ACSA is encouraging all school leaders with the courage, character and commitment to solve equity challenges within their schools to attend this year’s Equity Institute, April 3-5 in Los Angeles.

During this conference, attendees will engage with experts in the field to build on their existing work while developing the tools and skills needed to create innovative, inclusive and equitable pathways for students. This year’s theme, “Equity — Our Moral Obligation ... Lead with Courage, Character & Commitment” was chosen by the ACSA Equity Committee to emphasize the ethical imperative of promoting equity in education, said Simone Charles, planning committee chair for the institute.

ACSA has announced Patricia Brent-Sanco as a keynote presenter at this year’s conference. Brent-Sanco is director of Equity, Access & Instructional Services in Lynwood USD, where she is responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of the LUSD Equity and Inclusion Plan, as well as the compliance and budgeting of all federally funded programs. She is currently the State Chairperson for the ACSA Equity Committee and has served as Chairperson for the Leadership Summit Planning Committee in 2022 and 2023.

A strong leader and equity champion for students, Brent-Sanco has led staff to increase student achievement and engagement throughout her career. As a director at Lynwood USD, she has developed Leadership Academies for at-promise students, worked to establish several student and parent affinity groups, and implemented a social justice curriculum. She is the recipient of numerous awards including Administrator of the Year Award from the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators in 2022, the 2023 Dr. Alofa Tanuvasa Community Award from the National Pacific Islander Educator Network, and ACSA Region 14’s 2024 Valuing Diversity Award. In addition, she is CEO of The Lighthouse Educational Consulting Group, co-founder of UNITY Professional Women’s Networking Organization, and sits on the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education Board of Councilors as well as the USC Alumni Board of Governors where she received her Doctorate of Education degree.

ACSA has also confirmed that California State University, Sacramento, President Luke Wood will provide a keynote address on Friday. Prior to his appointment as Sacramento State’s president in May 2023, Wood served as a key leader driving transformational change in the areas of student success, enrollment and campus diversity at San Diego State, as the university’s chief diversity officer and vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity.

In 2023, Wood was appointed by the California State Senate to serve on the newly established California Racial Equity Commission, which works to promote racial equity and address structural racism across the state.

This year, Sacramento State announced the formation of the nation’s first-ever Black Honors College, a co-curricular college that will provide specialized coursework, distinctive research opportunities and creative arts, residential living and learning programs, scholarships and distinguished recognition.

The institute will also include an inspirational panel featuring Tonikiaa Orange, director for the Principal Leadership Institute at UCLA Center X, and Angela Clarke Louque, author, professor and school equity consultant.

These and other distinguished speakers will energize attendees, while numerous breakout sessions and table talks will equip them with strategies for creating change in their schools. Attendees will also enjoy networking opportunities and receptions to help them build their equity community and support system.

This conference is specifically designed for site and district teams, giving principals, teachers, parent leaders, counselors and central office administrators a unique opportunity to learn and work together. The conference carves out time for school site and district teams to confer on what they’ve learned and create action plans to improve outcomes for their students.

Here’s just some of what attendees said about last year’s Equity Institute.