Senior Advisor
Dr. Leighangela Brady
Dr. Leighangela Brady, Ed.D., is a recently retired California superintendent with three decades in public education, including nearly ten years as Superintendent of the National School District in San Diego County — the first woman to lead the district in its 150-year history. A former bilingual teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent of educational services, she is a nationally published author and a recognized voice on instructional leadership, formative assessment, equity, and organizational change. At School Leaders, she advises superintendents, boards, and district leadership teams on executive leadership, strategic planning, and educational services.
“A recently retired superintendent and nationally published author, Dr. Brady brings three decades of instructional and organizational leadership to the districts School Leaders serves — with a proven record of equity, innovation, and system-wide change.”
Background
Dr. Leighangela Brady, Ed.D. brings three decades of California public education leadership to the School Leaders team. She most recently served as Superintendent of the National School District in San Diego County from 2016 to 2026 — the first woman to lead the district in its 150-year history. Over nearly ten years at the helm, she guided a district of roughly 4,000 students across ten campuses, where 100% of students qualify for free and reduced-price meals, through a period of instructional innovation, digital transformation, and organizational change.
Dr. Brady began her career as a bilingual teacher in the Cajon Valley Union School District, working primarily with English learners from Spanish-speaking and Middle Eastern backgrounds. She went on to serve as a literacy coach and administrative facilitator, as Vice Principal in the Santee School District, and as Principal and later Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in the Encinitas Union School District before being appointed superintendent.
As superintendent, she led the National School District's work toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through the district's #NSDnow initiative and earned California Green Ribbon gold-level recognition. She equipped every student with an iPad and partnered with T-Mobile to provide home internet hotspots before the COVID-19 pandemic, and made the district's sixth-grade outdoor education camp free for every family.
A recognized thought leader in instructional practice, Dr. Brady is the co-author of two books — Transforming Ice Age Schools: A Practical Guide for School Leaders and Test Less, Assess More: A K–8 Guide to Formative Assessment. She serves on the Advisory Council of the Learner-Centered Collaborative and completed the USC Rossier School of Education's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certificate program.
Dr. Brady holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Administration from San Diego State University, and both a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Connecticut. At School Leaders, she advises superintendents, school boards, and district leadership teams on executive leadership, strategic planning, educational services, and organizational change — helping California districts strengthen the systems that serve students.
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