Distinguished California Educational Leaders Headline 2nd Annual CLEAR Mentoring Summit

FRESNO, Calif., Aug. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Lozano Smith, LLP, a leading California education and public agency law firm, is pleased to continue its partnership with the Center for Leadership, Equity and Research and announce the 2^nd Annual CLEAR Mentoring Summit to be held on October 25, 2013 at California State University, Fresno. The event brings educators, community organizers and business sector leaders from across the state together for a one-day summit focused on eliminating educational and social disparities via advocacy, leadership development and mentoring.

The summit provides great accessibility for attendees to hear from distinguished speakers and panelists, all of whom have a profound impact on closing the achievement gap and addressing the intricacies of a culturally proficient society within education. The guest speakers include:

Carlos A. Garcia – Keynote Speaker
Mr. Garcia served as a Superintendent of Schools for sixteen years in four distinctive school districts. His experience in running such diverse and complex systems makes him uniquely qualified as a transformational national leader in not only closing the achievement gap, but also as a torchbearer for equity and social justice for all students and their communities.

Darline P. Robles, Ph.D. – Guest Panelist
Dr. Robles is currently a Professor of Clinical Education at the Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California. Dr. Robles recently retired after serving eight years as the first Latina County Superintendent of the Los Angeles County Office of Education. In 2009, and again in 2011, Dr. Robles was named a Top 100 Influential Hispanic American.

Carmella S. Franco, Ed.D. – Guest Panelist
Dr. Franco most recently completed her tenure as Interim Superintendent for the Compton Unified School District. She has served as President of a number of organizations, including California City School Superintendents and the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators. Her mantra has been "I will do anything I can to see that students receive the quality education they deserve."

Maria G. Ott, Ph.D. – Guest Panelist
Dr. Ott served more than seven years as Superintendent of the Rowland Unified School District and most recently joined the USC Rossier School of Education in October 2012. In this new role, Dr. Ott draws upon her extensive experience in urban and suburban districts, including her work on cultural proficiency, while also contributing to educational literature about the importance of cultural proficiency in closing achievement gaps.

"We are truly humbled to have such passionate experts join CLEAR in its mission and our second annual summit," said Dr. Ken Magdaleno, Executive Director of CLEAR. "Each of the guest presenters has played such a large role in leading educational agencies, mentoring staff and ultimately providing a collective voice for all students and communities who seek equitable opportunities. We are encouraged by the widespread support of our mission, and motivated when organizations such as Lozano Smith come alongside us to further the cause."

The event will be held at California State University, Fresno from 7:30am – 4:00pm on October 25, 2013. Additional event details, including speaker biographies, can be found online at clearvoz.com/professional-learning/lifting-as-we-climb-2nd-annual-mentoring-summit/. Registration is now open at clearsecondmentoringsummit.eventbrite.com/. This conference is designed to be attended by PreK–12 teachers and administrators, higher education staff, faculty, administrators, business and foundation leaders, school board members, college students, nonprofit directors and staff, and community leaders.

About Lozano Smith

Lozano Smith is a full-service education and public agency law firm serving hundreds of California's K-12 and community college districts, universities, and numerous cities, counties, and special districts. Established in 1988, the firm prides itself on fostering longstanding relationships with administrators and public officials, while advising on complex, ever-changing laws. This allows clients to stay focused on what matters most – the success of their district, students and communities they serve. Lozano Smith has offices in Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, Petaluma, Redding, Sacramento, San Diego and Walnut Creek. For more information about Lozano Smith or to see attorney bios, visit www.LozanoSmith.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also download the Lozano Smith App.

Contact: Andy Garcia
Executive Director
559.431.5600
[email protected]

SOURCE Lozano Smith, LLP