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DeMarcus Jenkins, a 2018 UCLA School of Education and Information Studies doctoral graduate in Urban Schooling and assistant professor of education policy in the Department of Education Policy Studies at The Pennsylvania State University, is a recipient of a $512,000 research grant awarded by the William T. Grant Foundation for research on the impact of community re-development programs on Black families. The three -year project employs a mixed-methods framework to examine the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Choice Neighborhood Initiative (CNI), which was designed to transform racially segregated neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty through mixed-income housing re-development, community-based wrap-around services, and case management support. The project examines three CNI sites across the U.S. - Baltimore, St. Louis, and Memphis, bringing together researchers from several institutions, community-based organizations, and school district officials.

Collaborators on the project are Jason Jabbari, assistant research professor at the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis; Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Yung Chun, senior analyst at the Social Policy Institute; and Odis Johnson, Jr., Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Social Policy and STEM Equity at Johns Hopkins University. 

The project is a research-practice collaboration between SPI and Urban Strategies Inc., the largest implementation partner for the CNI providing wrap-around supports to CNI families, as well as Saint Louis Public Schools, Shelby County Schools, Seeding Success, and Baltimore City Public Schools. The Department of Housing and Urban Development created the CNI in 2009 to redevelop systemically underinvested communities while relocating families to higher-income neighborhoods in the process. 

“I hope that the project sheds light on how federal policies might work to address persistent systemic inequities in urban neighborhoods. Importantly, educational equity is inextricably bonded with struggles over place,” Jenkins said. “And that the findings from this project illuminate possibilities when education and neighborhood reform are interconnected.”

At UCLA, Jenkins earned his PhD in Education in the Urban Schooling division with a concentration in education policy and leadership. His dissertation was titled: “From Segregation to Congregation: A case study of community engaged urban school reform.” 

“Our alumnus DeMarcus Jenkins deserves our congratulations and thanks for this important work. He is a rising scholar with a bright future,” said Tyrone Howard, Pritzker Family Endowed Chair in the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies and Faculty Director of the Center for the Transformation of Schools. 

“His success at UCLA and the research he is engaged in now is evidence of the talent and ability of Black students in doctoral programs here at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies and elsewhere, and the importance of their inclusion and participation in academic research in our communities and nation.” 

Jenkins’ current research focuses on the influence of spatial, social and political factors that foster and exacerbate inequalities for Black populations as well as the approaches that school leaders take to disrupt and transform these dynamics. 

In 2021, Jenkins received a research grant from the Spencer Foundation to examine how urban school systems respond to policy changes that divest and disinvest from law enforcement on school campuses. His program of research draws from his previous professional experience working in urban schools and in local and state policy and advocacy.

UCLA Ed alumnus will explore impact of urban development and housing upon academic outcomes.

DeMarcus Jenkins Partners in New Research Project Funded by The William T. Grant Foundation

This article was originally  published June 17,2021

On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring “all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”

The reality though was that the Emancipation did not end slavery. Freedom for many would be won state by state in battles across the remnants of the Confederacy, with the help of nearly 200,000 Black soldiers who joined in the Union effort after Lincoln’s proclamation.

Even as enslaved Black people in some Confederate states at midnight on Dec. 31, 1862, watched and waited for their freedom, many others did not know they were free. And as the war waged on thousands of confederates fled to the frontier state of Texas, taking thousands of enslaved Black people with them. It would be two-and-a-half years, more than two months after Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, that 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas would learn of their freedom.

In Galveston, Texas, on June 19th, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order Number 3:

“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” Reactions ranged from shocked amazement to outbreaks of spontaneous celebration. The day would come to be known and recognized as “Juneteenth.”

Unfortunately, too few of us know this history. And our ignorance is connected to the very real erasure that results from the institutional racism woven into this country’s history.

“Let us be clear, Juneteenth has been taught in some American classrooms and there have long been individual teachers who offer a complex, carefully considered nuanced history of Juneteenth and slavery,” said Eddie Cole, an associate professor of higher education and organizational change at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies. “But they often do so without relying on school textbooks. They may explore historical texts from a century ago, or other primary sources. Those teachers provide their students with a more holistic truth and a glimpse at Black liberation and triumph.

“That said, Juneteenth is not taught in most American classrooms because it is not a feel-good story,” Cole continued. “It is an exemplifier of the truth. It is a stunning example of how racism and capitalism have stained the idea of an American democracy. It does not fit the mainstream narrative that centers the nation’s independence. Instead, it highlights the misdeeds, or at least the negligence, of many so-called national heroes. That alone is why it is not taught in many schools.”

Celebrations of Juneteenth date back to 1866. Gathering at churches, festivals, barbeques and other events large and small, formerly enslaved Black people would come together to pray, meet with family and honor the day. The events spread from Texas across the South, and into northern states as Black people moved across the nation, taking their stories with them.

Recognition of the event declined in the early 1900s as memories of the Civil War faded and families of former enslaved Black people migrated north. Still, Juneteenth continued to be celebrated, with the Texas state fair and other events drawing tens of thousands during the 1940s and early 1950s.

Texas officially recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday in 1980, becoming the first state in the nation to do so. Today, Juneteenth is officially recognized by 47 states. Today, President Joe Biden signed a law designating Juneteenth a national holiday to be observed every June 19.

A 2016 survey conducted by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture estimated that less than 10% of total class time is devoted to teaching Black history. And according a 2017 Southern Poverty Law survey of the 10 commonly used textbooks and 15 sets of state standards, textbooks treated slavery in superficial ways, and state standards focused more on the “feel-good” stories of abolitionists than on the brutal realities of slavery.

