Yvonne Chan, Ed.D., is the founding Principal of the Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in Los Angeles. She has pushed the limits of education and social innovation for more than 50 years as a school leader, policymaker, and the founder of the first conversion charter school in the nation that now serves 3,300 low-income students (PK-12).

Throughout her trajectory, Dr. Chan transformed “crack houses” into schoolhouses, established a family center with onsite health services and a community theater, transformed gang territories into college prep laboratories, instituted an extended school year and a longer school day, integrated global studies and career-tech pathways into the daily curriculum, provided performance pay for teachers, and maximized untapped human and fiscal resources.

Her efforts turned the once failing public school into a community-based learning center and the high-poverty neighborhood into an educational and economic corridor. As a result, the school received the California Distinguish School and the National Blue Ribbon School Award recognitions. She is determined to turn risks into opportunities through her tenacity and forward-thinking skills to do the impossible.

Dr. Chan earned a doctorate in education from UCLA, a Master of Arts in Special Education from California State University, Northridge, a Bachelor of Arts in World Languages from UCLA, and a post-doctoral in Computer Science from UCLA. In addition, she has eight teaching and service credentials and the ability to communicate in four world languages.

Dr. Chan served as a teacher and an administrator at the Los Angeles Unified School District for 20 years. While serving as the Principal of Vaughn, she was also an adjunct professor at California State University, Northridge, and UCLA. In addition, Dr. Chan was a member of the California State Board of Education, a Commissioner of the City of Los Angeles, and is a current LA County Commissioner for Public Social Services.

She has received many awards, including the Milken Educator Award, McGraw Hills Prize in Education Award, James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, the Gleitsman Citizen Activist Award, Valley of the Stars, Woman of the Year, Distinguished Alumni Award from UCLA and CSUN, and the Rose Award from USC.

Arriving in the U.S. alone at age 17 with just $100, Dr. Chan set out to pursue the American Dream —a dream she realized and a dream in which she now teaches countless others to aspire.

Stanley L. Johnson, Jr., Ph.D., is the National Science Foundation Project Director and Researcher in the Black Male Institute at the Center for the Transformation of Schools in the UCLA School of Education & Information Studies. Johnson is also an educational consultant, researcher, and practitioner with an extensive background in K-12 leadership, teacher education, and language and literacy development. Johnson previously served as a consultant for the Los Angeles County Office of Education in School Improvement, District Capacity Building, and Curriculum and Instructional Services. He was also Managing Director of Teacher Leadership Development for Teach for America, where he supported and built capacity with Program Improvement schools and districts. Johnson focused on effective language arts instruction and Common Core State Standards (CCSS) through professional development, coaching, and providing technical assistance to educational leaders and classroom teachers.

Johnson was the Founding Principal of the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area Community School in Oakland, CA. He began his career in education through Teach for America, where he taught all levels of English/Language Arts and Advanced Placement English at Centennial High School in Compton.

Johnson was awarded a promotion to Program Coordinator, a district office administrative position in curriculum and instruction, after successfully serving as Centennial's Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Self-Study Chairperson and getting the school's accreditation reinstated.

For academic research, Johnson critically examines effective secondary English teachers who implement culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogical and instructional practices in their classrooms to close literacy gaps and address their students' academic, social, and emotional needs. Johnson is particularly interested in how Advanced Placement English teachers facilitate high levels of engagement for their high achieving boys of color (and especially African American males) by ensuring that they have access and exposure to language and literacies of power.

Johnson received his Ph.D. in Urban Schooling from the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, his Master of Arts in Secondary Education along with clear teaching and administrative credentials from Loyola Marymount University, his Bachelor of Arts in American Literature and Culture with college honors from UCLA, and matriculated through the Pasadena Unified School District and is a graduate of Pasadena High School. Johnson is the recipient of numerous academic distinctions and community service awards. He received the Randall C. Bacon Alumni Achievement Award from the Western Province of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. In 2010, he received the National Science Foundation-sponsored Colloquy on Minority Males in Science Technology Engineering Mathematics summer fellowship at Johns Hopkins University. In addition, UCLA presented him with the Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award for his outstanding teaching of undergraduate students' significant contributions to the educational community.

