Executive Director's Message

In the past few weeks every person I have met who is even remotely connected to ECCLA has welcomed me with warmth and enthusiasm.  And each person has told me, in nearly identical words, “these are all great people.”  ECCLA aims to serve teachers and principals, and through them to serve children and families.  In such work, “great people” make all the difference.  Our “great people,” then, explain ECCLA’s success to date. 

The more I learn about what ECCLA has to offer, however, the more I would like to see us reach into our chosen community more broadly and deeply.  We offer information and connections, possibilities and support, to teachers and other educators.  Those educators may be new to the field, new to the area, new to a school, or just buried in the challenges of keeping a classroom full of diverse children interested and participating.  Unfortunately, the richness of resources available to support those teachers is one of the best-kept secrets in this region.  ECCLA has worked hard to remedy that situation for 18 years.  Still, the farther away one goes from the hub where our institutional members are located, the less likely one is to find schools connected to the programs that we and our institutional members have to offer.  So I enter this new position firmly grounded in the work that has gone before, and committed to doing even more of what we do best—connecting teachers with resources, and with each other. 

I grew up in Southern California, a product of our public school system, in its hey-day, all the way through UCLA.  My excellent education helped me gain a degree from Yale Law School and find success in environmental advocacy in Washington, D.C.  Eventually, however, the pull of home and family became too strong to resist.  We moved back in 2000, and fell in love with Central L.A. five years ago.  Since then my desire for connection to my home has lead me to volunteer at museums and in community clean-ups, join block clubs, serve on the neighborhood council, plant trees, and even organize parents into a PTA.  Working with the wonderful people of ECCLA makes a very logical step for me, and I can hardly wait to share ideas, resources and connections with educators all over Central L.A.  Thanks for the great welcome!

Sincerely,

Jacqueline Hamilton