June 22, 2026

Dr. Debra Duardo | Special to California Black Media Partners

Julian Rojas didn’t grow up imagining himself as a school principal. He grew up imagining his students.

Now in his 13th year in education, Rojas is actively applying for assistant principal positions. What changed? A new program removed the barriers that stood between talented educators and school leadership and gave him the tools to lead differently.
That program is the Diverse Education Leaders Pipeline Initiative (DELPI), and California must act now to save it.

Our state is facing a leadership shortage that mirrors the well-documented teacher shortage. Principals and school leaders shape everything, from how teachers are supported to how families are welcomed through the door. Yet the pathway to becoming one is long, costly, and often inaccessible, with credentialing programs running tens of thousands of dollars at a moment when student debt nationally exceeds $1.7 trillion. For educators of color, the very people whose presence in leadership most benefits our increasingly diverse student population, those barriers are often insurmountable.

DELPI was created to solve this. Through state funding, the program provides up to $30,000 per candidate so educators can earn their administrative credentials at no cost. It pairs that financial support with culturally responsive training, anti-bias coursework and hands-on fieldwork designed to develop leaders who reflect and understand the communities they serve.

Rojas’s experience illustrates what that development actually looks like.

When he entered LACOE’s program, he was already a veteran educator, someone who had served as an interim assistant principal, coached fellow teachers and seen firsthand how school structures shape student outcomes. He knew he wanted to move into administration. “I want to expand my impact and support students at a systems level,” he said. “The structures at a school site and family partnerships directly influence student outcomes. I want to build on that work.”

But DELPI pushed him further than he expected. “It helped me shift my practice from a transactional leader to a transformational leader,” Rojas said. “I’m more intentional about including the perspectives of not just my colleagues, but families and students. Leadership is about creating spaces where people feel seen, heard and valued.”

That shift shows up in his daily work, in the parent workshops he leads, the data conversations he initiates, the deliberate outreach to families that LACOE’s program reinforced as non-negotiable. “I’m more thoughtful now about how I design supports that meet the needs of our diverse learners,” he said, “and how I engage with families as partners in the process.”

His advice to educators considering the program is direct: “Stay consistent and take advantage of the support LACOE provides. Being open to feedback from peers and coaches made a difference. Reaching out for one-on-one support helped me strengthen my work.”

Rojas is not alone. Across California, approximately 300 educators are currently earning their administrative credentials through DELPI — and nearly every available slot has been filled. At LACOE, we are proud to serve as the fiscal lead for one of just 10 DELPI grants statewide, partnering with the Diversity in Leadership Institute, UMass Global, and a consortium of school districts including Compton, Lynwood, Wiseburn, Centinela Valley, and Culver City. Our first cohort of 11 candidates completed the program in December 2025. Our second cohort of 15 is currently underway. A third cohort of 18 is set to begin in January 2027.

This is a program at capacity, with more educators ready to step forward than we can currently support.

The diversity imperative behind this work is stark. Today, roughly 70 percent of administrators in Los Angeles County are white, while our student population is among the most diverse in the nation. Research consistently shows that students benefit when they see themselves reflected in their leaders. DELPI is building a pipeline that begins to close that gap in Los Angeles County, in rural communities that struggle most to recruit qualified leaders, and across the state.

But here is the urgent reality: DELPI is funded on a one-time basis and expires on June 30, 2027. The state budget must be passed by June 15 and signed by the Governor by June 30 of this year. If DELPI is not included in this budget cycle, the program ends and the momentum we have built, the cohorts we are recruiting, the leaders like Julian Rojas who are ready to step forward, will have nowhere to go.

A renewed and modest reinvestment in DELPI will have far-reaching impacts across the state. We are urging state leaders to continue funding for DELPI in this year’s budget without delay.

If we fail to invest in our leadership pipeline today, our schools will face greater instability, our teachers will lack the support they need and our students will be led by administrators who don’t reflect or understand them.

Rojas is ready to be one of those leaders. There are hundreds more like him waiting for the chance. California must not close the door on them now.

About the Author
Dr. Debra Duardo, Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools.