Brendesha Tynes

Brendesha Tynes, Ph.D. is a developmental and educational psychologist whose transdisciplinary research focuses on critical digital literacy, the design of digital mental health interventions that empower young people, and the impact of online race-related experiences on academic, mental health, and behavioral outcomes. She is currently a professor of education and psychology at the University of Southern California and the founding director of the Center for Empowered Learning and Development with Technology. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the National Council for Black Studies. She was awarded the Lyle Spencer Award to Transform Education, which allowed her to conduct the National Survey of Critical Digital Literacy, the first longitudinal study of the protective function of critical digital literacy skills in the association between traumatic race-related events online and mental health outcomes. An article highlighting Dr. Tynes’ foundational contributions to the field was published in the American Psychologist in 2023. She is the recipient of numerous research awards, including Ford Pre-doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships, the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Early Career Award, the Spencer Foundation Midcareer Award, and an American Psychological Association (APA) Presidential Citation issued by President Thema Bryant. She was also in the 2022 cohort of AERA Fellows, the 2023 cohort of APA Fellows, and a recipient of the National Institutes of Health Director’s Transformative Research Award in 2023, which is given to exceptionally creative and innovative scientists.

Pamela Maddox

Compton Early College High School (CEC) and Willowbrook Middle School

Dr. Pamela Maddox is a visionary educator and dynamic leader currently serving as the principal of Compton Early College High School. Under her guidance, both institutions have achieved remarkable success. Compton Early College has consistently ranked in the top 2% of schools nationwide and the top 3% in the state of California for the past few years. Dr. Maddox's commitment to academic excellence has positioned Compton Early College as the #1 school in Compton Unified School District and #13 in Los Angeles County, while also earning accolades as a California Distinguished School in 2024.
A champion of college readiness, Dr. Maddox boasts an impressive 100% college acceptance and graduation rate, with 69% of graduates earning their Associate of Arts degrees through the dual enrollment program. Her leadership has fostered a learning environment that supports advanced academic pursuits, evident in Compton Early College recognition as an Advanced Placement Platinum Merit Winner and an AP Scholars School, her school has also been recognized this year by College Board National Recognition Program Awards 2024.
Dr. Maddox’s innovative approach to education has garnered widespread recognition from multiple local and national news outlets, including features in The Wall Street Journal, which highlights her school's cutting-edge use of technology to enhance student learning. Additionally, her leadership has earned the school the prestigious Golden Bell Award for two consecutive years.
With a track record of elevating academic performance and fostering a culture of respect and achievement, Dr. Pamela Maddox continues to inspire students and educators alike, shaping the future of education in her community. As she believes her mantra is, Education is the art of changing lives.

Pedro Noguera

University of Southern California

Pedro Noguera is one of the nation’s leading scholars on issues related to race, inequality and education. Prior to coming to USC to serve as the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the Rossier School of Education, he served as a Professor of Education and holder of endowed chairs at UCLA, NYU, Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of 15 books. His most recent book A Search for Common Ground: Conversations About the Tough Questions and Complex Issues Confronting K-12 Education in the United States Today with Rick Hess was the winner of the American Association of Publishers Prose Award in 2021). From 2009–2012 Noguera served as a trustee for the State University of New York as an appointee of the governor. He has served as an advisor to the governor of New Mexico on education policy, and worked as an advisor to the state departments of education in Washington, Oregon, New York and Rhode Island, as well as several large urban school districts throughout the country. In 2022 he was appointed to President Biden’s National Commission on Hispanics, and he was asked to serve as the co-chair of the state of California’s Black Student Achievement Taskforce by the state superintendent. In 2014 he was elected to the National Academy of Education and Phi Delta Kappa honor society, and in 2020 Noguera was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Noguera has received seven honorary doctorates from American universities, and received awards from the Center for the Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and from the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at NYU for his research and advocacy efforts aimed at fighting poverty. In 2023 he was ranked 1st in the nation for influence and impact in the field of education, by Education Week.

Adam Clark

Mt. Diablo School District

Dr. Adam Clark joined the Mt. Diablo Unified School District in Concord, California as Superintendent in July 2020. Previously he was the Superintendent of the Vallejo City Unified School District. He also has served as an Associate Superintendent of Educational Services, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and has held principalships at all three levels. Dr. Clark earned his doctorate from Saint Mary’s College of California. Throughout his career, Dr. Clark has advocated for all student groups. He believes that educational systems need to address the gifts and talents of all student groups regardless of backgrounds or personal resources. Currently the Mt. Diablo Unified School District is modeling how to establish and implement instructional priorities, system coherence, equity, accountability and autonomy.

Francisco Escobedo

NCUST

Dr. Escobedo is currently the Executive Director of the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST); he also serves as a member of the State Board of Education (SBE) and as part of the Board of Directors for WestEd. Dr. Francisco Escobedo has been an educator for the better part of 30 years. From November 2010 until August 2021, he was the Superintendent of the Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD). Located in southern San Diego County, the District’s 46 schools serve over 29,400 students. In 2019, the Learning Policy Institute identified CVESD as one of seven California Positive Outlier districts for its superior academic scores. Under Dr. Escobedo’s leadership, CVESD received the distinguished California Association for Bilingual Education’s Multiple Pathways to Biliteracy District Award for its implementation of 22 Dual Immersion Schools and California Department of Education’s Exemplary District of the Year Award 2018. He received the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce’s Rindone Educator of the Year Award in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019; and California State Assembly’s 80th District Latino Leader Award in 2016. Recently, he earned NCUST’s 2020 Ronald Edmund Award for leadership in Urban Education. Since 2001, Dr. Escobedo has served as adjunct professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University (SDSU) and is currently a member of the doctoral faculty. He earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University; M.A. degree from SDSU; and Ed.D. from the University of California, San Diego, and SDSU. He is fluent in Spanish and serves as a co-chair on the State Superintendent’s Literacy Task Force.

