Change Agent Spotlight: Principal Letty Gonzalez of South San Francisco Unified School District
At Partners in School Innovation, we believe in the transformative power of "Results-Oriented Change Agents" (ROCAs), or simply "Change Agents." These are equity-focused education leaders who dedicate themselves into ensuring every student can thrive. They possess an unwavering commitment to navigating the complex challenges faced by under-resourced schools and districts, always finding ways to foster community collaboration and ignite sustainable, positive change. (For further details on what makes these inspiring individuals so impactful, please consult our Change Agent Framework and Rubric.)
Image description: A photo of three smiling people stand behind rows of brand new bicycles in a parking lot that were donated to elementary school students in South San Francisco Unified School District.
Partners in School Innovation and Principal Letty Gonzalez
Letty Gonzalez is a transformative leader making significant strides in education in the South San Francisco Unified School District (SSFUSD). Having a passion for problem solving, leadership, and making a difference, Letty found her calling in education after first working in international education and nonprofit work. Through teaching, leadership, and continued learning, she now leads as a principal at Sunshine Gardens Elementary School (SGES).
The district’s new five-year plan is designed to help SSFUSD bring its portrait of a graduate to life—defining the knowledge and skills students need to thrive beyond high school. Our partnership with SSFUSD supports their efforts to strengthen instruction, advance equity, and bring their portrait of a graduate to life – ensuring every student is prepared to succeed beyond high school.
Image description: The district’s Portrait of a Graduate. A graphic of a navy blue graduation cap divided into four quadrants, each representing a key skill or outcome for students. Dotted yellow lines connect each quadrant to its corresponding text around the edges of the image. Top left: LEARN constantly as their life and world change. Top right: NAVIGATE their futures purposefully. Bottom left: IMPACT their communities for the better. Bottom right: THRIVE as a person.
Letty recently shared in Partners in School Innovation Community more about her background, what she and her team are currently learning at SGES, and what they are looking to do more of in the future.
Getting to know Principal Letty Gonzalez
"From a young age, I’ve been drawn to problem-solving, leadership, and making a difference. I went from wanting to be a police officer, to a doctor, to a lawyer—until I finally found my true calling in education. My path to school administration wasn’t a straight shot—I tried different roles in international education and nonprofit work before realizing my passion for supporting teachers and students.
Over the years, through teaching, leadership roles, and continued learning, I grew into the role I have today. A big part of that journey has been working with Paula through Partners in School Innovation, which has helped me grow in instructional leadership and teacher support. Looking back, it’s been a mix of reflection, mentorship, and taking chances, and I’m grateful to be in a career where I get to learn, grow, and make an impact every day."
What is a practice or resource that you’ve used that has helped your school?
"I’d love to share the teacher observation and feedback template that has been incredibly useful in my work. Originally created by Partners in School Innovation, we adapted it to align with our teacher self-reflection survey, making it an even more powerful tool for supporting growth.
It helps structure observations by capturing key strengths, areas for improvement, and actionable next steps in a way that fosters meaningful reflection and coaching conversations. By connecting it to teachers’ own self-assessments, we’ve been able to create more targeted and supportive feedback loops."
When schools establish consistent and supportive feedback loops like this, it builds a culture where continuous improvement feels doable–not overwhelming. Teachers get the right support at the right time, and that leads directly to stronger instruction and better outcomes for students. Tools like the Observation & Feedback Template help make that process more focused, more collaborative, and, ultimately, more impactful.
Learning opportunity: Transform how you communicate challenges and successes, and learn how strategic storytelling can be your greatest ally in education reform. Turn everyday experiences into powerful tools for advocacy and improvement in our self-guided course “Using Stories to Drive Change.”
What lies ahead for your school and where are you growing?
Letty asked the following in the Partners in School Innovation Community:
“I’d love to hear from others about the best ways to support teacher reflection and goal-setting. We’ve been using our adapted teacher self-reflection survey, and I want to make sure it leads to real growth and meaningful conversations. How have you gotten teachers to really engage with their self-assessments and take ownership of their development? How have you made them more comfortable to utilize coaching or peer observations?"
Here’s what our Community members eagerly shared:
Our self-guided course “Using Stories to Drive Change” and the embedded Stories that Catalyze Change guide have protocols for surfacing stories and data to drive reflection
The “Stop/Start/Continue [framework] always produces something helpful.”
“First [set] a tone with teachers that when we meet, we will reflect and dig into deeper questions and wonderings about the work and our thoughts about the work. Self-reflection is a skill and a practice like any other teaching ‘moves’ and for many of us it’s not yet totally normalized nor automatic.”
Self-reflection “requires vulnerability and trust, so I try to do my best to model that self-reflection and show up with vulnerability.”
Thank You Principal Letty Gonzalez of South San Francisco Unified School District
We thank Letty for being a true Results-Oriented Change Agent (ROCA) who is determined to and drives action toward ensuring student success and equity in education. We appreciate all of the Change Agents out there making their mark on education and students’ lives.
We invite you to get to know Letty and others in the Partners in School Innovation Community where 650+ equity-focused leaders in education are sharing resources weekly.
