DIAL EE Fellows

Eileen Aguba Chen is the Superintendent of Robla School District in Sacramento County. Eileen is a longtime educator with deep experience as a collaborative leader with a focus on building academic goals, instructional programs, and professional development. Prior to her appointment as Superintendent at Robla School District, Eileen was the Executive Director of Educational Services at Pittsburg Unified School District (PUSD). She began her career as a high school math teacher at PUSD and then served as an elementary school principal for four years at Los Medanos Elementary School. From there, Eileen went to work in the PUSD’s central office, where she began to oversee the elementary grades. 

Eileen holds a BS in Mathematics from California Polytechnic State University, and earned her Administrative Credential and Master’s in Educational Leadership from California State University, East Bay. She is a member of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and California Association of Asian & Pasifika Leaders in Education (CAAPLE).

Roberta Gonzalez is a Coordinator III at the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) in the Multilingual Academic Support unit. A former principal and reading coordinator, she supports districts in Los Angeles County with a range of topics addressing multilingual learners including: supporting dual language learners; English Language Development (ELD); and dual language immersion.

In her past roles, Roberta served as the Assistant Director for the UCLA program for Integrated School and Community Solutions, and was a consultant with the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Early Learning Support Unit. Most recently, Roberta was the Director of the Early Learning Program in El Rancho Unified School District where she spearheaded the implementation of curricular reforms to improve program quality within the district’s Early Learning Program. During her time in ERUSD, she served as a member of the administrative cabinet and facilitated the district’s continuous improvement efforts that included: MTSS development; UDL implementation; LCAP development and monitoring; and Expanded Learning programming.  

Roberta holds a BA in Political Science from Stanford University and an EdM in Education Administration from Harvard University.

Christie Herrera started her career as a Special Education Teacher. In 2007 she began working in Oakland Unified School District as an Elementary Coordinator for the Special Education Department. At that time, she supported students, families, and staff in grades Birth to 5th grade. In 2010, she was the founding Principal of the Burbank Preschool Center. In this role, she supported all preschool special education programs throughout the district. In 2015 she transitioned to the Early Childhood Department as the Director. Most recently, Christie served in the role of the Executive Director of Early Learning in Oakland Unified School District, supporting all preschool and transitional kindergarten programs, including the oversight of enrollment, budgeting, staffing, and community-based outreach. Christie led the department with a deep focus on increasing quality education for all young learners in the district. While at Oakland Unified School District, Christie co-led the Oakland Starting Smart and Strong collaborative with a focus on aligning all early learning efforts in the City of Oakland. Christie believes early childhood education is a catalyst for high student achievement. She also believes in creating positive and meaningful inclusion opportunities for all students.

Christie holds a B.A. in Special Education from Gonzaga University with an Education Specialist Instruction Credential (MMSN and ESN) and an Administrative Services Credential. She received her M.A. in Educational Leadership and her doctorate in Education Leadership from Mills College.

Melvetta Owens comes from a long line of educators, including her great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother who were both teachers and principals in little schoolhouses in Mississippi. It’s natural that Melvetta’s heart and passion have been in working to ensure all student regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or language has the opportunity to succeed in school and in life. She believes this starts in preschool.

Melvetta taught a diverse population of students in grades K, 1st, 4th, 5th, and middle school in the Lansing School District (Lansing, MI) and the Lemon Grove School District (Lemon Grove, CA). As a classroom teacher for fifteen years, she proactively monitored students learning, developed curriculums with staff, and implemented plans for improving student success. Outside of teaching, she took on a variety of leadership roles; interim principal, principal designee, beginning teacher support provider, and master teacher.

In 2011, Melvetta transitioned into the position of Program Manager for AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination). She traveled the country coaching over 50 school districts and preparing elementary students for college and career readiness. In this role, she also designed, developed and delivered curriculum, professional learning that focused on effective teaching practices, supporting leadership, and raising achievement for all students while closing the achievement gap.

Currently, Melvetta is the Coordinator of Early Childhood Education for the Lemon Grove School District. As the coordinator, she is responsible for overseeing the district’s California State Preschool Program (CSPP), Special Day Class Preschool Program (SDC), and supporting community preschool families. As an advocate for quality early learning and care, Melvetta is committed to providing high-quality preschool education for the youngest learners.

Melvetta earned her M.A in Educational Leadership from San Diego State University and her B.A in Communication and Political Science from Michigan State University.

Noemi Valdes is the Director of Early Childhood Education Programs for the Oxnard School District (OSD). OSD is located in Oxnard, California, the largest city in Ventura County. Established in 1873, the Oxnard School District has 21 schools serving slightly over 15,000 students of diverse ethnicities. English Learners make up 51.8% of the student population, 85.5% are social-economically disadvantaged and 0.5% of the students are Foster Youth. The District teachers, staff and administrators are committed to providing students access and equity to enrich the educational experiences of their students. Recognizing that their students’ home languages represent a powerful asset for themselves and their community, the district is committed to building strong, research-based and standards-driven biliteracy programs across the district. In addition to providing opportunities for their children, the district celebrates the linguistic and cultural backgrounds of the community. The district is committed to ensuring students receive an academic educational program that prepares them for college and career. The district values the collaborative relationship established between staff and the community. Parents/Family support and engagement are at the forefront of district goals. As a district, OSD believes that the education of their students is a collaborative effort and therefore, they work to strengthen relationships regularly by empowering parents to be change agents and partners in education. The district operates eight CSPP sites, providing half-day preschool, and health and social services to 370 students. Oxnard School District preschools proudly hold Advanced or High Quality QCVC ratings.

Noemi’s career in education began right out of high school, as a Bilingual Instructional Assistant in the Oxnard School District (OSD), supporting teachers and students in Kindergarten-5th grade. She left the district after several years, but returned in 1994 to provide mental health prevention and early intervention services to Kindergarten through 3rd grade students experiencing mild to moderate social adjustment difficulties. The district’s collective focus has been to bring and maintain early identification and intervention opportunities to our school community. Opportunities coming to fruition and where Noemi had a direct role in implementation include; SB65 Pupil Motivation and Maintenance grants, First 5/Oxnard Neighborhoods for Learning contracts, opening new and modern preschool facilities, and increasing CSPP spaces. As an Outreach Specialist for many years, Noemi coordinated the RtI efforts of preschool-5th grade students, utilizing case management procedures to address and mitigate academic, attendance, and behavior concerns, providing direct services to students, and serving as a liaison between school, families, and community-based services.