Leroy Roches Gaines
Ed.D Student CANDEL Cohort 17
Background
Leroy Gaines brings over 19 years of combined professional experience working in both urban public-school districts and non-profits paving the way for education reform. He believes all children deserve equal access to high-quality education and school leadership as a key lever in the transformation process required to put students on a path to college and career readiness. Leroy currently serves as the Network Superintendent for the Oakland Unified School District.
Previously, Leroy was the Program Director for Alumni Impact at New Leaders, a national nonprofit focused on ensuring high academic achievement for all children, especially students in poverty and students of color, by developing transformational school leaders and advancing the policies and practices that allow great leaders to succeed. He was the principal of Acorn Woodland Elementary School in Oakland Unified School District, sat on the board of both The United Administrators of Oakland and The California Association of Urban School Administrators, and taught teacher credentialing courses at Alliant University. He received his Master’s in Educational Leadership at Columbia University’s Teachers College and his undergraduate degree in Africana Studies at Bowdoin College.
In 2014, Leroy was recognized by Our Family Coalition for his leadership implementing the Welcoming Schools curriculum at Acorn Woodland and shining a light as an advocate for inclusive and just schooling for all children and their families; and, was recently featured in the book Breakthrough Principals, published by Jossey-Bass.