Additionally, a 2020 investigation by CBS News examining how Black history is taught across the United States found seven states do not directly mention slavery in their state standards and eight states do not mention the civil rights movement. Only two states specifically mention white supremacy, while curriculum in 16 states list “states’ rights” as a cause of the Civil War.

Cole underscores that textbooks have long been politicized because the truth about slavery was a political, as well as a racial, social, moral, and economic issue.

“As long as public school system budgets have been tied to elected officials, there has been significant state interference with incorporating Juneteenth, and slavery for that matter, into school textbooks,” Cole said. “This has perhaps been the easiest way to ensure that generations prioritize the narrative that centers national triumph over the more truthful narrative of national wrongdoings and missteps alongside triumph.”

The teaching of Black History and slavery is currently under attack by some political leaders. According to Education Week, as of June 14 of this year, 21 states, including Texas, where Juneteenth originated, are considering measures restricting how teachers can discuss racism, slavery or the teaching of critical race theory. Florida and other states have moved to ban the use of the New York Times 1619 Project, which explores the role of slavery in the history of the United States, from being used in school classrooms.

Despite the efforts of some, there is also renewed public support for teaching about Black History and racism through the exploration of Juneteenth and other experiences and events. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others resulted in the protests across the nation and sparked a renewed interest in civil rights, freedom and Black history in the United States. And this year, the Juneteenth Foundation hosts the Juneteenth Freedom Festival and is asking corporations and others to celebrate Juneteenth as a national “Day of advocacy and involvement,” and to support social justice, civil rights and education organizations.

“We would all be better served if we acknowledged that our challenges today are not something unique to our current experience,” Cole said. “We would better understand how to navigate the moment by studying how those before us have resisted and taught in spite of the effort to limit these discussions in classrooms. Because to fundamentally mislead the youth after Juneteenth or other racialized moments in history is to do them a grave disservice on their road to becoming, hopefully, fully engaged citizens of the world who understand the legacies of the past and how it shapes our present.

“Juneteenth is an important reminder that freedom has not always been actualized simply because laws have been passed in the United States,” Cole said. “Juneteenth is a reminder of promises made and promises broken, and it’s important for students to learn the full, complex truth about the United States as ‘the land of the free.’”

This article was featured in UCLA Newsroom.

That it’s not a ‘feel-good’ story is why it should be an essential part of history classes, says Eddie Cole.

Why schools haven’t taught about Juneteenth, and why they should

On June 19th, 1865, in Galveston, Texas Union Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order Number 3:

“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” 

That day, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring “all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free,” marked the end of slavery in the United States.  Since then, the day has been recognized and celebrated by many across the nation as “Juneteenth.”

In 2021, President Joseph R. Biden, in recognition of the importance of the events ending the enslavement of Blacks in the United States and the celebration of Black culture and accomplishment, signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. 

On Monday, UCLA and the other Universities and offices of the University of California will close in observance of this our newest national holiday.  

One way we can celebrate Juneteenth is to offer our congratulations to our talented and diverse recent class of graduates.  In 2022, 18 Black students graduated from doctoral programs in the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies.  

But as we celebrate, we recognize that our work to support the full participation of Black Americans and other students of color in the opportunities our university and other institutions of higher education can provide, remains unfinished. There is more to learn and more to be done. 

As so as we mark this new holiday, we hope that our students, staff, faculty and friends will take some time to learn and think more about the importance of Juneteenth and the ongoing battle for racial equity and justice. 

One place to start is with an article we published last year, Why Schools Haven’t Taught about Juneteenth, and Why They Should, offering some important insight and perspective from Eddie Cole, an associate professor of higher education and organizational change at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies.

The UCLA Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion also offers at toolkit for learning about Juneteenth.

 And if you are looking for resources for   teaching about Juneteenth, the UCLA History and Geography Project at UCLA Center X suggests resources available from Learning for Justice.  

In addition, Assistant Professor of Education Jessica Harris suggests a list of resources for us to explore, work toward, and learn about race, racism, and anti-racism in the context of the United States. 

We hope that you will also take time to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday.  Here are a few suggestion of events and activities in the Los Angeles area.  Enjoy!

Juneteenth: A Global Celebration of Freedom: An All-star Juneteenth concert at Hollywood Bowl will feature first all-Black orchestra in the  Bowl’s 100-year history. The June 19 concert will be broadcast live at 5 p.m. on CNN. Or attend live. Tickets and more information here.  

2022 Liberation: A Festival of Arts & Culture Honoring Juneteenth https://socalgrantmakers.org/liberation-2022

Opal’s Walk for Freedom – Juneteenth event: Opal Lee, the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” has been walking 2.5 miles for many years to advocate for Juneteenth to be made a federal holiday. The 2.5 mile walk in Pacoima begins June 18 at 8 a.m. Register in advance online at www.covenantinternational.net 

 The City of Pasadena’s 14th annual Juneteenth Celebration: A free, family-friendly Juneteenth celebration featuring drummers and dancers from the Alkebulan Cultural Center, live music provided by Luv From Abuv, and spoken word performed by Pasadena City College students. Arts and crafts, line dancing, inflatable games and free food.. Saturday, June 18, 10a.m. to 2 p.m.,  North Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena. More Information here

Taste of Compton - A Juneteenth Celebration:  Arts and crafts, live music, housing and small business workshops. Hosted by Neighborhood Housing Services of LA County. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at the NHS Center for Sustainable Communities, 1051 W. Rosecrans Ave., Compton. 

