🎙️ Find Your Drill Team – CALSA | Shattering Inequities Podcast

What does it really take to shatter inequities in education?

In this episode of the Shattering Inequities Podcast, host Dr. Robin Avelar La Salle sits down with Ofelia Ceja-Lariviere, Executive Director of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA), for a powerful conversation about leadership, identity, and systemic change.

From her journey as an immigrant student navigating bias and exclusion to her role as a statewide leadership architect, Ofelia shares how CALSA has grown from a small network into a nearly 800-member constellation of leaders committed to equity, depth of knowledge, and authentic followership.

This episode challenges surface-level reform and explores why:

► One great leader is not enough—we need constellations

► Leadership requires credibility, courage, and community

► Mentorship and deep professional learning drive lasting change

► Systems must change so every student can thrive

If you’re an educator, school leader, superintendent, policymaker, or advocate committed to ensuring every child receives a premium education, this conversation is for you.

📌 Key Topics Covered:

► CALSA’s mission and evolution

► Mentoring and developing equity-driven leaders

► Why leadership is lonely—and why community matters

► The difference between authority and followership

► Confronting bias, trauma, and systemic barriers in education

► Building capacity that lasts beyond one initiative or leader

⏱️ Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Shattering Inequities

01:52 Meet Ofelia Ceja-Lariviere

02:33 The Origins and Growth of CALSA

07:51 Mentorship and Leadership Pipelines

13:48 Leadership Challenges in Real School Systems

24:07 Credibility and Followership

26:33 Authentic, Values-Based Leadership

29:37 Building Capacity Across Communities

31:50 Ofelia’s Immigrant Story

39:57 Creating Leadership Constellations

44:04 Collective Wisdom and Systems Change

49:21 Final Reflections and Call to Action

📣 Join the Conversation:

What’s your “not on my watch” moment as a leader or educator? Who is part of your drill team?

Share your reflections in the comments and help us crowdsource solutions that work.