As I write my first message as Executive Director of the °®ÒºAƬ, I find myself experiencing those same feelings. After five years with the Foundation, I am honored to step into this role and to build upon the work of those who have come before me. While there is certainly a learning curve that comes with any new responsibility, I am approaching this chapter with curiosity, gratitude, and hope.

In our last newsletter, Jerry Harris wrote about the power of chapters and the stories we create together. I am grateful that, while Jerry has retired from his role as Executive Director, he remains an important mentor to me. His leadership helped shape this remarkable community, and I carry forward many of the lessons he shared about service, relationships, and the importance of joyful learning.

The beautiful thing about new beginnings is that they invite both continuity and change. As we begin this school year together, I look forward to learning alongside you, celebrating your successes, and serving this community with a collaborative, reflective, and hopeful spirit. The next chapter of our story is already beginning, and I am excited to see where it leads

Wishing you a year filled with growth, connection, and possibility. – Julie Graham

Pictured at the 2026 Skirball Graduation Ceremony:

Executive Director, Julie Graham (current)

Former Executive Director, Judy Johnson (2001-2013)

Former Executive Director, Jerry Harris (2013-2026)

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We are delighted to welcome Stephanie Guppy as our new Associate Director. With more than two decades of experience in education and a longstanding connection to the °®ÒºAƬ Foundation, Stephanie brings valuable leadership, insight, and dedication to our work. She has served as a teacher, principal, district leader, and °®ÒºAƬ Mentor in the Fullerton School District. Most recently, as principal of Laguna Road Elementary, Stephanie has coached school leaders, led professional learning initiatives, and championed innovative programs that strengthen teaching and learning.

We are excited to welcome Gia Meade to the team as our newest Senior Program Officer. She brings more than 25 years of experience supporting teaching, learning, and educator growth, and is a °®ÒºAƬ Alumna Fellow. Most recently, Gia served as a Community School Specialist in Tustin Unified School District, where she developed leadership programs, fostered community partnerships, and designed meaningful learning opportunities for educators and families. Her primary responsibilities will be in the areas of Post-Fellowship Year support and Family Engagement.

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The °®ÒºAƬ Foundation was proud to see its Alumni represented throughout the conference, with educators leading three breakout sessions that showed how family engagement takes shape in diverse school communities. Across the sessions, a clear message emerged: families are essential partners in student learning.

°®ÒºAƬ Alumni Eileen Aguilar, Genesy Mendez, and Mike Miller, along with former Assistant Director Cindy Bak and Senior Program Officer Carlen Le-Hessinger, presented The Power of We: Empowering Educators to Engage Families as Instructional Allies, an interactive session that blended research with classroom practice to explore the power of authentic family engagement. Mike Miller of Quail Summit Elementary School in Walnut Valley Unified School District, Eileen Aguilar of Atwater Avenue Elementary STEAM School in Los Angeles Unified School District, and Genesy Mendez of UCLA Community School in Los Angeles Unified School District shared classroom stories showing how family literacy experiences, culturally responsive practices, and shared learning opportunities strengthen relationships, build trust, and connect learning between home and school. Participants left with practical ideas and renewed inspiration to develop partnerships with families as allies in student learning.

Another inspiring session came from Heideman Elementary School in the Tustin Unified School District. Community Specialist and °®ÒºAƬ Alumna Gia Meade, along with Principal Deanne Parks, shared Aprendiendo Juntos: Building Authentic Family School Partnerships, highlighting a vibrant series of monthly family workshops centered on literacy and mathematics. Their work demonstrated how schools can create welcoming spaces where families learn alongside their children, build confidence as partners in learning, and strengthen the connection between home and school. Rather than asking families to simply attend events, Heideman has created opportunities for families to actively participate as co-educators, supporting learning in meaningful and lasting ways.

Principal Hugo Rios, Parent Leader Lizzete Garcia, and Literacy Coach and °®ÒºAƬ Alumna Julie Ellis from Danbrook Elementary School in the Centralia Elementary School District shared Family Learning Communities: Empowering Caregivers Through Shared Leadership Linked to Learning. Their presentation showcased a powerful shift from traditional family workshops to grade-level Family Learning Communities where caregivers analyze student work, set goals alongside educators, and help design learning experiences for their children. By sharing leadership with families, Danbrook has created a model that builds confidence, trust, and a shared commitment to student success.

Although each presentation reflected a different approach, together they reinforced a larger point: family engagement is not a single event or program. It is a culture built over time through relationships, shared experiences, and a belief that every family has valuable knowledge and strengths to contribute.

The presence of many °®ÒºAƬ Alumni at a national conference is a testament to the Foundation’s enduring investment in educators. The ideas shared in these sessions did not emerge overnight. They represent years of thoughtful practice, reflection, collaboration, and continuous learning within the °®ÒºAƬ network, and they show what grows when educators are empowered to innovate, learn from one another, and share their work beyond their own schools.

