy to highlight diverse forms of knowledge. The results revealed important themes such as reciprocity, community, Indigenous artistry, and advocacy. Arenas of impact include teacher preparation, curriculum development, federal civil rights entitlement, and tribal education sovereignty programs.
Claire joined LMU's Ed.D. Program intending to strengthen her knowledge of how to blend education with social justice and improve her training and servant leadership skills. The program was designed to merge the theoretical concepts taught in the classroom with the practical aspects of her everyday work, leaving her better equipped to be an educational leader. The knowledge and skills learned in the program have deepened her personal values and commitment to social justice and her work to increase the safety and empowerment of marginalized groups and communities.
While enrolled in the Ed.D. Program, Claire participated in the prestigious UCEA Jackson Scholars Program and was also awarded an LMU Graduate Research Scholarship for DEI Research and Creative Projects.