Gina Aguilar is the Managing Director of Academic Excellence for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, where she leads and manages the Academic Excellence programs and teams both at the elementary and high school levels. The work of the team is focused on supporting schools across the Archdiocese in the areas of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
Gina chose the Ed.D. Program at LMU to have the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded educators who are passionate about transformative change rooted in the vision of inclusivity and equity. She sought a community that would challenge her intellectually and help her to build a stronger foundation for action. She valued the program’s approach of a tight-knit cohort with diverse professional backgrounds that work together over the course of three years.
Gina's dissertation, “Leadership in Uncertain Times: An Analysis of Decision-Making Processes Among Catholic Elementary School Principals in Low-Income Serving Communities,” chaired by Mary McCullough, Ph.D., examined the decision-making processes among principals of parish-based Catholic elementary schools in low-income communities within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, against the backdrop of a decentralized governance structure and increased financial pressures intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study investigated three areas: (1) the principals' decision-making processes, (2) the situational factors influencing these processes, and (3) the pandemic's impact on their decision-making processes. The findings revealed dynamic integration of cognitive, social, and procedural processes, rooted in faith and community collaboration. The study also highlighted the dual nature of decentralization and subsidiarity.
Gina began the Ed.D. Program in the midst of a global pandemic. However, the timing was a blessing as many educators were challenged to respond to the needs of students. She has gained a strong foundation in the tenets of social justice leadership and has been able to apply those tenets to her work with principals and teachers.