Christina Casillas
As a special education teacher years ago and now as an area superintendent in the San Diego Unified School District, Dr. Christina Casillas has spent much of her career working to expand opportunities for students from historically marginalized communities. “Their stories and their journey within education have really touched me,” she said.
USC Rossier’s DEI certificate program has given her tools and knowledge to think more deeply about how to approach education’s toughest problems with an equity mindset.
Among the highlights of the program for Dr. Casillas was learning to go deeper into data in order to make better, data-informed decisions about critical issues, such as curbing suspension rates or increasing enrollment in advanced courses Black and Latinx students.
“We learned how important it is to peel back the layers of wallpaper and paint instead of just seeing what’s in front of us . . . to uncover some of the systemic issues and inequities that prevent students from making progress,” she said.
Another powerful insight came from an assigned reading of “The Sum of Us,” a 2021 book by Heather McGhee that explores racism through the lens of “zero-sum” thinking, the idea that progress for some comes at the expense of others. It spoke so deeply to Dr. Casillas and the seven other top SDUSD leaders who completed the DEI program with her that they ordered copies for every member of the district’s instructional leadership team.
“It really spoke to the work we’re doing in San Diego Unified,” Dr. Casillas said. “We’re looking at our system as a whole, at our policies and procedures,” to make changes to improve the educational progress of students who have faced systemic barriers.
“It’s really causing us to pause, to engage in some dialogue, and also bring in student voices,” she said. “What can we do differently within our context? And how do we work with our leaders and provide psychological safety in reflecting upon their own critical self-awareness around equity and their leadership in service of the students they serve?
“Education is not a zero-sum game. Having this conversation within the program really helps us to shift our thinking and beliefs . . . and work together for the benefit of all.”