Crenshaw Family YMCA – Juneteenth Unifest: The second annual Juneteenth event with games, performances, speakers, financial literacy workshops and Black-owned business vendors, June 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 3820 Santa Rosalia Drive, Los Angeles. Register in advance: www.eventbrite.com/e/juneteenth-unifest-registration-344481311877

Juneteenth Freedom Day Walk: The event begins with a walk and also includes a resource fair, live music, wellness stations and Covid-19 vaccinations. Saturday, June 18, 1-6 p.m. The event is presented by the Black Mental Health Task Force, Los Angeles County Department Mental Health, San Gabriel Valley African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Community Action Team. Registration and info at  bit.ly/3xJxFoF

The Long Beach Juneteenth Celebration: Music, food, fun and more. Saturday, June 18, 10.30 a.m. to 7 PM Rainbow Lagoon Park, 400 E Shoreline Dr, Long Beach, CA. More Info - https://www.lbjuneteenth.com

 Juneteenth Rhythm & Blues: The City of Carson and Carson Citizens Cultural Arts Foundation presents the “The Best History Lesson Ever,” with music by the Calloway Brothers and Greg Rose and the Greg Rose Orchestra, a car show, vendors and a teen fun zone, June 19, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. .Mills Park, 1340 E. Dimondale Drive, Carson. Details: bit.ly/3xgGJjy.

Kingdom Day Parade: The parade, usually held in January in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will take place on Monday, June  20 at11 a.m. The theme is “Healing America.” Parade route: Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at Western Avenue, west on MLK Jr. to Crenshaw Boulevard, south on Crenshaw to West Vernon Avenue, Los Angeles. kingdomdayparade.org/

The University of California, Office of the President, also offers a list of events to celebrate.

 And a listing even more events is available from the Los Angeles Times at: 

https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/list/juneteenth-things-to-do-los-angeles

UCLA Ed & IS Celebrates Juneteenth

The second-ever senior class at Mann UCLA Community School was celebrated at a graduation ceremony on June 8, at the school's historic South Los Angeles campus. Family members and friends gathered to congratulate the 34 members of the Class of 2022, including valedictorian Ishmal Trujillo Al-Ashanti and salutatorian Mia Castro.

Arbin Lubiano, Mann UCLA athletic director and advanced placement and GATE coordinator, served as master of ceremonies. Two of the graduates, Ameena Carter Walker and Bryan Canales, welcomed their classmates and guests, followed by remarks from Mann UCLA Principal Orlando Johnson.

Johnson described the need for societal change that the graduates have been prepared to answer, and encouraged them to “…. continue to strive for knowledge that will enable you to excel in our society.”

Mann UCLA Principal Orlando Johnson welcomed the Class of 2022 and their family and friends to the school's commencement ceremony at the South Los Angeles campus. 

“A great aspiration has been accomplished with your graduation,” he said. “It is not the end, but it is a huge first step in your many accomplishments … Today is just the beginning. I look forward to when you return and show us the greatness that you have achieved.”

The Mann community was represented with words of congratulations and support from Kameron Greene, radio personality from local station KJLH. 

“All of you will leave here today the authors of a new chapter, with new questions and curiosities,” she said. “And each of you possesses the knowledge, wisdom, and resilience to excel. All of you have what it takes to do great things.” 

Castro gave her salutatorian address, thanking her parents, family and friends, teachers and staff, and congratulated her classmates, all of whom are headed for college. 

“Something I am sure of is the potential of the Class of 2022,” she said. “The memories we have made will stay with us forever. As these four years have passed, we all grew and matured. Every one of us is something special and unique. I can’t wait to see all the things that are to come for us.”

Salutatorian Mia Castro, who has been accepted to UCLA, gives her address to the assembled community.

Trujillo Al-Ashanti completed the student voice of the program with his valedictorian address, recognizing family and friends and the school community, and acknowledging the resilience of his classmates and fellow Mann UCLA students throughout the pandemic that affected their educational experience. 

Valedictorian Ishmal Trujillo Al-Ashanti greeted his classmates and the school community, focusing on greater achievements ahead.

“I’m rather excited because our future will be brighter than our past,” he said. “High school was a steppingstone to the rest of our lives, and if that ain’t enough to get you excited, I don’t know what will.”  

Special video greetings included a message from Wasserman Dean Christina Christie of the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, as well as an appreciation video from Mann UCLA students to their teachers and staff, and a congratulatory video by Mann UCLA faculty and staff for the students. The videos were created by volunteers from Area Youth Ministry at UCLA.

Dean Christie highlighted progressive educator John Dewey’s belief in education as, “… the fundamental method of progress and reform.” She said that she was heartened to know that the Class of ’22 will be continuing its educational journey at community colleges, California State University, the University of California – including UCLA, and other colleges and universities.

Members of the Mann UCLA Leadership team celebrate the Class of 2022. (L-R: Kristen Rohanna, assistant adjunct professor, UCLA Department of Education; Jody Priselac, SEIS associate dean for community programs; Marisa Saunders, associate director of research, UCLA Center for Community Schooling (CCS); Karen Hunter Quartz, CCS director; Orlando Johnson, principal, Mann UCLA; and Christine Shen, director, UCLA Community Schools Initiatives.

“As you close this chapter, you take your courage, brilliance, and wisdom into new classrooms, gyms, and communities, guided by your innovative spirit, your desire to transform the world,” said Christie. “And the world has never needed you more.”

Christine Shen, director of the UCLA Community Schools Initiative, and Principal Johnson presented senior gifts to the graduates from the Friends of Mann UCLA Community School. Ten students who graduated with honors or high honors each received $1,000. Castro, the first student to be accepted to UCLA, received a $10,000 scholarship, to be given over her four years as an undergraduate. In addition, every member of the Class of '22 received a laptop computer. LaQueena Litzsey, Mann UCLA assistant principal, and Jasmine Wallace, pupil services and attendance staff member, participated in handing out the awards and diplomas.

