Yesterday was nothing short of transformative. At the invitation of educator Dr. Seymour of Cal Poly Pomona, president and founder, Dr. Robin Avelar La Salle, led a powerful teach-in centered on her newest publication Where Equity Lives, written with Dr. Ruth S. Johnson. This text is quickly becoming a guiding resource for educators—offering not just theory, but tools to dismantle inequities and transform systems to accelerate student success.
Together, we explored some of the most common systemic inequities identified in a study of over 300 investigations of schools and districts. We learned how to ensure that demographics no longer determine destiny for historically lower-achieving students.
To the next generation of educators we met yesterday: we see you, we honor you, and we thank you. To the Pomona Unified School District, we respect you having the wisdom to invest in your leadership bench. Your passion and commitment inspire us. Robin and the Orenda team left hopeful—because with courage, clarity, and aligned systems, every student can receive the premium education they deserve.