Courtesy of K. H. Hamilton
2024 is quickly becoming the year of whirlwind surprises. Just last month, Vice President Kamala Harris took the role of the Democratic National Convention’s nominee after President Joseph Biden suddenly decided to step down and not seek re-election. Now, we see closer to home that, following the recent exit of former San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson, a new leader is emerging to step in and take his place as interim Deputy Superintendent, Dr. Fabiola Bagula, a SDUSD former teacher, principal, and Area Superintendent.
While Dr. Bagula may not be ‘new’ to the district and her role in leading the second largest district in California may come as an unexpected surprise, her ability to lead fairly and equitably is outstanding. Especially for a district like San Diego Unified that is multi-faceted, filled with complexities ranging from social inequities based on school locations (e.g. La Jolla versus Southeastern San Diego) to racism, including anti-Blackness, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism, the district needs an equity warrior.
As a culturally responsive educator and unapologetically proud Latina leader, Dr. Bagula will be the first Latina to lead the district, which is great considering that 45% of the district’s student population is Latinx. What is also sound about her selection as acting Superintendent is that she is firm yet fair and will advocate for all students, regardless of race, ability, social class, religion or gender identity, including our Black students who are often overlooked and poorly treated. Dr. Bagula has a track record of equity-mindedness and though she is student-centered, make no mistake about it, she believes that educators, families, and communities play an important role in setting the foundation for promoting successful and equitable outcomes for all stakeholders.
Personally, I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Bagula in 2020, when she was working in the capacity of Senior Director of Equity at the San Diego County Office of Education. During that time, I was volunteering as Education Chair for the San Diego NAACP and our office received countless complaints from parents about discrimination in schools hurled against Black and Brown students throughout San Diego County. Wanting to make a difference in the fight for social justice, Dr. Bagula and her team of equity warriors stepped up and included our organization as a part of its collaboration with other community partners, including the Association of African American Educators (AAAE) to create an Equity Blueprint for Action.
This blueprint served as a call to action to combat the “isms” that exist in school; in particular, racism against African American, American Indian, and Latinx students. Dr. Bagula’s Office of Equity called on districts to reimagine education by incorporating asset-based systems, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction, family and community voice, and student agency and voice. Under her leadership, student voice was and remains the center of focus for institutional effectiveness as she and her team provided invaluable resources, including training for the 49 Districts in San Diego County to change their own mindsets if they were open and willing to do so.
When Dr. Jackson appointed Dr. Bagula, as Deputy Superintendent, her talent and experience to San Diego Unified was embraced by countless marginalized communities who saw themselves reflected in Dr. Bagula’s story. A Mexican American educator, graduate of UCSD and USD, who as a little girl had to cross the border to attend school when her mother lost her job. A young woman who aspired to be a teacher and whose journey has not been easy. Yet as a result of her hardwork and mentorship from others has emerged into the leader she is today. Dr. Bagula has made significant strides in her tenure as Deputy Superintendent, just ask those around her, including her staff, area superintendents, former principals, current educators and most importantly, students and families.
Therefore, in these coming months, I encourage SDUSD to pause for a moment and reflect on the talent they already possess in Dr. Bagula before rushing to conduct a national search for a new superintendent that will cost a lot of money on a district that has already had to lean its budget. I also invite the public to meet Dr. Bagula if you have not already done so and take a moment to read a few lines of her poem, Woke Light (2019) to get a sense of who she really is and why she needs our support more than ever before. Dr. Bagula will continue to fight for all of our children and youth in San Diego Unified Schools. It’s time we fully support her, too.
Woke Light
By Fabiola Bagula
I’ve been to five educational organizations in the last few months
And all I hear is grandiose discussions about the importance of equity
Equity
Educational gap
Black and brown students
We want them to succeed
Go to college
Be all they can be
We believe in them
We want to organize ourselves for equity
More AP coursework
Free college classesYet take a look around
Those that surround you aren’t who you say you are fighting for
And the few that look like the kids you want to save
Are now all grown up…
