A Message from Our Executive Director
As a new school year begins, I find myself thinking about the first day of school. No matter how many years we spend in education, there is something special about that moment: fresh faces, new possibilities, and the opportunity to begin again. A new school year invites us to reset, reflect on what we have […]
Our Team: Fond Farewells and New Faces
Cindy Bak, who served as a Senior Program Officer for the Cotsen Foundation from 2021-2023 and then as Assistant Director from 2023-2026, has taken the position of Principal of Shelyn Elementary School in the Rowland Unified School District. Cindy started as a student teacher at the Shelyn in 2004, bringing her educational journey full circle. She […]
Cotsen Alumni Bring Family Engagement Leadership to the National Stage
Educators from across the country gathered in Long Beach, California, from May 27 -29 for the 2026 Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference. United by this year’s theme, Guiding Lights, Brighter Futures, the conference celebrated the belief that brighter futures for children are built through meaningful partnerships among schools, […]
CGI Regional Conference 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona
The CGI Regional Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, from June 28 th-30 th2026, brought together educators to deepen their understanding of student-centered math instruction. Highlights included Cotsen Senior Program Officers Alicia Jackson and Lyndon Catayong leading an engaging session on counting collections, as well as educators from Barton Elementary, one of our Post-Fellowship Year schools, presenting […]
Honoring Our Executive Director
Jerry Harris’s career reflects the very best of public education and philanthropic stewardship, and his life’s work demonstrates devoted service, steady leadership, and deep love for educators. Jerry spent nearly four decades in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) as both a teacher and principal and is honored with a mural at Roosevelt Elementary […]
A Gift of Language: Celebrating Rorimer’s Seal of Excellence
When students returned from winter break this year to Rorimer Elementary, a Cotsen Alumni school, they were greeted with a Hollywood-style red carpet. It was a joyful, high-energy welcome that perfectly captured the student-centered spirit of this La Puente community. But the teachers and staff were also given a well-deserved surprise by their Superintendent, Alejandro […]