To learn more about Mann UCLA Community School, visit these links.

UCLA Center for Community Schooling Journal

Ninety-seven percent of the Class of 2022 graduated and are college-bound; salutatorian Mia Castro has been accepted to UCLA.

Mann UCLA Community School Graduates Second Cohort of High School Seniors

The Class of 2022 of the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies celebrated its commencement on June 11, in Wilson Plaza. In addition, celebrations for the SEIS Classes of 2020 and 2021 were held that day as well, on the UCLA campus. 

The commencement ceremony for the Class of 2022 began with a moment of silence to recognize the 1,000,000 lives lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing racial injustice and senseless gun violence throughout the United States. 

Wasserman Dean Christina Christie called the commencement to order and spoke to the assembled graduates and their family and friends. 

“You are the newest alumni of the number one public school of education and information studies located within the number one public university in the country,” said Dean Christie. “We have earned this distinction as a top school because of you. So, I stand before you not only to congratulate you, but also to thank you for all of your hard work, dedication, perseverance, and optimism, for engaging with us in our shared efforts to forge transformational change in our society.

“…The world is a very different place than it was when you first began your degree programs. And yet, I have hope, great hope, because of you who sit before us as our most important generation of educators and informationists. I know you are all poised to take on whatever comes next.”

Antonia Fabian represented the recently formed SEIS Education and Social Transformation undergrad major, addressing the audience. A high school dropout and non-traditional transfer student from Los Angeles Valley College who was supported by a “life-changing instructor,” she exhorted her fellow graduates to become that mentor for others. 

“… Your educational trajectory might not have been like mine, but you have undoubtedly met that one person in your life,” said Fabian. “Now the tables have turned, and now you have the chance to be that one life-changing educator for someone else.” 

Fabian encouraged students of color to also know that, “… you are more than capable of getting to anywhere you want to go. You deserve to be in every single space that you walk in, and if you don’t see yourself in those spaces, know that you are breaking barriers so that years down the road, others can come to that space. You are intelligent, you are loved, you are cared for, and you are your ancestors’ wildest dreams come true.”

Jose Gallegos, who represented the UCLA Department of Information Studies, graduated with his MLIS in Media Archival Studies. In an outwardly humourous and self-deprecating speech, he saluted the resilience, resourcefulness, and activism of his classmates.

“These last two years were collectively challenging and marked by varying levels of uncertainty,” he said. “As students in this program, we faced adjustments to new technology, new cities, new friends, student fatigue and multiple existential crises, impending deadlines, relaxed deadlines, mandates, the loosening of mandates, the reintroduction of strict mandates, confusing emails, follow-up emails to confusing emails, animals blocking our webcams, and the dreaded “mute” button that we would forget to press during class. Fortunately, these challenges afforded us the opportunity to learn and how to adapt to the chaos and absurdity of the world. 

“Now is usually the portion of the speech where I would effervescently exclaim the world is our oyster and that we have so much potential to make the world a better place,” Gallegos said. “The truth is that action – not the potential for action – is a powerful weapon. I do not come here to generalize the potential of my fellow graduating students, but having met and befriended many of them, I know that these graduates not only know how to act, but they know how to speak. I have witnessed my friends and colleagues speak up and act for social justice within the microcosm of UCLA and in the world at large, and I am proud to be walking with them on this stage today.”

MaríaElena Díez Esquer, a first-generation American-born daughter of Cuban immigrants, graduated with her Ed.D. from the UCLA Educational Leadership Program (ELP). She spoke to the audience – including her 90-year-old mother, who was the very first doctorate holder in her family, about the challenges of educational leadership and the dedication of her colleagues and herself to service.

“… We all know that transformation is really needed: sustainable transformation that calls for justice, inclusion, and agency and access to information, that drives equity and acceptance of identity and culture,” said Esquer in her address. “Acceptance, and not tolerance. We must commit to the actions needed that create change fearlessly. We must believe that we can break down the barriers we see every day, all of us. 

“We tell educators to convey to students that anything is possible, but we need to ensure that those who serve believe it’s also possible for them,” noted Esquer. “The work ahead and that has already been done, is challenging – there’s no way to sugarcoat that, which means then that we must embrace this supposed ‘impossible,’ and dare it to face our combined powers and the actions that we take and see the possibilities for those we serve. Every day, we have a chance to be better than yesterday. And every day, we have opportunities to make a difference and to serve, something that’s important to a Bruin. And every one of you, it’s important to remember that we get the chance to serve.” 

The presentation of candidates and the hooding ceremony were given by Professors Michelle Caswell, chair of the UCLA Department of Information Studies, and Megan Franke, interim chair of the UCLA Department of Education. Dean Christie presided over the conferring of degrees, and the UCLA Alma Mater, “Hail to the Hills of Westwood” was performed accapella by Anna Sophia Heidt Alowayed, MLIS graduate, and Nicholas Francis Havey, Ph.D., Education.

Ceremonies for the Classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 took place at UCLA on June 11.

SEIS Celebrates First In-Person Commencements Since 2019

While Jose Gallegos wasn’t exactly working in the proverbial mailroom when he got his big break at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, his story comes close to a cinematic rise to success. The newly minted double Bruin (’13, M.A., Cinema and Media Studies) represented the UCLA Department of Information Studies at the SEIS Commencement ceremony for the Class of 2022 with his musings on the road ahead.

What were the highlights of your speech at Commencement?

