Frances Marie Gipson, Ph.D., is a clinical associate professor of education in the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University, and also serves as director of the Urban Leadership program.
Most recently, Gipson served as the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) for the second largest school district in the nation, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). As a leader of leaders, she oversaw the instructional plan and capacity building for over 600,000 students in preschool through adult school programs – across over 20 departments.
A highly regarded educator, she has published and designed quality curriculum at the district, state, national, and international levels. With this passion for active learning, she has taught educational leadership at CSULA, UCLA’s Teacher Education Program, and the Principals Leadership Institute.
Gipson believes that “living in the system” and “disturbing the system” are both critical to agency and advocacy for youth, and ensure that our communities are at the center of all decisions. She is inspired to coach, mentor, and support the next generation of urban leaders who will promote flourishing urban school systems.