MEET DR. GONZALEZ

My Story

I am a proud product, parent, formal principal, and current Director of Schools in LAUSD. I grew up in the Southeast City of Huntington Park and attended local public schools. I am the daughter of immigrant parents who taught me the value of hard work. Although my father only received an elementary education, he did not let that hold him back from providing our family with a great life.  He worked two jobs for over 30 years delivering Los Angeles Times newspapers at dawn and a full-time job at a metal foundry in the City of Vernon during the day. While in high school, I was inspired by seeing my mother spend countless hours learning English and studying to complete adult school coursework to receive her GED. She is now a small business owner in the southeast City of Bell.  My family’s story is about the American dream, and education was the vehicle that allowed me to be the first in my family to attend and graduate from college.

I live in the city of Cudahy, where I’m raising two beautiful and strong daughters who attend public schools. As a parent, I am invested in ensuring that my daughters, all students, and community members have the resources to lead quality lives.

I was a teacher in Los Angeles and chose to work in some of the district’s most underserved communities.  I did this because I firmly believe that all schools deserve passionate and committed educators who can make a difference in the lives of our most marginalized and underrepresented families. I’ve chosen to stay in the district for over 22 years because I stand by the notion that we must work towards the change we want to see and because the work is never done.  

Currently, I support over 39 schools in LAUSD by providing principals and teachers support, advocacy, training, and mentorship.

As a former principal, I worked with students, families, teachers, and community partners every day. As a school principal, it was my daily responsibility to ensure that students have access to quality instruction and safe, healthy learning environments. Most importantly, I was responsible for preparing students to graduate and continue their path toward post-secondary education. That is why I worked closely with parents as partners and created welcoming environments that provided them with the resources needed.

As the former principal of a community school, I collaborated with community partners to bring valuable programs to our school and our families.  I fostered environments that included teachers’ voices in decision-making and invested in teachers' professional growth by creating supportive frameworks that value them as dedicated and passionate professionals.    

I deeply understand what works for our students and our community, along with what needs to ensure that our community members have access to valuable resources.