It was kind of self-deprecating in the sense that, having been through a lot of commencement speeches, you kind of get the rhyme and rhythm of what people usually do. I like to poke humor at people that quote Dr. Martin Luther King or Dr. Seuss or Mother Teresa or Gandhi. But then I try and go back to my own self-deprecation of: “Right now, what you're listening to is this monotonous voice that's going to be speaking for six minutes.”

I try to keep it kind of on the light side, while also touching on a lot of the stuff that we've gone through, just because it has been a challenging two years,  and definitely, I don't want to be pandering in my speech to just kind of say, “Everything’s gonna be okay, the world is our future,” but  touch on the fact that we've gone through a lot collectively and we've learned how to adapt so that once we're out on the professional fields, we know how to react to different situations that might arise in the different jobs and professions that we might inevitably get down the line.

How did you land a job at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences?

During my entire time in the IS program, I was working for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and I plan to keep on working for them. I had started there in 2014 as a theatre usher, and had been working there consistently in that same position until 2019, when my [now-current] boss had noticed that I had been going to all of the International Feature Film screenings. So, she started asking me if I could help her out with some tasks. 

Inevitably, she asked if she could borrow me from my department. She pulled me away from being a theater usher and got me a temporary fulltime job in Member Relations and Awards. From there, I just kind of hit the ground running. I started doing a bunch of reports, started compiling data, and started reformatting a lot of the structures and practices that they had. They were extremely impressed with not only my knowledge of film, but my knowledge of how to generate a self-generating report. The one thing that I always take away is you can impress people with your knowledge of Microsoft Excel and the moment that you do that, people think that you're a wizard and want you to do everything. That helped me to become a permanent employee there and I’ve been there since 2019. 

My current title is specialist. One day I’ll promote up because I really love what I do in this job, and I want to keep on affecting change in the position that I have right now, and in any positions that I might have in the future. 

The Membership branches that I work on are the Directors branch and the Writers branch. The Oscar categories that I help administer are Best Director, the two Writing categories, the Animated Feature Film category, and International Feature Film category. I make sure that everybody's submitting what they need to submit and that we have the information we need to have these categories keep on happening every year.

Accuracy is extremely important because, as you know, we live in a society where it's oftentimes a court of public opinion, where people will take things at face value if they see it in an Instagram or Facebook post.

As a disclaimer, I do not speak on behalf of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but one of the biggest things that happened was #OscarsSoWhite. Around that time, #OscarsSoWhite had caused this catalyst for the organization to relook at all the data that we had in terms of demographic data, in terms of any data we had regarding awards and membership, so that we could see where the Academy was lacking, where it was excelling, and how they could move forward.

Initially, I had one of many nervous breakdowns because I was working three jobs, and I wasn't feeling fulfilled in any of them. I had asked some friends what they thought I should do - should I just quit everything and just start over? A lot of them were talking about how I love to collect movie posters and that maybe I should go into something related to archives.

I started researching about film archives and programs because I had previously gone to UCLA for my master’s in Cinema and Media Studies. There was previously a separate program in Moving Image Archival Studies, but that had been assumed into the MLIS program. I was really intrigued and kind of had an a-ha moment, that this was the path that I wanted to take: not continue on with three jobs and just getting a paycheck, but [work in] something that I would actually be passionate about. 

What have been the benefits of the Media Archival Studies program?

What I've been taking from the [UCLA IS] program is a lot of information about data retention and archival practices and implementing that in our department, trying to find ways to revive it so that things are more accessible and that we're able to use data that's sound. A lot of what jobs in the field were asking for was knowledge of databases and metadata. The fortunate thing about the MLIS program is that it has a more holistic view. You weren't just on one track to do media archiving, but you could dabble in a whole host of areas and subjects that would make you more marketable, which is extremely helpful, especially in this economy to have kind of a one up …  about basic things that employers are going to want from you down the line.

Would you like to shout out to any faculty or classmates?

I’d like to give a shout out to [Professors] Michelle Caswell, Shawn VanCour, and Miriam Posner. In terms of some of the students that I’ve met, there’s a group of us that we call the “Meat Man” and that’s composed of Shawne West, Elizabeth Wood, Christine Chan and Sam Regal. I definitely want to thank them for their support.

What words of wisdom do you offer your classmates as they embark on their postgraduate journey?

The message that I would give my classmates is that you don't have to take on the world all at once. Sometimes it can just be piecemeal. Sometimes, you can fight one fight and just put another one on the back burner. You don’t always have to win – sometimes it’s good to fail, because you can learn from your failures and that also helps you to relish your successes. 

I don't know where the road leads for all of us, but it's always going to be an interesting journey regardless. I wouldn't say necessarily to enjoy the ride, because there are definitely going to be some bumps along the way, but at least learn about who you are in order to figure out where you want to go.

Media Archival Studies grad and specialist at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and addressed the Class of 2022 at the SEIS commencement.

Jose Gallegos: Open Ending

Among the many festive touches at the commencement ceremony in Wilson Plaza for the SEIS Class of 2022 was a tiny folder placed on the chairs of the 400-some graduates. Inside each packet were affirmation cards, to boost the spirits of the recipients further at this long-awaited celebration. The simplicity of the messages – “Be happy with being you” or “You are important and valued,” speaks to the compassion and joy of the giver of the cards, MaríaElena Díez Esquer.

“Elena has a depth and warmth about her that’s awesome,” said Judy Miyoshi, program manager of the Educational Leadership Program, from which Esquer graduated last week with her Doctorate of Education in Leadership. “She is a class act.”

Esquer, who serves as assistant superintendent of the Palmdale School District, delivered the address from the UCLA Department of Education at the commencement ceremony, one of three in-person events for the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies on June 11, the first ceremonies to take place for the school since the pandemic began. 

