Alta Public Schools Praises Superintendent Dr. Maribel Galan for Her Contribution to the School District and Its Community

WALNUT PARK, Calif., July 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Alta Public Schools (APS) is grateful to acknowledge a school leader who grew up in our hometown in the city of Huntington Park and the surrounding cities of Bell, Maywood and Cudahy. Dr. Maribel Galan joined our family as the superintendent in 2017. She brought the fresh, solid perspective that our schools needed. Her remarkable ability to maintain detailed planning ensured high-impact implementation of the curriculum. Dr. Galan is undoubtedly a dedicated and forward-thinking leader: with her clear vision and goals, she effectively balances efficient execution of her plans with a compassionate approach of listening and embracing the voices of those she leads. Through her innovative training and professional development, she contributed greatly to the personal learning of APS educators and administrators. We are proud to highlight one of Huntington Park's very own success stories.

Dr. Galan is no stranger to giving back to her community more than once. She began her teaching career at Nimitz Middle School in Huntington Park, the same school she attended as a child. In 2005, Dr. Galan was hired to open the first elementary school under Aspire Public Charter Schools in the city of Huntington Park. She then opened the first Aspire middle school in the same area. Under her leadership, the school made a 79 point growth on the Academic Performance Index (API) in just the second year of operation.

Dr. Galan graduated from Bell High School. She then earned her Bachelor's degree in Law and Society from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a Master's in Education and Administration from California State University of Dominguez Hills and then earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Public Policy from Pepperdine University where she taught as an adjunct professor in the Master's in Education program for five years. She is a professor at Chapman University in the Master's in Education program.

She believes education is one of the most powerful tools you can gift a child especially in areas of poverty. Dr. Galan is familiar with the challenges of not having enough to eat or not knowing if the rent will be paid. She has devoted her life to ensuring students have a quality education to open the doors of opportunity and success for all students.

She was selected as one of seven of the nation's outstanding graduate students in educational administration by the American Association of School Administrators in 2011. Her experience includes that of a Superintendent setting up systems and coaching for TK-12 school leaders and designing data driven professional development for new and veteran teachers and administrators. She brings a deep knowledge with validated experiences in leadership and governance, policy development, school design, student-centered learning strategies, financial management, talent management and strategic planning.

She has directly coached K-12 principals to develop their school plans, budgets, build school-wide systems and oversee their work around certificated and classified growth and development through cycles of observation, feedback, and transformational coaching. Dr. Galan has experience in leading the implementation of innovative instructional programs including the launch of dual immersion programs, intervention, social emotional practices, and VAPA and STEAM. She has worked with school districts and Charter schools to align resources and ensure policies and procedures and the LCAP development process and goals are followed.

Dr. Galan also served as an elementary school principal in the Norwalk La Mirada Unified School District where the API increased by 118 points under her leadership within a three-year period. She became the Director of Curriculum and Instruction in the Anaheim Elementary School District, responsible for all district wide professional development and planning. Dr. Galan served as Senior Director of School Transformation at the Partnership for Los Angeles school serving the lowest performing schools in high poverty communities under LAUSD in such areas as Watts, Boyle Heights, and South Los Angeles.

Dr. Galan is a passionate leader committed to preparing purpose-driven young people with over twenty-three years of demonstrated educational leadership ability, a commitment to equity and improving students' academic achievement, and experience working in high poverty, urban school districts with very diverse needs.

Dr. Galan is collegial, collaborative, and the ultimate optimist who maintains levity in difficult situations. She is straightforward and transparent with all her stakeholders and is trusted to deliver on her messages. Dr. Galan brought a commitment to the APS community to grow, improve, and model high expectations. She passionately believes in all students' worth and potential and has made it her life mission to educate, inspire, and lift up. Many of our teachers have described her as a role model who inspired them to be better educators.

We again honor one of our homegrown success stories. Dr. Galan's contributions have left an indelible mark on the APS community. APS is forever grateful for Dr. Galan's tireless long hours dedicated to the people with whom we work and to the families and students we serve.

Contact:
Christopher Bertelli
(916) 216-1705
[email protected]

SOURCE Alta Public Schools