Welcome to July! It is hard to believe the 2024 school year is over for most of us, with approximately 3.8 million* students newly graduated from our nation’s high schools, on their way to college, the military, and the workforce. And after all of this work as educators, as we are trying to squeeze in a much needed vacation before the next new school year begins, let’s all take a moment to stand in awe of the educators who support our public education system! Applaud yourself, one another, and the equity mission that serves as our north star! You are amazing!

July is a time when the greatest number of superintendent changes occur in this country. In this newsletter, you will meet one of our new leaders in San Diego County. Like so many women taking the executive seat these days, she is the first woman to serve in this role in the 75-year history of the San Diego County Office of Education. Dr. Gloria Ciriza’s story will motivate you, and I encourage you to pour a cup of coffee or tea and take the time to listen to her words. We have so many stories that we must tell because our stories bring perspective, create connections, reinforce hope, and elevate joy! You are the stories that we must tell! 

In addition to Dr. Ciriza, I also want to highlight two other women who represent “firsts” including Dr. Sonia Dinnall, incoming Superintendent for the Springfield Public Schools in Massachusetts, and Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong, incoming Superintendent for the Portland Public Schools in Oregon, both will be the first Black women to serve in these seats. There are so many other new superintendents to give a shout-out to, and collectively, we applaud them, thank them, and receive them ♥️.

I want to thank the 200 women leaders who took over the Vancouver, Washington Waterfront two weeks ago for an incredible time of learning together. If you were not able to be with us, please note two upcoming events: January 23-25, 2025, will be the Tech, Power and Equity workshop-style conference where we will be engaging in a by-women, for-women AI-focused learning space to grow our technology skills and prepare to lead in the innovation workforce. We also have the When Women Lead ‘25 conference scheduled for June 23-25, 2025, in Charleston, South Carolina, in the historic Mills House! Our summer conference will continue to focus on policy and leadership. Registration for January’s convening will open in a few short weeks – look out for the invitation! 

Finally, I want to encourage you to join a growing number of our WSPLA graduates! The Women Superintendents’ Policy Leadership Academy is for women in the superintendent seat, at the Cabinet level, or aspiring to executive leadership. This ten-hour policy training program is a targeted lesson study on grounding our policy work within a culturally responsive policy ecosystem framework. You will gain skills in policy development and develop lifelong friendships with other women nationally. Applications are now open for this blended instructional delivery program, which begins on September 9th. 

As active members of our network say, join us under the Flamboyan tree for a community of thought leaders who learn together, uplift each other, and celebrate the vast diversity that women represent in leadership. Be a voice for equity!

Abrazos!

Christina

*National Center for Education Statistics, https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=805

JULY 2024 | DR. CHRISTINA KISHIMOTO

Voice4Equity welcomes Dr. Gloria Ciriza, San Diego County Superintendent of Schools. During her discussion with Dr. Kishimoto, Dr. Ciriza shares her personal story as she enters the superintendency role as the first woman to hold the position in the San Diego County School District in 76 years and offers valuable advice to women aspiring to leadership roles, emphasizing the need for perseverance and mutual support.

Enjoy the conversation as Dr. Ciriza and Dr. Kishimoto highlight the importance of authenticity, collaboration, and continuity in leadership.

The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Dr. Kishimoto

Welcome to The Stories We Tell, July edition. I am thrilled to have with me Dr Gloria Ciriza, from the superintendency of the San Diego County School District. Welcome Gloria.

Dr. Ciriza

Thank you so much. What a joy it is to be here with you today. I am honored and thrilled to be in this position and to engage in this conversation with you today.

Dr. Kishimoto

It’s so much fun to talk to colleagues across the country, especially during these major change periods. I know you were serving as the assistant superintendent, and I believe in student support services. It might be a different title there, but you had this whole array of incredible responsibilities from special ed to juvenile justice and detention to support services of different areas. Now, you’ve just been named the county superintendent. Congratulations!

Dr. Ciriza

Thank you. You’re right; being able to serve in this role as the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services was huge. That role involved such a broad range of oversight, including special ed, juvenile court, student wellness, and mental health and community schools. I feel fortunate that I got to do that because the lessons I learned about supporting our students in San Diego in so many different ways were such a valuable experience. 

It was perfect that I was in that role and was able to learn. It’s an area of leadership I didn’t have access to as a site principal nor in my former district in Chula Vista. Those were all resources and services that I, as a curriculum and instruction leader, didn’t get to learn as well as I have in this role. So, it’s very exciting.

Voice4Equity is seeking high-value session proposals for our Tech, Power, and Equity Conference. This conference has an intentional learning design that engages participants in four technology-focused learning modules with emphasis on AI-enabled technology applications in teaching and learning, systems integrations, policy and operations, and evaluating for equity. Proposal submissions must name 1-3 specific technology skills that participants will develop, must include a minimum 45-minute engagement/hands-on learning activity, and must be co-led by a K-12 leader. Sessions are 90 minutes in length. We are seeking to highlight and learn from best practices around the country. Voice4Equity provides women-centered learning spaces to support and advance equity of access of women to executive leadership positions at the district and state levels.

View the Event Website to Register

The Voice4Equity Women Superintendents’ Policy Leadership Academy is the only professional learning program designed for women leading the way for equity and inclusion in public education. The Fall Cohort is forming now!

Learn more here

Are you a district looking to deepen the voices of students in district policies? Voice4Equity offers a unique and empowering leadership development program for high school girls focused on policy voice and leadership. The program is designed for sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have had at least one year of public high school experience. This program aims to engage students in exploring equity policy issues that matter most to them. Recently, Prince William County Public Schools sent six Osbourn Park High School student leaders to attend the High School Girls Policy Leadership Summit, hosted by the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., in conjunction with Voice4Equity and Discovery Education. You can read about their experiences here.

The mission of the Girls Policy Network program is to engage more high school girls, particularly girls of color, in policy discussions that impact their school, their community, and their future. This program is for students who are committed to their personal leadership development and who want to develop their civic voice. Participants will learn how to turn their desire for change into a potential equity policy solution that improves their school community. Additionally, guest speakers from business and industry are part of the program delivery team so that our young ladies meet executive level women leading today!

There are four questions that are explored in this interactive program:

1. What is an equity policy, and can I, as a student, influence policy?

2. How do I develop my policy voice and ensure that I am heard?

3. Who are the greatest influencers in my community; where did they get their power?

4. How can we, as students, organize for collective impact?

The program culminates with a closing activity where the students prepare and present a policy issue of their choosing that school/district leadership are invited to.

Connect with Us!

If you are interested in providing this leadership development program for your high school students, please register your district to hold spaces for your students – please note the time zone of each of the cohort offerings. Voice4Equity has several online offerings for the 2024-25 school year that are fully funded at no cost to the school, student, or family. Additionally, if you are seeking an in-person, district-based option, please connect with us at GPN@voice4equity.com to set up a meeting with the GPN team.

Register Here

Learn more about using AI to power-up marketing and communications at your school and in your district, with real-world hands-on experience.

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Join me for this 17-minute yoga session. You will leave feeling like you moved, stretched, and quieted the mental chatter. Grab your chair. I’ll meet you there.
Tiana