Ed Manansala
EdD '11
We Are the Change
I was appointed El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools in January, right as there were dramatic changes happening with the local control funding formula, local control accountability plans, new state standards, and the new smarter balance assessment consortium. With that much change, we have a unique opportunity as regional leaders to look at how to create the best conditions for students anywhere from pre-K to higher education.
The work I’m doing now always goes back to my EdD. I chose the CANDEL EdD program while I was a high school principal because I wanted an opportunity to reflect deeply about how to create an effective educational system. The faculty really pushed us to “think about your thinking,” and I’m still constantly thinking about our practices, why we do what we do, and the implications for not only one child, but for a school, a community, and all of California.
I was in Cohort 1 of the program, and today members of that cohort are leaders in the California Community Colleges, the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, the K-12 system—pick any point on the continuum, and we’re involved at multiple levels far beyond a local district. We’re at the epicenter of change in Sacramento.
We wanted to develop a cross-section of leaders who could make system change…and it’s happening now.
