María Santos

Co-Chair

María Santos is the co-chair and Senior Advisor for Leadership at Understanding Language and Director for School and District Services in the Comprehensive School Assistance Program at WestEd. From 2010-2014, she served as Deputy Superintendent for Instruction, Leadership and Equity-in-Action at the Oakland Unified School District and is a 2014 Leaders To Learn From leader by Education Week. Until 2010, she was the Senior Instructional Manager and Superintendent for the Office of English Language Learners (ELLS) at the New York City Department of Education. Before going to New York City, Ms. Santos spent 20 years in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). As an Associate Superintendent, she supervised the development of major instructional improvement initiatives such as SFUSD's Professional Development Initiative and gained SFUSD the recognition of an Exemplary Site by the U.S. Department of Education's National Award for Professional Development.