SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership Podcast

18. “Future-Ready Santa Ana”—A Conversation with Our New Superintendent, Dr. Lorraine Pérez

• Bianca Barquin • Season 3 • Episode 1

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Start with heart, stay with purpose, and make the system work for every learner—that’s the through-line of our conversation with Superintendent Dr. Lorraine Pérez. We open up about the values that steer her leadership—future generations, trust, and authenticity—and how “clarity is kindness” shapes a focused plan for student success across Santa Ana Unified.

We dig into the three academic priorities that anchor our work: early literacy by third grade, English learner progress with reclassification by fifth grade when possible, and college and career readiness that gives every graduate real options. You’ll hear how the graduate profile and our learner model serve as a North Star, aligning classrooms, counseling, partnerships, and internships so students build durable skills and confidence. Dr. Pérez shares why naming bold goals in public takes courage, how research and listening reduce doubt, and the practical ways leaders can make their “audio match their video” to build trust.

Family and community engagement is treated as an academic strategy, not an add-on. We talk about empowering caregivers to navigate financial aid, pathways, and literacy at home—reading in any language, using songs, cultural sayings, and everyday print to grow vocabulary and comprehension. Dr. Pérez’s stories—from Trader Joe’s flip-flops to first jobs and favorite books—reveal a leader who believes conditions shape outcomes: when leaders thrive, teachers thrive; when teachers thrive, students thrive.

If you care about equity, early literacy, multilingual learners, and authentic college and career readiness, this conversation is your roadmap. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review to tell us which idea you’ll put into practice first.

Visit us at our Buzzsprout site for more ways to listen, links to our social media sites and any referenced materials, and complete transcripts of our full-length episodes: https://bit.ly/SAUSDAmplifyingLeadership

Bianca Barquin:

Greetings, Amplifiers, and welcome to another episode of SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership. I'm your host, Bianca Barquin, and it's wonderful to be back with you today to amplify the work of inspiring leaders who are making a difference in the lives of our students, our families, our local community, and yes, listeners far beyond Santa Ana. Today is special. We're welcoming a leader you already know and love, our new superintendent, Dr. Lorraine Prez. She is a trusted mentor, a systems thinker, a futures thinker, and a relentless believer that clarity is kindness. Together we'll dig into her vision, core values, and our framework for the future, including our graduate profile, which is our North Star, our learner model, and the three academic goals she's lifted up with laser focus. Number one, early literacy, reading by third grade. Two, English learner progress with a goal of reclassification by fifth grade whenever possible, so doors stay open in secondary, and three, college and career readiness, so every graduate leaves SAUSD with real options, real skills, and real purpose. And here's what I appreciate about Lorraine. Even as we focus on those three anchors from preschool through beyond grade 12, we will not lose sight of the graduate profile, our learner model, or our community-built mission and vision. Nothing's being replaced, everything's being amplified. She's about equity and inclusivity for every subgroup, about root cause systems work, not quick fixes, about strategic foresight, and I have the beautiful opportunity to train in it side by side with her, about partnerships and internships that create opportunity, and about being present in classrooms, in cafeterias, on blacktops, and at board tables. Lorraine, welcome. Thank you for saying yes to this conversation and to this moment. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here today. Okay, Lorraine, we're gonna start with segment one, which is where the heart lives. So this is really gonna be about your story and your why. So, first question: What moment or person first lit the fire for you to serve here in Santa Ana and keep serving?

