Schlechty Center

Frank Zepeda Senior Associate

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Around this great country, education is the portal to a more fulfilling and enriched life. It is still the great "equalizer." I am the product of this opportunity. I am able to respond to this survey because I had caring and committed adults who took an interest in me and made this path possible. I am compelled to do what I can to ensure that ALL students get the opportunities I received.

Recently I met a group of teachers at the Design Team Conference in Dallas. I was asked to meet with them to help them with their direction and focus. They did not have a principal (at the time) and they were uncertain where this work could lead. I felt they had a clearer understanding after our meeting. I received an e-mail from one of the teachers last week, and he stated that he was using the Working on the Work framework in his classroom and they were in the process of creating their Design Team. He was very thankful for the input he received, as it was making a difference one step at a time. These a-ha moments inspire me and remind me that I am on the right course.

FRANK ZEPEDA joins our staff after serving in various capacities in six different high schools in four different districts. He taught English, more specifically, composition. As a classroom innovator, Frank was selected to attend the UCLA Writing Project and received certification to teach advanced composition. He went on to become a career path coordinator and counselor at a newly designed high school which focused on smaller learning communities. Frank has been a high school administrator for 16 years. He was a high school principal for 10 years; in that time he led two high schools through their reform efforts. Frank introduced Working on the Work to both of his high school staffs. They received induction into the Working on the Work framework through Foundations training. In addition, he established instructional leader Design Teams. These teams helped facilitate and embed the Working on the Work framework schoolwide. His staffs were also trained in facilitating and participating in protocols. These protocols have been invaluable in developing a culture of trust and innovation. In 2002?03 Frank was selected as Administrator of the Year/Principal of the Year for the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District. His reform work includes freshmen teams, career academies, senior projects, 4x4 block scheduling, custom personalized guidance reform, and aggressive grant monies procurement. In 2007 Frank and his team testified in front of a California Senate panel to lobby for career technical education. Monrovia High School, where Frank took his second position as principal, became the first high school in California to receive the coveted University of California designation for a level two physics class taught through auto tech. His schools have been highly recognized for their innovation in curriculum and standards design. He strongly believes that it is "our" responsibility to create the environment and circumstances in which every student can succeed.