LMU School of Education has hired Leyda W. Garcia, Ed.D. '18, an established educational leader in Los Angeles, as Director of LMU Family of Schools. In this role, Garcia will strengthen the University's partnerships with the 14 public, charter, and Catholic K-12 schools in the Westchester and Playa Vista communities that make up the Family of Schools, as well as other school and district partners

An alumna of LMU's doctoral program in educational leadership for social justice, Garcia brings extensive experience and knowledge of public school leadership to this mission-critical role. Like many educational leaders, she began her career as a teacher, working in Northern California, LAUSD, and Montebello Unified School District. From 2012 to 2022 she was principal of UCLA Community School in Koreatown, where she fostered a culture of innovation, transformative community engagement, and research-informed practice. From there she was named Associate Director for Professional Learning at UCLA Center for Community Schooling, where she led projects to support emerging community schools across California. She has also published and presented scholarly presentations related to unaccompanied minors and improvement science in leadership.

"Dr. Garcia is a partnership builder at the core and understands the best practices of university-school partnerships," said SOE Dean Estela Zarate. "She knows how to engage educators, school leaders, and families alike to create meaningful change. We look forward to seeing her leverage LMU's expertise and resources together with the Family of Schools to catalyze the success of our local K-12 students."

Garcia earned a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Education from Stanford University before earning an Ed.D. in 2021 from LMU. She graduated from UCLA's Principal Leadership Institute in 2007.