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

So, this is a very interesting question. You know, I was a teacher and my sister-in-law is also a teacher. She happened to teach in Santa Ana Unified, and that was my first exposure to Santa Ana Unified. And I saw the love, the passion, the excitement, and just the heart that she gave to the community. And she worked at Pio Pico, and there were lots of community involvement and events that she would do. And on Saturday, she was going to her school, and I'm like, wow, that's wild. Like she spends so much time there. And I was a teacher in another district and loved my community and really felt like I gave a lot to the community as well. But there was something very different. And I think it was because there was family and network for her in Santa Ana. The Biopico teachers and administrators were like a family. Like I remember spending New Year's Eve with teachers from Pio Pico because of my sister-in-law Betsy. And New Year's Eve, all the kids' birthday parties. I'm like, wow, they have such a great community. And that really was special and intrigued me. And when I got the opportunity, when it came about that there was even a conversation around joining Santa Ana Unified, that's actually what came to my mind. Like, wow, I could be part of that community and have all of those folks that I knew through her. And obviously there are a lot more schools in Pio Pico, but just that was my experience. That was what came to my mind when I thought about Santa Ana Unified. And I thought about and imagined if all schools are like that and all of the schools have community like that, that's the place to be. And so that's initially what drew me to Santa Ana Unified. And again, you know, Jerry as the superintendent, he was here. He had been a mentor to me when I was in San Bernardino City Unified. And so that was also a piece of like, okay, I get to work with somebody that I know, somebody that had been an important part of my journey as a leader. And so those things really were the drivers. And so it's about truly people and relationships. And now that I'm here, again, the people in the relationships, the way that we get to interact with one another. And just I was at the Taste of Santa Ana over the weekend on a tell a funny story. You know, you take for granted that you're quote unquote off the clock. I had come from one event and was going to another, kicked off my shoes, had my flip-flops, took off, you know, the coat, and was shopping at Trader Joe's. Little did I know that I get to Taste of Santa Ana. And a couple of people that I ran into were like, hey, we saw you at Trader Joe's. And so it's just the realness of the community and how people show up to support that keeps me here. And it really makes me want to show up and do phenomenal work for our community every single day. I do wake up thinking, how am I going to add value to our community for our students and for their families?

Bianca Barquin:

Thank you for sharing parts of yourself that I don't think people really know. I think you were part of the family by association, you know, from the very beginning. I think it's important. But the thing that strikes me about Santa Ana too, and I tell you this all the time, we are family, right? Santa Ana is all about heart. You have to fall in love with Santa Anna and you have to love Santa Ana very deeply. And you do that. And so it's super exciting to, again, I told you this yesterday, to work with you and to work for you. The next question I have for you is related to a topic that you and I talk about all the time: core values. So give us and tell our audience your non-negotiables. What three values do you carry into every room, every classroom, every cabinet meeting, or every community forum?

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

Sure. So very clearly I am driven by future generations. And I'll share a little bit more about that. I didn't recognize it as a core value for a long time because I thought it sounded kind of silly, but there is something about this that I'll share and how I came to realize that as one of my core values. And then trust is very, very big for me. And then authenticity. I think those two are very tied together. But it's, I think, why I connect with people in a way. And people do tell me that, like, oh, you build relationships and I feel safe and I feel comfortable to say things to you. Folks have said that, principals have said that, parents have said that, and we'll even say, like, I don't even know why, but I feel like I can tell you this. And I think it's because I do show up as my true self and even say things sometimes that I'm like, oh gosh, I probably shouldn't have said that. And not a mean thing, but just like because it's vulnerable. And maybe that's what it is. It's I said something that made me vulnerable. But that's what people connect to and the authenticity. So that's huge for me. I want to go back to the future generations piece because it's really important in the work that I do every single day. I'm always thinking about the future generation. And one might think, well, yeah, of course, you're in education. You're thinking about, you know, little ones, you know, their future and the generation that they represent. But really, it's more than that. I think about our principles and the future generation of principles and what systems and conditions are we creating so that they may be successful. So it's not just about our little ones, it's about the adults in the system too. And how do we create great conditions for people to flourish? So definitely I'm I'm always thinking about our leaders because the work is very heavy and it's tough. And we want to create conditions where they are able to thrive, because in turn, they're going to create those same type of conditions on their school campuses where then teachers in turn feel like they can show up and do that beautiful thing of teaching, which is the art and science of and having those blend and kind of ebb and flow. And when leaders have great conditions and create great conditions for their teachers, then that's going to also happen for our students in the classroom. And that, you know, again, has showed up throughout my life. How I came into education is demonstrates that I actually worked for the Walt Disney Company before I came into education, but I was drawn back to my community to help students and families with financial aid. And that lit the fire for me. I started working with students and families, and I'm like, wow, I can really have a different kind of impact. And so it was about the future generation of students and families that came after me to help them navigate, you know, how do I apply for financial aid? How do I go to college? I didn't have that support or somebody to help me or be alongside me on that path. And I wanted to contribute in that way. Little did I know that it was going to be what, you know, sparked the interest and love for education and learning. So I can identify it all the way through my childhood as well. But definitely being focused on future generations and creating conditions for people to be successful and folks who come along the same path that I've come or even different paths to have conditions that allow them to be successful.

