The impact of her passion, experience, work, and voice is felt beyond her own community as she serves in the following ways as: Board Member, Cihuapactli Collective; Board Member and Treasurer, Youth Empowerments Finest; Chair, UnidosUS National Institute for Latino School Leaders alumni council; and as a partner consultant with nonprofit, for profit and educational systems. 

Leading Restorative Practices: Creating Space for Restoration, Healing and Growth within Individuals, Teams, and Systems

Restorative practices aren’t just something you do. It’s not a magical initiative that will cure all inappropriate or violent behavior. It’s not a way of keeping students, staff, and parents from taking responsibility for their actions. Restorative practices is what you do based on who you are. Restorative practices is a human-centered approach to life, not just a response to behavior, or a replacement for traditional discipline. The most effective leaders have a restorative heart and mindset. They embrace their own humanity, and that of others, through reflection, growth, vulnerability and healing. Effective leaders ensure the same opportunities are provided to staff so that this work can be done with students and parents. They also recognize that harm in life and work is inevitable and are committed to restoring and growing from these incidences with their staff, students and school communities. Participants will leave our time together with: a basic understanding of restorative practices and tangible resources to guide circles; resources to build systems, time and space for restorative practices; and strategies to model and coach staff/teams in having difficult conversations, and holding each other accountable in a way that is loving and respectful.

Leading the Magic in Alternative Education

School leadership is challenging especially in alternative education where resources are limited and student need is great. Magic happens when school leaders build staff and student agency, facilitate agreements on action, and holds members accountable for these agreements and action. This magic increases staff commitment, student achievement, student attendance, community partner engagement and decreases inappropriate behavior, and staff burn-out and dissatisfaction. In this session, you will learn how to create programs and systems in alternative education that support students, staff and engages/re-engages families and relatives. You will also learn about and engage in the process of problem-based learning based on the cycle of praxis, a method of learning that is relevant and action based.

Be the Change and Create Activists for Education

This learning experience is for those committed to equity in education. Educational systems too often fear the voices of students, staff, and parents, rather than elevating them and providing support. These experiences and voices are direly needed in spaces where decisions about funding, accountability, and expectations are made at the local, state, and national levels. Practitioners, students, parents, and community, are critical to education policy and action. This is true in all education systems, and especially in those committed to increasing access to high-quality education for all students. In this session, you will learn how to define your own voice and find your platform to impact education through educational policy and action. You will receive the tools to support staff, students, parents and community in finding their voice, platform, and a path to activism. Participants will also explore funding and partners that can support this important work.

Powerful Partnerships for School and Communities

Educational systems accept the tremendous responsibility of providing a high-quality education for all students that leads to them being college and career ready. Meeting this charge is very complex as systems can be overwhelmed due to the high and immediate needs of students and families. This is especially true for those serving our most vulnerable student populations that include immigrants, foster youth, homeless youth, pregnant/parenting teens, justice involved, and those struggling with violence, substance abuse, and mental health needs. This session will provide participants with the resources and strategies needed to: create an action plan to identify and meet needs of students and families; partner with other organizations to provide wrap-around services for these vulnerable youth and families; and identify, apply and receive funding to provide additional services beyond the academic.

Funding Work That Matters

Student and school community needs can overwhelm educational systems especially when barriers they face include, but are not limited to: poverty; trauma; justice involvement; substance abuse; mental health issues; pregnant and parenting teens; and homelessness. Educators and educational leaders carry the immense weight of meeting these needs while trying to provide a high-quality education that leads to college and career readiness. This burden can be lessened through additional programs and supports for students, families, staff and the community. During our time together you will learn that relief of this burden is possible through an evaluation of internal resources, external partnerships, and external funding. You and your school team will learn how to: identify and leverage internal resources; create and facilitate a funding team; lead the grant writing process; and find potential funding sources that match your student and school needs. This learning experience will prepare you to find the funding to do the work that truly matters in your school system.

Legitimize the Hustle: Building Career Readiness and CTE Programs in Court & Alternative Schools

Over 60,000 youth are in juvenile detention or correctional facilities (with thousands more on probation), on any given day in the United States. Our nation is also home to over 5.5 million youth, ages 16-24, who are not in school or working. These youth face the challenges of generational trauma, substance abuse, violence, poverty, teen pregnancy and parenting, and homelessness.  Comprehensive services and programs that include healing, educational support, career readiness, and training are needed to support our disconnected populations in changing their lives. During our time together, participants will learn how to engage youth through relevant career pathways and opportunities that honor and build their entrepreneurial skills (the hustle) and meet local industry demands. Participants will receive funding, program, community and business resources to build career readiness and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs in alternative and court schools.