2022 ACSA Women in School Leadership Forum

Higher education is linked to higher earning potential, but not all students who graduate are able to pursue a college degree. Minority students and lower-income students are less likely to apply to college than white middle or upper class learners. Dr. Barbara Mullen, Cambridge Public Schools, and Dr. Shelly Viramontez, Campbell Union School District Superintendent, have both pioneered groundbreaking programs in their districts to help break down the inequalities of the college application process.

Port Chester Public schools eradicated the need for college applications by granting any student who obtains a high school degree admission into SUNY Westchester Community College, and Campbell Union School District recently won an award for its Family Engagement Institute which promotes family engagement, college-going culture, school and workforce readiness, and pathways to postsecondary education. These programs support students in their higher education journey and remove inherent inequalities in the broken college admissions system.