Bianca Barquin:

That's amazing. And I see it very clearly in a lot of the work that we're doing. Can you identify for the audience one or two things that exemplifies that core value, future generations, and how we're creating those conditions for our kiddos and our families?

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

Yeah, definitely. So with family and community engagement, I'm going to make the connection back to the fact I didn't have someone in my family or a parent to come alongside and help with the college journey. We don't want that for our students. We want them to have their families with them and to understand the system and how to navigate it. And so through family and community engagement, the investment there is really about that, equipping our families with the ability and the knowledge to help make those decisions so a student isn't on their own doing that. And so that a family may change the trajectory for their family by having this knowledge. And so that is what I think about, because a lot of times folks are like, oh, so what does family and community engagement have to do with this? That's what it has to do with this. It really is creating that space and that opportunity for a child to not have to navigate that on their own. And it is a beautiful thing. It changes families. It changes families forever when they learn and know how to navigate and do that together.

Bianca Barquin:

That is an incredible example. Thank you for sharing. I want to expand on this topic, but I know we have a lot of questions to get through, so I'm going to move on. So, question three. Tell us about a moment you doubted yourself as a leader. What did you do with that doubt? And what changed because you stayed?

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

And so this is really vulnerable, but I think, and maybe it's not normal, quote unquote normal, but I, I doubt myself often, you know, when I think about doing the things that we're doing with really declaring even what our goals are, there's a little bit of doubt in that. But you have to just, well, first, you know, make sure that you're doing solid research around things and not just run with something. It has to be research-based and you have to have some evidence for that. But just not being afraid to just jump in and do that thing because there's moments to doubt yourself all the time. Doubting whether should I make the leap to change districts? Should I make the leap to apply to be the superintendent? Should I make the leap? All of those things, I think it's human to have that initially have that doubt, but you have to move past the doubt to say to yourself, this is the right thing to do. And all of the reasons why it's the right thing to do. So I'll go back to declaring those three goals and what we've done and done very publicly and continue to do very publicly. You doubt, are people gonna understand this? Are they gonna know why we're doing it? Are they gonna believe that it's doable? Because for you to believe that is one thing, but to get others to believe that is quite another thing. And so there is a little bit of fear initially when I said, you know, this is what we're gonna do. What if nobody follows? What if people go, those are not the greatest three goals we should be working on? And some people will think that, but you've got to put something out there and you have to get over the fear and have people in your circle that you talk to. Like I didn't just wake up one day and say, these are the things. I mean, I, you know, talked with folks and kind of vetted things and hey, what about this and listened? And as I listened to people, I was getting reassurance, this is the right direction. This is what we should be doing. And you know what? Yesterday I received it, actually it was Monday, received a text message from someone just saying thank you. It took courage to really have us as a district move to a place where we're talking about academics, because the truth is we're not doing hot right now, right? So it's hard to do you want to step into that space because it might be safer to not even talk about those things. So you doubt that. Take that leap of faith, and then just be willing to work hard to bring it to fruition. I speak that into being every single day. We are going to be successful. So all the doubts I have on the other end, I'm telling myself, like, no, we are going to be successful. And you match that with the intentional work every day.

Bianca Barquin:

I like it. You're manifesting exactly where we need to be. I do want to expand on something a little bit because you talked about doubt a lot. You also talked about fear and the association between doubt and fear. Knowing that we all have this inner critic, and I know you and I have conversations like this all the time, and that doubt pops into our head all the time, and that criticism that we hear. How do you keep it at bay? Because we make so many decisions every single day. If you were gonna give anybody advice out there, what would you tell them to do?

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

Actually, I was at a school site earlier today and was having this conversation. So, yes, we are gonna have doubt, but at the core, and that's why our core values are so important. At my core value is future generations. So I have to go back to that and say to myself, okay, this is not about me. This is about my core value, and I'm here to do things to create conditions so that the next generation has better opportunity, encounters a better system. And so whatever it is that is causing that doubt, go to your core values. And that is why they're called core values. They're at your core of who you are and what drives you and how you operate. And Bianca, you know, I've done a lot of work around core values, and it's evolved over my career and over my life. But if you say that something's your core value, but you find yourself not living into that, you might have to ask yourself, what really is your core value? And that's okay. That's part of being authentic. You have to get grounded in what really is your core. And when you accept and acknowledge that and really just live into that, it can be a beautiful driver for you. And that's why I share before future generations sounded really silly to me. And to say it out loud, I felt kind of like people were gonna look at me like that's silly. But I had to come to terms with that is really what is a driver for me. And so that's what I was sharing with that person. If things feel odd or feel not right, it might be because you're not actually grounded in what your core values are.

