Superintendent's Message

Superintendent's Message

Excellence and Equity go Hand in Hand

By Jill Baker, Ed.D.

Becoming superintendent here in August of 2020 was the continuation of a long and treasured association with a great school district. Thirty years ago, I started as a teacher here, later becoming a school principal and central office administrator. During that time, I also learned to appreciate our school system from a parent perspective, having had my own son graduate from our schools in 2018.

The Long Beach Unified School District is a storied place of learning, excellence and resilience. Much like our nation, LBUSD also is a big idea. We firmly believe in the innate talents and abilities of all, and we strive to help our students reach their fullest potential despite any barriers they may face.

Our local schools are widely known for their innovation, academic rigor, educator professional development, and greatness in athletics, the arts and more. We remain committed to building upon those successes and our hard-fought gains in student achievement, especially for students who, for a variety of reasons, may need extra support.

Excellence and equity are not disparate concepts, and they are not mutually exclusive. We cannot have one without the other, and we know that we can and must do this important work. We’ve seen thousands of our graduates of all backgrounds become first generation college students, often with full-ride scholarships to prestigious colleges and universities. Many of these students begin their college careers with a full year of college credit already completed. Inspiring examples of students overcoming the odds abound in our schools. We look forward to making such success possible for more of our students.

As our work progresses, we’ll provide more ways to stay connected and involved in our schools. I encourage you to visit our website frequently, and remember to follow us on our many social media channels.

I am confident that with the help of everyone in our school communities, the best is yet to come.

With students in mind,

-Jill 

#proudtobeLBUSD
#ChiefEncourager