James Cross was appointed to the Board in 2017. He was the founder of Port of Los Angeles High School and served as its executive director from 2005 to 2015.

Previously, he operated Cross America Inc., a financial services company, and served as director of operations for the Academic Financial Services Association. Mr. Cross also served as financial manager of California State University, Dominguez Hills during its transition from a college to its accreditation as a university.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from California State University, Long Beach and his master’s from California State University, Dominguez Hills. He pursued further studies in Organizational Communication at the University of Southern California.

Andrea Foggy-Paxton has designed and lead new initiatives with government, philanthropy, and nonprofits for over 25 years. Foggy-Paxton currently serves as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC) and Founder of the Social Studies Accelerator. She also serves as CEO of Foggy Paxton Consulting, a collaboration between experienced change makers providing strategic advisory services to improve organizations’ equity-centered strategic initiatives.

She is a collaborator, innovator, and leader in advancing outcomes for youth, families, and the communities in which they live. Andrea served as the Managing Director of Partner Strategy at The Broad Center, leading efforts to collaborate with urban school systems and strategic alliances to accelerate excellence and equity for all students. This included serving as the executive sponsor for the Diversity Council and leading supports to school districts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Andrea also served as a program officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a National Urban Fellow at the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Prior to working in philanthropy, Andrea spent a decade leading start-up nonprofits and initiatives, serving as the co-director of LA Youth at Work, national field director of Rock the Vote, and executive director of the Tavis Smiley Foundation. Prior to moving to Southern California, Foggy-Paxton served as a Freedom School teacher, site coordinator, and trainer for the Ella Baker Child Policy Institute. She serves on several boards including iCivics, Coro Southern California, EdCuration, Leading Now, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Alumni Advisory Board. FoggyPaxton earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, a master’s in public administration from Baruch College on a full scholarship and is a graduate of the Coro Southern California Public Affairs Fellows program. 

Betty Forrester was appointed to the Board in July 2019. She retired from the Los Angeles Unified School District after 43 years of teaching in L.A. schools. Focusing on literacy, she worked with families and communities on schoolwide student achievement plans and school budgets based on student needs.

As an active United Teachers Los Angeles member, Forrester was elected as a full-time UTLA officer for three terms, working at school, district, city, county, state and federal levels. She represented all 33,000 members at over 900 school sites as chair of the negotiations team and participated in managing the LAUSD employee unions’ Health Benefits Committee. She was also the liaison for the 12 Charter-managed sites whose teaching and counseling staff was affiliated with UTLA.

Forrester served on the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Public Policy Committee and as vice president of the California Federation of Teachers (CFT). She was an elected representative member of the National Education Association (NEA) and the California Teachers Association (CTA). She is currently a member of UTLA-Retired. Forrester is a former executive vice president of the County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO and the California Federation of Labor AFL-CIO. She currently sits on the Los Angeles Trade Tech Labor Center’s Advisory Board.

She obtained her BA from Pepperdine University and holds a lifetime teaching credential in Early Childhood and a lifetime Standard Teaching Credential K-12.

Dr. Theresa Montaño, a grassroots community activist in the Chicanx community, was the co-chair of Southern California Latinos for Jackson. She was the coordinator for the JJ’88 campaign in East Los Angeles, etc. and helped secure the 25th Congressional District for Jesse Jackson. Curently, Theresa is a Professor of Chicano/a Studies with an emphasis in education at CSU-Northridge. Dr. Montaño has more than 40 years in public education , she taught for 15 years K12 schools before moving into higher education. Montaño is the former CTA Vice President and currently coordinates the public education work for the California Faculty Association (CFA, an SEIU affiliate), where she chairs the teacher education caucus. She has been recently appointed to a seat on the Los Angeles County Office Board of Education.