Bianca Barquin:

I think that's an important lesson for all of us and just as humans, right? We should really be living into our core values. I appreciate you talking about your core value of future generations. I think one of the reasons that we may have this perception that people will think it's silly, is it's one of the core values, although you explained it very comprehensively and succinctly. It's hard for people to wrap their heads around because it's very futuristic by nature, right? So you are a futurist. But the way you explained it, and it's really about creating those conditions ultimately for every single person within our community to be successful is so important. So thank you for sharing. The last question that I have for you finish this sentence for me. Leadership to me is, and why that word?

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

Leadership to me is modeling. As a leader, people are watching you. People saw me with my flip-flops on at Trader Joe's. But really, people are watching you, and again, this isn't about you. This isn't about me. This is about us showing up to do the work. And so people are watching you, and so we have to model the expectation, we have to model listening, we have to model being decisive. We have to model these things, and we have to do it in a way that's authentic to us, to each of us individually, because people will know. And so when I say you have to model those things, and sometimes people say, like, fake it till you make it, and all of these kind of jargony things, right? And there may be some truth to that, but but I think doing it in a way that's authentic to you is critically important because people are gonna see that you're uncomfortable doing this thing, modeling this thing, if you're not doing it in a way that is authentic to you. And then I think it goes to trust. Then they don't trust. They're like, oh, this person's being fake, that's not who they really are. They're playing the role. And I don't know that people are gonna follow someone that's playing the role versus somebody that's carrying out that role in the way that's authentic to them.

Bianca Barquin:

All of these things are so important, but so interconnected. So you're talking about authenticity and truly being you. You're talking about trust, which I've talked to you about before. I believe that it ebbs and flows, and we do something to erode it, we do things to build it up, and it's not static, it's very dynamic. A phrase came to mind, and I just want your thoughts on it because to me, it's related to authenticity, it's related to trust, it's related to modeling, your audio matching your video. Why is that important?

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

I think for a lot of the reasons that I shared, if people hear you saying something and they see you doing something else or doing something that isn't in support of what you're saying, people are gonna call you on it, even if they don't do it to your face. They're gonna call you on it. And the way they do that is your word no longer has value to them. They start to erode trust. And you mentioned that. Yeah, that you know, that's what that's what it comes down to.

Bianca Barquin:

Good connections. So, Lorraine, I am super excited you are here, and I want our audience to know that this is going to be a series of segments. So we have five segments for you, and what we're doing is we're wrapping up segment one, but we want to put this out in episodes so people get to know you very deeply as our superintendent and our leader here in Santa Ana. So, segment one was really about your story and your why. To give folks a preview, segment two is gonna be about our vision and the framework for the future, really talking about our graduate profile and learner model. Segment three is when we're gonna drill down into your three academic goal areas, our priority areas for this year. Segment four is gonna be something you love and you work on all the time: systems, equity, and strategic foresight. Segment five is when we're gonna actually get into partnerships, internships, and community, all things that I believe are super important to you, and I'm hoping you're gonna be excited to talk to us about. But before we leave, just a couple rapid-fire questions for you, just so people get to know you a little bit better. The first one tell us about a leadership book that you gift most often.

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

So the book that I gift the most is The One Thing by Gary Keller.

Bianca Barquin:

Ooh, tell us a little bit more about that book. Why do you gift it?

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

Yeah, so the message there, and when you think about the one thing, it's really about doing things well. So keeping what is the one thing at the focal point and really right in front of your eyes every single day. And it's why I talk about what I think about when I get up in the morning. I do stay very centrally focused. Part of it is because the lessons that I learned from that book, and I do read it, I've read it probably maybe eight to ten times. I do gift it because I think when folks realize the one thing that they're here for, their purpose, they can find happiness in that. And really, you measure it, you're like, oh, how are we doing with this? Am I accomplishing things? I do think about that. And for me, the one thing is providing access and opportunities for students. That's my one thing.

Bianca Barquin:

So beautiful and so kismet in a way, because segment one is all your story and your why. And you gift a book that's really about purpose and helping people really discover their why. And it's connected to your core value of future generations. I love it. Second question. First job you ever had, and what did it teach you?

