Congratulations to Dr. Jake Gordon who is the new Executive Director of Schools effective May 1, 2024.
Dr. Gordon brings a wealth of experience to his new role where he has been a principal for 13 years across different SIATech sites, and Dr. Gordon was a SIATech teacher for three years. His service has included SIATech at Inland Empire Job Corps, SIATech at Los Angeles Job Corps, and the two SIATech Academy South sites of East LA and Downtown LA.
Dr. Gordon will spend the remainder of the 2023-24 school year familiarizing himself with our principals and their schools, processes and curriculum. In turn, Dr. Gordon plans to use the summer months to strategically plan for a strong 2024-2025 school year.
"I’m looking forward to learning alongside with our Principals all of the powerful work they are doing at their schools and how to increase our overall impact in the communities that we serve. It’s an exciting opportunity to collaboratively enhance our strong supports that already exist at our schools alongside our Principals and their teams that they lead. I’m excited to travel to our schools on a regular basis to listen and observe best practices in the field and being able to gather them to share at our monthly principal meetings and with other central office departments," Dr. Gordon commented.
In his time between roles at SIATech, Dr. Gordon held leadership roles as a Director, Executive Director, and Chief Executive Officer at different charter school organizations in Los Angeles. A Bay Area native, Dr. Gordon began his career teaching social studies.
"I love working with At-Promise students because of their highly skilled abilities to create opportunities for themselves and their families irrespective of the systemic oppression that many of them have faced for most of their lives. I’m an At-Promise student myself, growing up as a Filipino youth in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s a deep connection for me in my service with At-Promise students and creating opportunities alongside them that didn’t exist when I was in High School."
Dr. Gordon earned his Bachelor’s from San Jose State University, and his Masters and Ed.D. from Cal State Long Beach in Educational Leadership.
"I think one of the biggest differences SIATech provides to our students is a whole human approach to education, centered on an unconditional love for who they are and accepting them for their authentic selves. We truly listen to our students and see the brilliance they already possess, understanding that they are giving us a second chance on school and not the other way around. We work tirelessly with love, commitment and passion to ensure our students feel a sense of 'home' at our schools and develop learning experiences that place their hopes, dreams, and aspirations at the center of their journey towards a deeper critical consciousness of the world as they explore career and college along the way," Dr. Gordon said.
Congratulations Dr. Gordon on his new role as Executive Director of Schools for SIATech high schools!