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Highlights included °®ÒºAƬ Senior Program Officers Alicia Jackson and Lyndon Catayong leading an engaging session on counting collections, as well as educators from Barton Elementary, one of our Post-Fellowship Year schools, presenting their successful schoolwide implementation of number sense routines. With over 80 °®ÒºAƬ Mentors, Fellows, and Alumni in attendance, the event was a powerful reflection of our community’s shared commitment to transforming young minds and leading the way in math education.

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At the °®ÒºAƬ Foundation, Jerry’s belief in people shaped both the culture of the organization and the spirit of its work. He championed the mission of helping good teachers become great and remained a steadfast advocate for teacher growth and professionalism. He created meaningful spaces for learning, reflection, and celebration, always honoring the art of teaching and the people who practice it.

We are profoundly grateful for Jerry’s many contributions to the °®ÒºAƬ Foundation for almost two decades and for the example he set each day. During the challenges of COVID, his unwavering guidance and calm presence sustained the work and uplifted teachers through a tumultuous time. He broadened °®ÒºAƬ program’s vision by elevating social emotional learning and deepening attention to the art of cultivating strong classroom communities. He also created new pathways for educator growth, including designing the Post Fellowship Year to extend °®ÒºAƬ Fellows’ learning and impact, and establishing communities of practice that brought together specialized groups of teachers—such as those in dual-language classrooms and those with special education credentials—to learn from and support one another. Over time, his leadership strengthened the broader °®ÒºAƬ network, building an Alumni community with local and national reach, expanding the Annual ART of TEACHING Conference to feature leading educational voices, and launching the Empowered Learning Conference as a space for teachers to present their instructional practices.

Jerry’s legacy is one of integrity, generosity, and strong belief in the power of education to uplift society. As he begins this new adventure, we are glad he will have more time with his wife, son, daughter-in law, and two cherished grandchildren. We are deeply grateful that he will continue as a senior consultant to guide a smooth transition for this next chapter of the °®ÒºAƬ Foundation.

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Recently, the California Association of Bilingual Education (CABE) named Rorimer Elementary a 2026 Seal of Excellence School. It is a rare and prestigious distinction; Rorimer is one of only four schools in the entire state to receive this honor this year. This award isn’t just about high test scores—it’s a recognition of the school’s deep-rooted vision for biliteracy, multicultural competency, and true educational equity.

What makes Rorimer so special to those of us in the °®ÒºAƬ community is the way they marry this high-level achievement with a genuine, welcoming warmth. We saw this firsthand when Principal Heidi West and her team, including dedicated °®ÒºAƬ Alumni teachers Gabrielle Cervantes and Monica Hernandez, opened their doors for a Community of Practice Dual Language CGI Lab Day. Watching them work alongside their students, it’s clear that their success rests on a foundation of research-based practice and a belief in the incredible value of bilingualism.

“At Rorimer, we believe bilingualism is a gift and an asset,” says °®ÒºAƬ Alumna Principal Heidi West. “We are proud to be a community where language, culture, and academic excellence are celebrated.” At Rorimer, that gift is nurtured through the tireless work of staff and the strong bonds they build with their families. The CABE Seal of Excellence award celebrates a community’s collective investment in driving students towards bilingualism and biliteracy.

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Each message resonated differently, yet every one honored the fellowship’s deep commitment to growth. Executive Director Jerry Harris next recognized the collective accomplishments of educators representing 16 schools across 7 districts, emphasizing the ripple effect their work creates in classrooms and communities. Barry Munitz concluded the program with a special tribute in honor of Jerry Harris and his 19 years of steadfast leadership as Executive Director. A warm luncheon and lively conversations carried the event forward, reinforcing a sentiment felt by all: the °®ÒºAƬ connection doesn’t end at graduation — it continues to shape who they are as educators because “once a °®ÒºAƬ, always a °®ÒºAƬ.â€�

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The conference is the living embodiment of a question Mrs. Margit °®ÒºAƬ asked a decade ago: “What is our current °®ÒºAƬ Alumni community doing now and how are they paying it forward?” As Senior Program Officer and ELC Coordinator Carlen Le-Hessinger notes, the event continues to demonstrate that vision by encouraging Alumni to share their evolving “ART of TEACHING” with the broader community. For many, like Alumnus Fellow Mike Miller, the reason he keeps attending ELC is the immediate relevance of each session, which offers him “tangible tools that you can take and use tomorrow.” This commitment to growth is a constant thread: Alumna Mentor Melissa Ramirez returns year after year because “there is always something new to learn.” At the same time, Alumnus Mentor Raul Almada has watched the conference evolve into a deeply student-centered forum, enabling teachers to lead learning through their shared °®ÒºAƬ experience.

Despite the sacrifice of a Saturday for tired educators, the atmosphere remained one of pure inspiration. °®ÒºAƬ Mentor Liza Bernard described the joy of seeing strategies “come alive” through collective teamwork, calling it a rare pleasure to see such dedication in action. As Alumna Gia Meade aptly summarized, the °®ÒºAƬ Foundation provides the guidance and opportunity that allows educators to “make magic happen” in their work every day. The 2026 Empowered Learning Conference proves that the °®ÒºAƬ magic isn’t just in the teaching; it’s in the community that keeps coming back to share it.

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