Principal Leadership Institute

Building Resilience and Longevity

The Principal Leadership Institute (PLI) continues to recruit, train, and support diverse educators who focus on justice-oriented leadership and continuous improvement in schools. This year we welcomed our 22nd cohort of pre-service leaders, which represents eight different Bay Area districts and charter management organizations. This dynamic group of leaders has first-hand experience working in schools that are struggling with teacher shortages while still attempting to redesign their learning spaces amid the ongoing pandemic. Undaunted by the everyday challenges of their current contexts, Cohort 22 has stepped up to join the ranks of a robust cadre of social justice leaders.

In fall 2022, we documented that 97.5 percent of our alumni are still working in education. More than 53 percent of PLI alumni are leaders of color, with 68 percent working in the Bay Area. This significant impact on school leader diversity is critical at the local and state level. By contrast, in California as a whole, just 34 percent of principals are people of color.

PLI alumni continually express how their education at Berkeley proved transformational, strengthening their self-reflection and scholarly foundation and facilitating a network of educators who remain connected throughout their careers.

For more information about the Principal Leadership Institute and its 14-month MA/Preliminary ASC program, contact PLI Program Director Soraya Sablo Sutton at sorayasutton@berkeley.edu.