She is active in the movement for Ethnic Studies having served on California’s Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Advisory Committee. She is actively working with teachers and districts on the implementation of Ethnic Studies programs and curriculum throughout California. She is also co-chair of LULAC’s (League of United Latin American Citizens) higher education committee. Her current research includes a project on women of color in union leadership. She has also co-authored articles on ethnic studies, critical race theory in Chicana/o Studies and collaborative projects on Chicana/o Studies and Ethnic Studies. Her publications include two co-edited books, several research publications, essays and curriculum units.

Monte E. Perez, Ph.D. Monte E. Perez was appointed to the Board in 2015. He has served as president of Los Angeles Mission College since 2011. He was previously president of Moreno Valley College in Riverside County.

He started his career in higher education as assistant director of Admissions at Stanford University. He later joined California State University, Los Angeles as director of Educational Opportunity Program and Student Support Services.

Selected as a policy fellow for the U.S. Department of Education, he became a senior policy analyst for the Secretary of Education. Upon his return to California, Dr. Perez served as Regional Director for the Educational Testing Service, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs for the National Hispanic University in San Jose, and vice president of Student Services at Golden West Community College in Huntington Beach.

Dr. Perez serves on the Governing Board for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and on the national Board of Directors for the National Association of Workforce Boards. He also serves on the Secretary of Labor’s National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships. At the state level, Dr. Perez is the Chair of CCLC’s Advisory Committee on Legislation and the State Chancellor’s Economic Development Program Advisory Committee.

On May 2011, Dr. Perez assumed the presidency of Los Angeles Mission College (LAMC), which serves the San Fernando Valley and is one of the nine colleges of the Los Angeles Community College District. LAMC enjoys a high transfer rate to four-year universities and colleges. LAMC also prepares students for vocational careers in accounting, administration of justice, child development, computer applications, computer science information technology, food and nutrition, gerontology, marriage and family life, finance, food service management, interior design, paralegal studies, retail management, animation and 3D Design, Graphic and Web Design, Video Production, Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts. Dr. Perez retired from Los Angeles Mission College in June 2021. Dr. Perez is currently a Board Member to the California County Board of Education, where he represents the LACOE Board. CCBE Serves county boards of education by providing resources that help board members and superintendents work as effective governance teams and to advocate on behalf of the needs of each county office, county schools and students.

Dr. Perez earned his bachelor’s degree in Social Science and Government from California State University, Los Angeles, and his master’s and Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Southern California.

Jimena Mendez is the first student to ever be elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Education (LACOE), the largest regional education agency in the country, with a total enrollment of 1.3 million students. As a student leader at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), she has been deeply involved in student government, film, and also serves on the ACLU's Youth Liberty Program, which engages high school students as leaders and organizers on civil rights and civil liberties.

Jimena is supported by her family, friends and those around her.  She hopes that with her time on the County Board, she will be able to improve support for her peers, and effectively communicate their concerns in order to create an equitable climate for success.

In the future, Jimena hopes to be a governor in order to help improve the immigration system, help fix discrimination towards immigrants, and provide more opportunity and equality in the United States.

This is Jimena’s second term on the County Board and she hopes to continue improving the wellbeing of those around her through her advocacy.

Jocelyn Burgos is a student leader at Renaissance School. She is dedicated to serving her community and has a passion for helping others. Jocelyn volunteers as a Road to Success Academy (RTSA) Ambassador, where she welcomes new students at Renaissance and shares current learning themes with all visitors. Jocelyn is also a student representative on the School Site Council where she has been a student voice for fellow students. 

In December 2023, Jocelyn attended the California School Boards Association Student Board Member Program in San Francisco. She said it was a wonderful experience where she was able to meet other student board members with the same goal, which is to ensure they represent their fellow student peers in shaping the education system in California.

Believing that education is a stepping stone to equality, Jocelyn is already looking forward to college education and she hopes to use her platform to advocate for change by becoming an entrepreneur that will help support immigrant families that have financial needs. She is excited to lead as a Student Board Member for LACOE.