Esquer earned her associate of arts degree from Antelope Valley College, her bachelor’s degrees in sociology and in psychology from CSU Northridge, and her teaching credential and master’s degree in educational leadership from CSU Bakersfield.  She has served Palmdale School District for 25 years, including her time as an elementary school teacher in 1st, 2nd, and 5th grades, as well as kindergarten. Esquer serves on the board of the California Association for Bilingual Education.

The first-generation daughter of immigrants, Esquer speaks here of the role model her mother has been as the first holder of a doctorate in her family; her own work in a poverty-challenged but rewarding school district; and the perseverance and dedication that marked her ELP experience, learning shoulder-to-shoulder (if virtually) with fellow educational professionals, and the UCLA Ed faculty that guided their journeys.

What is your role as the assistant superintendent of educational services for the Palmdale School District?

We’ve been an elementary school district, but this year we added a dependent charter high school, so we’re a TK-9 district. We also have five middle schools, seven K-8s and 16 elementary [schools], so we’re a very large district.

As a school district, our business is educating students, our business is instruction and learning. So, that's really what this division entails. We handle all of the instructional educational technology, not the hardware or software piece of it, but the pieces that we help teachers integrate into the curriculum. We work with all of our teachers, our site leaders, and all of our parents to impact student learning. We also support all of our new teachers, our community events and all of our extended learning. We handle all the assessment for learning in our district, and look at all of the access and equity, and how we work with families, and how our students are treated. 

It’s a big division, but it's really the heart of what we do every day. Palmdale is highly impacted by poverty. There are a lot of mental health needs. The students and families that we serve are wonderful, and we want to be able to provide them with all the opportunities that we can while they’re here with us. It’s really a pleasure to serve.

What attracted you to UCLA for your Ed.D.?

I am a huge Bruin supporter, in that sense, and so I'm really excited to actually say I’m a real Bruin now. My youngest son is a Bruin, he graduated from UCLA back in 2016.He's always teasing me, [saying], “You can be a real Bruin with me now.”

I love the cohort structure that UCLA provided. Plus, it was always UCLA - I honestly didn't look anywhere else, so if I hadn't gotten in, I probably wouldn't be graduating from any place. I decided it was UCLA or nothing.

I’ve served as a leader for 15 years. I was an assistant principal for three years, I was a principal for seven, and I’ve served in this role for seven years. It’s just the whole [nature] of leadership – you’re never done learning, you’re never done trying to grow, you’re never done trying to improve. 

I just love the program and its social justice focus. I loved how it integrated people from different roles. For example, I’m not familiar with higher ed because I'm a K-12 person. I wanted to learn about the systemic educational structures that other [leadership] roles are involved in, and UCLA offered that. And then, the equity piece of really learning how to change systems, how to create an effect, long range or sustainable – the strides towards that. I know that it goes beyond just what a university provides, and beyond what a system of education provides. I wanted to be able to learn about that. 

What are some of the highlights of your ELP experience?

I love my cohort. They are amazing change agents. These folks are so passionate and so smart and just so committed to changing the world. It’s been great to be together with them. We have been on Zoom, like everybody else, for the last couple of years, but we had a good first eight months together, so it really helped us to bond. 

Really, from the very first retreat weekend, we were a very tight knit group - we became family. We look out for each other and support each other as best we can in every way, in personal life issues and school issues. I’m just really proud of all of them, they're just the best group of people I’ve ever known. They’re so smart and I can’t imagine that they won’t reach the things that they want to reach. They will change the things they want to change because they have this big-hearted passion. 

The structure of the program and the learning we were able to do, came from the professors. We've had really great professors who have balanced research with the practitioner role. It’s helped us to learn from the research and to seek more research. I think that's important, if you’re always learning and you're trying to make things better, whether you're in higher ed or in K-12, or you’re a researcher. It’s been a really great balance of both [worlds].

Dr. (Lynn) Kim-John, one of the directors of the program, she’s been a big support for all of us. She believes in us. All of the professors, you can reach out to any of them and they've all been very, very supportive, I really appreciate all they do for us. 

My two chairs for my dissertation are Dr. (Christina) Christie and Dr. (Kristen) Rohanna, and they’ve been fabulous, helpful, and so patient with me. All of the professors have been a good reminder to us of why we’re doing this, why we embarked on this. They remind us of how important all of these things are. 

ELP graduate MaríaElena Díez Esquer surprised her 91-year-old mother, Elena María Diez (both at center), as one of the student speakers at the SEIS Commencement on June 11. 

What inspired you to enter a career path in education?

I’m the daughter of Cuban immigrants, and I was the only one born here; my siblings were born in Cuba. My parents came here in 1963, and they went through a lot in leaving their country and coming to this country, learning English. My mom who is 91, is actually the first doctor in our family. She got her doctorate in psychology and in child psychology in Cuba, at a time when women really did not go for a higher degree. 

When she got here, she couldn't use it because it wasn't valid here. Her goal was always to get a doctorate here, but as an immigrant, the cost, the time, and the language barriers for her were too great. So, she went back to school at Mount St. Mary’s and got a master’s degree in early childhood education, and she worked for Head Start until she retired. My dad was an accountant, he was an auditor for Crocker Bank, which is now Wells Fargo.

We were all pretty proud of her when she got her master's. I was eight or nine years old when we were on the campus of Mount St. Mary’s. I didn't understand what it really meant at the time, but as I grew older, I figured out with what a sacrifice it was for [my parents], with all the night long nights, with the language, and struggling and all of that she had to go through. 

