ACSA’s 2026 Central Office Administrator of the Year Kyley Ybarra leads with one specific belief in mind — students thrive when the adults around them feel supported, valued and connected to a shared purpose. As assistant superintendent of personnel at Riverside Unified School District, Ybarra has built that belief into systems that strengthen recruitment, deepen labor partnerships and create pathways for employees at every stage of their careers.

Ybarra has led efforts to recruit and retain a diverse, highly skilled workforce that reflects the district’s students. Her work strengthened university partnerships to build educator pipelines. She has also updated recruitment platforms to reach broader professional networks and refined interview protocols to support fair and unbiased hiring practices.

Her “Relationships at the Core” approach helped transform labor relations through interest-based bargaining. As the district’s chief negotiator during COVID-19, Ybarra worked with labor partners to support the safe reopening of schools and keep student needs at the center of decision-making.

Ybarra’s leadership extends to professional growth and inclusive workplace settings. She has led the creation of a two-year Campus Supervisor Training Plan; supported principal secretaries with tools to grow in their roles; and established welcoming and mentorship structures for new employees and managers.

Ybarra has been an ACSA member since 2003. She was president of ACSA Region 19 from 2021-22 and currently represents the region on the Human Resources Council. In her career, Ybarra has served students and school communities as a teacher; counselor; assistant principal; elementary and middle school principal; and director of certificated personnel.

“(Ybarra) is an exemplary leader whose impact is felt daily, from the personal welcome given to a new teacher to the collaborative strength of our labor partnerships,” said Michelle Cortes, director of certificated personnel at Riverside Unified School District.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? Early in my career, a mentor told me: “Don’t manage the contract; lead the person.” In personnel, it is easy to hide behind Education Code or bargaining agreements: however, those documents are just the guardrails. The real work happens in the space between the rules, where you build trust and solve problems with people collaboratively. If you get the people part right, the compliance components usually follow.

What are some life hacks that you would recommend for a new administrator?

• If you are in the central office, visit school sites and departments as often as possible. Five minutes on a campus or in a department provides more “pulse” data than any report ever could.
• Get to know your team, let them know you, model your values and show them you care.
• If you do not schedule your priorities, someone else will schedule theirs for you.
• In labor relations, share information early and often.

What would people be surprised to learn about you? I am truly an introvert.

Music feeds my soul, I am a ’70s junkie.

People might be surprised to know that my decision-making is still heavily influenced by my years as a principal. Every policy I implement or contract I negotiate is filtered through the lens of: “How will this help our district lead school sites tomorrow morning to best support our students?”

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome in your current position? Two specific ones come to mind.

1. Navigating the post-pandemic staffing crisis in a large district. We had to move from a traditional recruitment model to an aggressive, relationship-based “grow-your-own” strategy. By creating new pipelines for our staff, we did not just fill vacancies — we diversified our workforce and proved to our employees that we are invested in their long-term growth.

2. Separating very public issues from me taking responsibility for them. I have high responsibility as a character strength and carry the actions of all our employees on my shoulders. I had to learn I cannot be the moral compass for a district of 5,000 employees, but I can and will put systems in place and hold all 5,000 accountable for their actions.

How has ACSA supported you in your career? ACSA has been my professional North Star. Beyond the high-quality professional development, it is a network of peers who have become my “brain trust.” In the lonely moments of central office leadership, having a community of colleagues to call for a second opinion or a reality check has been invaluable. ACSA has provided opportunities to strengthen my craft and collaborate with amazing people.

The theme for this year’s Leadership Summit is “You Belong Here: Leadership for Every Student.” What does belonging look like? For staff: It looks like our New Employee Welcome, where we formally proclaim to every new hire, “We chose you, and you are part of the family.”

For students: It looks like “mirrors and windows.” They see themselves reflected in the staff we hire (mirrors) and are given a view into a world of endless possibilities through the opportunities we provide (windows).

For our union partners: It looks like being actively engaged in decisions, not just informed of them.