It took encouragement from multiple people over many years before Dr. Rene Rickard ever thought she belonged in leadership.

Today she is the chief innovation officer at Ventura USD and leads the largest statewide association for school administrators in the country as president of ACSA. But back when she was a teacher in Los Angeles USD, Rickard didn’t see leadership in her future.

“I think one of the biggest barriers for aspiring leaders is the belief that they have to feel completely ready before they take the next step. I certainly didn’t,” she said. “There were people throughout my career who saw something in me before I saw it in myself. Their encouragement didn’t just open doors; it helped me begin to imagine possibilities for myself that I hadn’t necessarily considered.”

ACSA members are asked to open doors for the next generation of leaders by inviting them to You Belong in Leadership, a one-day event exclusively for teachers and other school staff considering making the leap into school leadership.

The event will be from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 4 and is a preconference to ACSA’s Leadership Summit, which will be held at the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center in Chula Vista.

In 2001, Rickard was given her first opportunity to lead when Dr. Tom McCoy tapped her to be assistant principal at Hueneme High School in the Oxnard Union HSD.

But even then, she had doubts.

“I was an immigrant woman entering leadership at a time when there were not many people who looked or sounded like me in those roles,” said Rickard, who was born in Pakistan and grew up in Bahrain and England. “I had to learn that I didn’t need to become someone else in order to lead.”

California needs more diverse leaders at the helm of its schools and districts. Rickard said our students come from extraordinarily diverse backgrounds, cultures, languages and lived experiences and deserve to see that same richness reflected in the people making decisions about their schools and their futures.

According to the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools’ Educator Diversity Project, students of color in California represent approximately 77 percent of the K-12 population whereas administrators of color make up just 47 percent of school leaders, according to 2023-24 data.

Representation matters, Rickard said, but diverse leadership also brings different perspectives — people who can challenge assumptions and ask different questions to better serve students. She hopes those who attend this preconference will see that they belong at the leadership table, too.

“I want them to look around the room and see that there isn’t one way to look, sound or be a leader,” she said. “You don’t have to change who you are to belong in leadership. In fact, who you are may be exactly what leadership needs.”

During You Belong in Leadership, participants will connect with current school and district leaders and explore pathways into school leadership and administration. An in-depth leadership panel will provide real stories from leaders about their routes into administration. Attendees will also be able to attend breakout sessions tailored to their leadership interests. Resumé reviews will help attendees land their first job in administration.

“Our goal is to help participants see how the leadership skills they already have can translate into larger opportunities to serve their schools, districts, and communities,” said Dr. Jacqueline Duncan, chair of the planning committee for the 2026 Leadership Summit. “They’ll leave with practical advice, connections, and hopefully the confidence to take that next step.”

Duncan, principal of Encinita Elementary School in the Rosemead USD, said she wishes she could have attended an event like this when she was thinking about becoming an administrator.

“I think many educators underestimate the leadership they’re already demonstrating because they don’t have the title yet,” she said. “An event like this would have helped me recognize that administration wasn’t about leaving the classroom behind, it was about expanding my ability to support students, teachers, and entire school communities.” Rickard believes that it is the responsibility of current leaders to reach back and recognize potential in others. She encourages ACSA members to take this opportunity to think about someone who has the capacity to lead and bring them to this event.

And don’t just forward them the link, she said, personally invite them — and tell them why.

“That conversation may ultimately be more important than the invitation itself,” Rickard said. “Sometimes leadership begins because someone else says, ‘I see you. I believe in you. And I think you belong here.’”