My parents really left everything behind, like most immigrants do. That’s not unique to them in any way. But it couldn’t take away what they had [inside]. In my house, education was priority, because no one can take that from you. I grew up with that in the foreground, and it really stuck with me as a child. It’s driven my career; it’s driven my service. It’s driven how I raised my children and everything that I’ve done.

I’m probably the oldest or one of the oldest graduates, I would imagine. I’ve been on this educational journey for almost 40 years. After I got my master’s, I waited a while. I have four children, so my husband and I put them all through school and I waited a while to go back in and get the doctorate. When I finished my AA, I thought, “Okay, one down, three more to go.” For my mom, it should be kind of a full circle moment for her. I wish my dad was here to see, but I know he's watching from above. It’s been a long time coming, so it just means a lot to me.

One of the things I promised my mom when I was really young was… her degree was [hanging] on a wall, and she couldn’t really use it. I would ask her why it was hanging on the wall, and she said, “Well, it’s my reminder that I worked hard, that I’ve learned, and that I’m always a learner.” And I said, “Well, I promise you one day, I’m going to put mine next to yours, it will be like you having gotten [your degree] here.”  

Photo courtesy of MaríaElena Díez Esquer

Assistant superintendent of educational services at Palmdale School District addressed the Class of ’22 at the first SEIS commencement ceremony since 2019. 

MaríaElena Díez Esquer: ELP Grad Celebrates Mid-Career Doctorate, Familial Commitment to Education

The new school year will bring changes in key leadership posts.

Cecilia Rios- Aguilar, Professor of Education and Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies has been appointed Chair of the Department of Education.  

Todd Franke, Professor of Social Welfare at the Luskin School of Public Affairs, will become the Interim Chair of the Department of Information Studies.

Franke takes on his new responsibilities effective July 1. Rios-Aguilar will assume her new post beginning September 1. 

“I greatly appreciate Todd and Cecilia agreeing to take on these important roles.” said Christina Christie, Wasserman Dean of the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies.  “I am certain they both will be inclusive, collaborative and effective leaders and I look forward to partnering with them as they take the helm of their respective departments.”

Professor Franke has 29 years of experience conducting cross-sectional and longitudinal research in a variety of interconnected fields focused on youth and families including child welfare, education, juvenile justice, mental health and adolescent violence. His expertise includes psychometrics and data analysis (multivariate, predictive analytics, machine learning), data visualization, and linking large existing datasets together for the social good.   Franke has worked on multiple levels examining the child welfare system and the related systems involved in the lives of children and families, including health, mental health, juvenile justice, education, housing), workers and worker training. His research has received over $120 million dollars in funding. He recently completed a study examining the link between children in out-of-home care and early childhood education through a project funded by the Administration for Children and Families. 

Professor Franke also works with the UCLA Prevention Center of Excellence around trauma informed practice/training, and oversees the training provided to all new and current staff at the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services as well as the cross-training beginning to occur between county agencies and for service providers and families. He is currently engaged in several projects focused on community policing and mentoring for foster youth.  He is a founding member of the Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families and serves as the Chair of the North General Institutional Review Board (NGIRB). 

As a professor of education, Rios-Aguilar's  work focuses on improving the educational and occupational trajectories of underrepresented and marginalized groups of students. She has done extensive research on issues confronting community colleges and the students they serve.  Rios- Aguilar also currently the Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies.

Professor Rios-Aguilar also serves as a faculty co-director of Policy Analysis of California Education (PACE), and is a board member of the Spencer Foundation. She is also a research affiliate of Wheelhouse: The Center for the Community College Leadership and Research at UC Davis. Previously, Rios-Aguilar served as the director of the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. She was recently appointed to California’s newly created Associate Degree for Transfer Intersegmental Implementation Committee by California Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon.

Franke assumes the chair of Information Studies from Professor Michelle Caswell, who had led the department over the past year.  Rios-Aguilar takes over the post of Education Department chair from Professor Megan Franke who has served as chair since 2020. A new Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion will be appointed to replace Rios-Aguilar in that role later this summer. 

“I am incredibly grateful to our outgoing department chairs,” Christie said. “They have led their departments during what can only be described as the most extraordinary of times, yet both programs have emerged stronger and more robust than when they began. Michelle and Megan have always brought remarkable creative thinking, flexibility, and dedication to the School of Education and Information Studies, and we have been fortunate to have had them in these leadership roles.”

Cecilia Rios-Aguilar, Todd Franke Take on New Roles As Department Chairs at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies

The Design Based Learning Project at UCLA Center X is based on a methodology developed by UCLA Education alumna and former UCLA Lab School teacher Doreen Gehry Nelson.  Her new book, Cultivating Curiosity: teaching and learning reimagined, describes in detail the reasoning behind the use of this method of engaging young learners. On June 4, members of the UCLA Ed & IS and larger educational community joined together to celebrate the launch of Nelson’s new book at an event co-hosted by legendary architect Frank Gehry, his wife Berta Gehry, and UCLA Wasserman Dean Christina (Tina) Christie.  This book launch event featured Nelson in conversation with Dean Christie and Annamarie Francois, Ph.D., executive director of UCLA Center X. 

In 2019, UCLA Ed & IS adopted Design-Based Learning as one of the official K-12 projects within UCLA Center X – alongside The Science Project, The Mathematics Project, The Writing Project, The History/Geography Project, and other subject matter projects, because of UCLA’s strong belief in Design-Based Learning as an innovative and valuable tool for teachers who want to engage their students, while working to foster creativity and promoting active and collaborative learning. This student-centered teaching methodology engages students in seeking and solving curriculum-based problems as they build a city or other small, contextual models within their classroom. UCLA was eager to bring this project into UCLA Center X because of its huge potential to bring learning to life -- and because the project has both qualitative and quantitative data that proves the impact on student engagement and learning. UCLA’s goal is to share this innovative method of teaching and learning widely with schools and school districts in Southern California and nationally over the coming years.

