We’re excited to announce that the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools’ board unanimously welcomed four new board members for a three-year term! These new leaders bring invaluable perspectives as parents and educators in the Partnership network, alongside philanthropic leadership, thereby strengthening relationships and expanding opportunities to advance our mission.
Our new board members bring an incredible depth of experience and unwavering commitment to school transformation. Learn more about our new directors below.
- Rafael Cruz is the Linked Learning lead at Hollenbeck Middle School and a seasoned educator with over 20 years of experience in education. He helped Hollenbeck become the first Linked Learning–Certified middle school in the nation and was named LA County Teacher of the Year in 2021.
- Richard Landers is a retired business strategist, investor, and former U.S. Foreign Service officer. In retirement, he has focused on environmental sustainability and education reform, bringing decades of governance, philanthropic investment, and strategic experience to the board.
- Adelina McCloud is a parent with children at Joyner and Weigand elementary schools, as well as a public health leader and Watts advocate. She serves on the Watts Neighborhood Council and the Watts Rising Advisory Board, where she advances public health and community well-being, and she has been a strong partner to the Partnership through her service on our Policy Advisory Board.
- Zepora Moore is a special education educator at Jordan High School. She leads with equity and inclusion, has advanced environmental justice efforts in Los Angeles, and recently earned her administrative credential through the Partnership’s collaboration with UCLA’s Principal Leadership Institute. She is known in Jordan as the “ambassador of fun.”
Together, these four leaders expand our board from 13 to 17 members. The collective breadth of experience our board members represent bolsters the Partnership’s efforts to drive systemic change in public education. Their insights, leadership, and investments support our work in addressing inequities, empowering school leaders and educators, and elevating the voices of our students and families in Boyle Heights, South LA, and Watts.