CALSA's Summer Institute 2026

AI is arriving in our schools whether we are ready or not. For superintendents leading predominantly Latino communities, the urgency is not just operational. It is personal. Our students deserve the same access to the tools shaping the future as any student anywhere in this country, and it is our responsibility as leaders to make sure they get it.


This session presents a district-wide AI Leadership Blueprint developed and implemented inside West Covina Unified School District, a San Gabriel Valley community of 7,800 students, where 73% of students are Latino, and 83% are on Free and Reduced Lunch. Every element of this Blueprint was built from the ground up, through deliberate, strategic, and personally led work that reached every corner of the district, from the boardroom to the classroom, from the front office to the family workshop.


Participants will explore the full arc of implementation: establishing board governance that gives AI work a legal and ethical foundation, aligning cabinet and site leadership around a shared vision, designing teacher professional learning that is self-directed and job-embedded, engaging classified and support staff as full partners in the work, reaching multilingual families with information that builds confidence rather than fear, and developing student AI literacy as a matter of access and equity.


This is not a vendor presentation. There are no products being sold and no perfect district being showcased. This is an honest, practical account of what it takes to lead this work with intention, from a superintendent who believes that when educators have the right tools and conditions to thrive, every student gains access to opportunities that can change the trajectory of their life.


Attendees will leave with a replicable blueprint and a clear path forward.

In this session we will share real-world leadership lessons from a first-year principal and her superintendent mentor. Each lesson highlights a critical leadership move, the mentor action that made it possible, and a practical artifact participants can take back to their sites. While grounded in the experience of a new principal, these lessons are applicable to leaders at any stage who are stepping into new roles or navigating new challenges.
The session also highlights how intentional mentorship accelerates leadership readiness through real-time coaching, accountability, and strategic guidance during critical decision-making moments. Participants will explore how a structured mentor–mentee partnership supports leaders in navigating complexity with confidence while also serving as a scalable model for building leadership capacity across a school or district. By strengthening systems of support, this approach reduces the isolation often experienced by leaders in transition and creates pathways for developing future leaders through intentional, relational practices.

This session highlights how the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) developed and implemented a countywide strategy to support school districts serving students and families impacted by changes in immigration policy. Central to this effort was the creation of a cross-division Immigration Taskforce, which brought together leaders from student services, mental health, legal counsel, and community partnerships to design a coordinated, rapid-response system of support. The taskforce aligned messaging, resources, and training priorities to ensure consistency across all 80 school districts in Los Angeles County.
Through this structure, LACOE launched a comprehensive training initiative delivered virtually and in community-based settings to educators, families, and community partners. Using tools such as Supporting School Staff: A Multi-Tiered Guide to Immigration-Related Stress and Legal Protections for Immigrant Students , the county provided guidance on staff wellbeing, student rights, trauma-informed practices, and school responsibilities under current laws. These trainings were intentionally designed to be accessible, culturally responsive, and grounded in real-time policy updates.
The strategy also centered student engagement and empowerment. Schools implemented student-facing lessons, peer-led discussions, and informational campaigns to ensure students understood their right to a public education regardless of immigration status and felt equipped to advocate for themselves and their families.
By leveraging cross-sector collaboration, community partnerships, and a multi-tiered system of supports, LACOE created a scalable, equity-centered model that strengthens school systems, builds trust with families, and ensures safe, inclusive learning environments during times of uncertainty.

Vallejo City Unified School District (VCUSD) faced a compounding crisis marked by deep budget reductions, staff layoffs, school closures, and stagnant student achievement data. During this period of heightened anxiety for staff, students, and families, district leadership made a deliberate and consequential choice: to lead with radical transparency rather than minimize or obscure the challenges.


In this session, the Superintendent and Director of Communications will share how VCUSD stabilized and reshaped its organizational culture during systemic disruption by pairing honest communication with a clear, student-centered decision-making framework. Central to this approach was the introduction of “Think VCUSD First”—not as a slogan, but as a system-wide lens guiding leadership, management, and daily practice.


Presenters will highlight how, through aligned leadership and intentional messaging, accountability was reframed from a top-down mandate into a shared responsibility rooted in student outcomes. This shift enabled the district to move from a culture of fear and scarcity toward one of collective commitment and purpose.


Attendees will leave with practical strategies for leading through fiscal crisis, aligning middle management, and maintaining community trust—while keeping students at the center of every decision.