Frank Gehry is the brother of Doreen Gehry Nelson and has been highly supportive of Nelson and her Design Based Learning methodology as a way to cultivate curiosity. Thanks to a gift from the Frank O. Gehry Foundation in honor of Doreen, UCLA Center X now has an endowed director of the Design Based Learning Project.  

Renowned architect Frank Gehry speaks at a book launch for his sister, Doreen Gehry Nelson, a UCLA alumna, educator, and creator of Design-Based Learning. Photo by ASUCLA

The Design-Based Learning Project at UCLA Center X is aimed at providing teachers with specific, sustainable tools and techniques for developing a student-centered classroom. This methodology has been shown to reinvigorate teachers, giving them the agency to design meaningful classroom experiences that speak to all students, including neuro-diverse learners and those from marginalized backgrounds. 

As a pedagogical methodology, Design-Based Learning activates the spatial domain and sparks students’ self-expression. Students are given opportunities to study problems and design solutions. These activities include building a sequence of physical artifacts that reflect their thinking about subject matter and by fitting them together to bring a real-world context to life, (a city, a civilization, a biosphere, etc.) students learn to work together. Young people gain self-confidence as they present their original ideas, discuss, deliberate, and justify the value of their artifacts. They learn life skills including the value of caring for self and others, respectful communication, the ability to collaborate, and that mistakes are an integral part of the learning process.

Structured around Essential Questions described in the standard K–12 curricula content, the Design-Based Learning Project encompasses all subject areas. Design-Based Learning is an interdisciplinary methodology that ignites creativity and motivates civic engagement to teach critical thinking and problem solving. Promoting high-level thinking skills, civics, and social and emotional learning, Design-Based Learning respects education as an art and teachers as educators vital to the future of democracy, capable of shaping interactive lessons that students find relevant as they learn to view themselves as creative leaders, active citizens, and future innovators. 

The Design-Based Learning Project serves to restructure and systemize existing curricular requirements so that instruction cultivates self-expression and addresses social and emotional learning. It is not subject matter, isolated projects, or an add-on. It does not replace what teachers already do. UCLA’s Design-Based Learning Project prepares teachers to fully utilize their innate creativity as they learn to apply the methodology, developing a semester-and/or year-long comprehensive, standards-aligned Long-Range Plan outlining an integrated course-of-study—with benchmarks and measurement tools for assessing students' achievement. 

Nelson is a professor emerita of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, School of Education and Integrative Studies and an adjunct professor in the Cal Poly College of Environmental Design. She has served as lecturer, teacher, consultant, and scholar-in-residence for institutions as diverse as MIT, Harvard, Apple, Stanford University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, London’s Royal College of Art, Japan’s Sendai Science Museum, the American Bar Association, Walt Disney Imagineering, and the Smithsonian Institution. Nelson was named one of 30 top American innovators in education by the New York Times in 1991.

The Design-Based Learning method described in this new book engages young people in creating high-level, interdisciplinary learning projects. 

Cultivating Curiosity: New Book by UCLA Education Alumna Doreen Gehry Nelson Celebrated at Book Launch Event on June 4

Every fall, Amy Gershon (’99, Ed.D., Educational Leadership Program) is one of the first UCLA staff members to welcome new students to their programs at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies. And every spring, she is one of the first to prepare them to take their places at commencement as they set forth on their journeys as teachers, librarians, administrators, and other career paths in education and information fields.

Gershon, who first began her UCLA career in 1995 as a judicial affairs coordinator in Residential Life, is currently the director of student services at SEIS. In this position, she has overseen the numerous administrative intricacies of graduate school for SEIS students – and now, for students in the new undergrad major in Education and Social Transformation.

A native of Kansas City, Gershon achieved her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Emory University in Atlanta, and her master’s degree in counselor education from the University of Virginia. Here, she shares the story of her educational and career path toward the job at UCLA that she has loved for the last 18 years; her pride in being a member of ELP’s Cohort Four; and the joy she feels each year as she organizes the School’s commencement ceremonies – made three times more special this year, as this week’s SEIS celebrations will also honor the Classes of 2020 and 2021. 

I first came to UCLA in 1995, as the judicial affairs coordinator over in the Office of Residential Life. I was there for seven years and during that time, I got my doctorate in the Educational Leadership Program.

After seven years, I kind of felt like I had plateaued a little bit in my position, so I ended up moving to the University of Miami and got a job as the associate director of residential life there. But, after getting there I pretty quickly realized that L.A. was home. I had a very wonderful and supportive boss there who [said], “Hey, it’s okay, these things happen,” and was really gracious, so I moved back after a year. I didn't have a job but what happened was, I interviewed for this position that I have now. 

I didn't get it. Instead, they hired instead a woman who had worked in [UCLA] Summer Sessions, and it became this trickle effect where she came over to Ed & IS, her position opened up, and someone from the Dean of Students Office left and took [her] position in Summer Sessions. So, there was a position open in the Dean of Students Office, and because I had done work through my previous position as a judicial affairs coordinator, I went there on a contract basis. 

I was working there as the assistant dean of students, and I really wasn't sure that I wanted to stay working at the University. I thought that maybe I wanted to go into human resources or something else. But in March of 2004, then-Dean Aimée Dorr called me and said, “Hey, Amy, the person we hired is actually going to be leaving, and we really liked you - would you reconsider the position?”

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