Marco Nava

Los Angeles Unified School District

Marco A. Nava, Ed.D., is an educational leader dedicated to enhancing student learning and fostering collaborative environments.  Dr. Nava has played integral roles in building partnerships, leveraging resources, and contributing to school improvement initiatives in Los Angeles.  He currently oversees induction and credentialing programs for teachers and administrators in the Human Resources Division of LAUSD.  His leadership extends beyond local boundaries, as evidenced by his past selection as a Fulbright Principal Exchange participant and through facilitating international leadership development seminars.      Dr. Nava has published and presented research at national and international conferences. His areas of expertise encompass school improvement, social-emotional learning, coaching, and leadership development.  A proud alumnus of the University of Southern California (USC), Dr. Nava holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership. His dedication to advancing educational equity is further underscored by his current participation as a National Leadership Institute Fellow with Men of Color in Educational Leadership.

Rebecca Cheung

University of California, Berkeley

Rebecca Cheung is the Assistant Dean of Berkeley School of Education's Leadership Development programs. She also serves as the Principal Investigator and Director for the 21st Century School Leadership Academy (21CSLA) State Center. Funded by the state, 21CSLA is dedicated to the professional learning and support of California’s educational leaders—teacher, site, and district—to create more equitable learning environments that ultimately improve success for underserved students. Dr. Cheung’s research focuses on issues of leadership preparation and development, especially related to increasing capacity to lead for equity and social justice that results in creating more inclusive and effective schooling.

Paula Cordeiro

University of San Diego

Michael Dantley

Miami University

Mary Erina Driscoll

New York University

Gerardo López

Michigan State University

Martha McCarthy

Loyola Marymount University

Lisa Bass

North Carolina State University

Dr. Lisa R. Bass is an associate professor of education leadership and policy studies. Dr. Bass received her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy studies and Comparative and International Education from the Pennsylvania State University. Her work focuses on education reform through the ethics of caring and equitable education for all students. Her goal for her work is to motivate others to become passionate about caring for all students, meeting their needs, and providing them with a high quality education. Her studies include study on the ethics of caring from diverse middle and high school student perspectives, and on the preparation of exemplary principals. More recently, Dr. Bass conducted a study on emotional intelligence and how this impacts principal’s decision-making, particularly during COVID times. Dr. Bass has published her work in books and education journals including the Journal of School Leadership, The International Journal of Qualitative Research, The International Journal of Leadership in Education, and Educational Administration Quarterly. She co-authored a book, entitled, Building Bridges from High Poverty Communities, to Schools, to Productive Citizenship: A Holistic Approach to Addressing Poverty through Exceptional Educational Leadership. More recently, she also edited a book entitled, Black Mask-culinity: A Framework for Black Masculine Caring, both with Peter Lang Publishing. Dr. Bass has also co- edited an ethics textbook for the University Council of Education Administration (UCEA) sponsored series, which is was recently published by Routledge Publishing. Dr. Bass, along with colleagues Dana Thompson Dorsey and Rich Milner were recently awarded a Wallace grant to interrogate the manifestation of equity in teaching and learning in schools. Specifically, they are in the process of validating the Teacher Race Talk and Opportunity Gap surveys. Dr. Bass has focused most of her work in issues surrounding educational leadership, ethics, and equity, and she enjoys working with students who have an interest in exploring issues in these areas. Her commitment to ethics and equity influences her interest and commitment to UCEA governance.

Linda Darling-Hammond

Stanford University; Learning Policy Institute

Linda Darling-Hammond is the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus at Stanford University and founding president of the Learning Policy Institute, created to provide high-quality research for policies that enable equitable and empowering education for each and every child. She is past president of the American Educational Research Association and author of more than 30 books and 600 other publications on educational quality and equity, including the award-winning book: The Flat World and Education: How America’s Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future. In 2006, she was named one of the nation’s ten most influential people affecting educational policy. She led the Obama education policy transition team in 2008 and the Biden education transition team in 2020. She was appointed President of the California State Board of Education in 2019. In 2022, Darling-Hammond received the Yidan Prize for Education Research in recognition of her work that has shaped education policy and practice around the most equitable and effective ways to teach and learn.

Sheneka Williams

Michigan State University

Sheneka Williams is professor and chair of the Department of Educational Administration at Michigan State University. Williams’s research focuses in two main areas: rural education and school desegregation. Her research specifically examines educational opportunity for African American students in rural contexts, and the resulting effects of (de)segregated schools on students of color. Her research has been published in journals such as Educational Policy, Teachers College Record, Urban Education, and the Peabody Journal of Education. Aspects of her research have been presented at The National Press Club, American Enterprise Institute, and on CNN and NPR.

Kofi Lomotey

Western Carolina University

Kofi is the Chancellor John Bardo & Deborah Bardo Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership at Western Carolina University, and he is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). He has more than 80 publications, including 16 books. He has been married to Aama Nahuja for 47 years. They are the parents of three and the grandparents of five.