NYC Leadership Academy President & CEO Dr. Nancy Gutiérrez will deliver the keynote address for the 75th anniversary celebration of the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education Center for School Study Councils on Tuesday, April 30. The event will bring together more than 150 school district superintendents from across Pennsylvania.

Speaking on “An Urgent & Intentional Commitment to Equity-Focused Leadership,” Dr. Gutiérrez will delve into the historical and existing biases and inequities found in schools in Pennsylvania and across the U.S. “Structural and institutional inequities are deeply ingrained in our society and our schools, and as leaders there are critical steps we can take to directly and unapologetically dismantle inequities and create schools that offer rigorous, engaging, and culturally affirming instruction for every child,” Dr. Gutiérrez said. In her speech, she will offer leaders some concrete actions they can take to address inequities in their schools.

Dr. Gutiérrez will also moderate a panel discussion about equity-focused leadership with Dr. Morton Sherman, AASA’s Associate Executive Director of Leadership Services; Dr. Emilie M. Lonardi, Superintendent of the Downington Area School District, and Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, Superintendent of the Reading School District.

The day will kick-off with a workshop on “The Changing Faces of Education Leadership: from Antiquated to Classical to Contemporary” led by Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Founder and President of Curriculum Designers and an internationally recognized expert in curriculum development, vertical planning, modern assessment design, and 21st century strategic planning.

The event, “The Study Councils at 75: Thinking and Rethinking Education Leadership,” honors the center’s 75 years of continuous professional learning partnerships with public school superintendents. The convening focuses on the future of systems-level leadership training and professional development. The School Study Council has 75 district members across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

The celebration will be held on Tuesday, April 30, at Penn Graduate School of Education, Preleman Quadrangle-Houston Hall, 3417 Spruce Street, Philadelphia.

About Dr. Nancy B. Gutiérrez
Dr. Nancy B. Gutiérrez is President & CEO of the NYC Leadership Academy. She began her career as a teacher and principal in her home community of East San Jose, CA, where she was the founding principal of Renaissance Academy, the highest performing middle school in the district and a California Distinguished School. Dr. Gutiérrez also led the successful effort to turn around the district’s lowest performing middle school. She was named the UC Davis Rising Star and Association of California School Administrator’s Region 8 Middle School Principal of the Year in 2010. Dr. Gutiérrez is a graduate of the inaugural cohort of the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) program and is a graduate of the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) Aspiring Superintendents Academy. She served on the national board of the Coalition of Essential Schools and is a frequent instructor for the Harvard Principals’ Center institutes for School Turnaround Leaders, Urban School Leaders, and Race, Equity, Access, and Leadership. Dr. Gutiérrez also serves on the Latinos for Education teaching team and is a member of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC). Find Nancy on Twitter @nancybgutierrez or LinkedIn.

About NYC Leadership Academy
NYC Leadership Academy is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that builds the capacity of educational leaders, at every level of the system, to confront inequities and create the conditions necessary for all students to thrive. Since 2003, NYCLA has worked with educators in more than 185 school districts, state education departments, and education organizations across 35 states, Washington, D.C., and internationally.

Contact: Jill Grossman: 347-558-6464

jgrossman@leadershipacademy.org

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