Angel Barrett, EdD, is a dedicated educator and visionary leader who recently retired after with over 40 years of experience within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Currently serving as adjunct faculty for both California State University (CSUN) and National University, she recently founded A. J. Barrett and Associates, an educational consultancy firm committed to transforming lives through education. In her consultancy role, Dr. Barrett, along with her team, focuses on empowering schools and districts to build sustainable systems and enhance leadership capacity, with a particular emphasis on advancing cultural proficiency within educational organizations.
Dr. Barrett's transformative leadership is exemplified by her tenure as the principal of Plummer Elementary School, where she turned one of the lowest-performing schools in the LAUSD into a California Distinguished School. Recognizing her outstanding contributions, the National Association of Elementary School Principals honored her as a National Distinguished Principal in 2009. In 2012-2013, as the Lead Instructional Director of the Intensive Support and Intervention Center (ISIC), Dr. Barrett played a pivotal role in restarting 24th Street Elementary School, a groundbreaking initiative that showcased the first "parent trigger" school to remain within the district. Her impact extended to the central office, as Executive Director, K-12 Curriculum and Instruction, where she supported the implementation of the California Office to Reform Education (CORE) waiver in LAUSD and developed systems for implementing Board resolutions. In 2013, she received the Distinguished Educator’s Award from CalState University Los Angeles.
Dr. Barrett's commitment to systemic change and leadership is evident in her involvement with various educational organizations. She served on the Board of Directors for the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and held the position of state co-president of the Elementary Council for ACSA. Additionally, as a commissioner on the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) for the California Department of Education (CDE), she played a crucial role in shaping educational policies. An accomplished author, Dr. Barrett has contributed significantly to educational resources. In addition to collaborating on the Math Framework (2013) and ELA/ELD Framework (2014), she helped lead the adoption of State materials for Math.
Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Barrett launched Angels Wings in 2013, a philanthropic networking group dedicated to changing women's lives through education. In 2019, she furthered her commitment to women's empowerment with the launch of "Shining our Crowns," a women supporting women group. Dr. Angel Barrett's multifaceted contributions to education, leadership, and philanthropy underscore her as a trailblazer committed to making a lasting impact on the lives of students, educators, and women in her community and beyond.
Dr. Barrett currently serves as the Assistant Executive Director for the California affiliate of ASCD.
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