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

So, my first job, I worked at uh a retirement home and we worked in the dining room. It was so much fun. What I learned from that, actually, I worked with a lot of folks that were on my softball team. So we already had this synergy, but I learned that at work you need to show up differently. People are relying on you. Our guests, our the folks who lived at the retirement home, they did not have kitchens in their space in their room. So they were relying on us for their food and companionship. We would go and talk with them when we were serving their food and built relationships with them. And so I think the thing that I learned was that while you're doing something that has purpose, at the root of all things are the relationships. So we were there, yes, to serve our guests, but I was there, I think about a year and a half in high school. We built relationships with folks there. And we did it and we had a lot of fun. We were a team. Like I said, a lot of the girls that I played softball with grew up playing softball with. We all work there. Poor manager. I mean, honestly, I think about it now. I'm like, oh my gosh, we were probably a wreck. But we had fun and we really did care about the people there that lived there. And sometimes some of them had family members that would come and visit, but a lot of them didn't. And so we really became kind of like grandchildren to them. I mean, they would ask us about our games, they would ask us about how school was going. So I think that human connection, I didn't, you're a kid, you don't think about how important human connection is in the workplace. But that job taught me that because I was there in service of folks. And in service doesn't mean sometimes what people think it is that there's people telling you what to do in service means that you're doing that with heart. And that when you care about people, you want to serve them and you want to do that at a high level.

Bianca Barquin:

I want to unpack so much. So I don't want to call these rapid fire questions anymore. I kind of so we're gonna have to change out a little bit. What core values, because you named three, do you connect that to today?

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

Well, the authenticity always shows up. I mean, that's why it is my core value, or I can connect most things back to that. And the fact that I did show up there in who I am, and people were able to get to know me, the guests, the folks who live there, and we call them guests, but really we were their guests and they lived there. Um, you know, got to know me and we were able to build relationships that way. I could still make connections to future generations. I really can. There were so many pieces around them pouring into us as the future generation, and we're building our skills in the things that we were gonna need, not knowing it within ourselves. And I'll say I still do have friendships with many of the girls that we all work together. You grow up and the relationships change, but I know that I can still call on them anytime. Two of them happen to be principals in districts in LA County. And so, yeah, you build and grow who you're gonna become as an adult in those early first job moments, right?

Bianca Barquin:

Thank you. Okay, last question. One thing you wish every parent knew about how to help with reading at home.

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

So I want parents to know that regardless of language, regardless of your level of comfort with reading, you are your child's first teacher. And so read with them, have them read to you. You can add value as a parent. Please do not feel that you are at a disadvantage or that you're not enough, you're not good enough because of language, because of your own educational attainment, do not feel that you can't benefit your student. You are their first teacher. And so I want parents to lean into that and to not shy away from it. Read whatever, you know, read, read in your home language. Those skills transfer. And the bilingual, biliterate student, beautiful. So yeah, I just want parents to know that they add value. Don't discount yourself.

Bianca Barquin:

Would you encourage them to sing, read things that are not just books, signs, whatever?

Dr. Lorraine Pérez:

Yes. And of course, yes, you bring that up as the creative for sure. Yeah. You know, I think about literacy gets built in so many different ways. It's not just from a book. So, yeah, things that are cultural. You know, there's so much wealth in the culture that each of us brings to the table. You think about dichos and different little things that we have culturally, those are all things that are valuable. And so, yes, the songs, the chants, and just reading everywhere. I'm gonna tell you, I didn't know actually, that my dad really didn't know how to read very well. I didn't know that. My mom told me that much later. I do remember sitting with him and reading things to him, but I thought that's because he was building my reading skills and wanted me to read for him. I did not know that his reading ability was not great. And I don't know if it was because of a learning disability. I don't know why. Not until I was an adult did my mom share that with me. And my dad actually passed away when I was 16. So in his life, I while he was alive, I did not know that reading was a challenge for him.

Bianca Barquin:

Thank you for being vulnerable and actually sharing. I think that so many people in our community are gonna benefit from this conversation. Listeners, I am super excited. This is just segment one. Next time, we're gonna be talking about vision and our framework for the future, the graduate profile, our learner model, again, our vision and our mission. So it's something to look forward to. Thank you, Lori. Thank you.