Sandra Cano '99, Ed.D. '18

Sandra Cano '99, Ed.D. '18, has been selected as the new executive director of City Year Los Angeles. City Year is an AmeriCorps program which places young adults alongside teachers in systemically under-resourced schools to improve academic outcomes and provide social emotional support for students.

Cano is a lifelong educator, former teacher, and principal. Before joining City Year, she oversaw 72 high schools at LAUSD’s Beyond the Bell afterschool program, where she worked with a variety of nonprofit and private sector partners who collectively provide $15 million annually to run the District's programs.

Raised in Baldwin Village and South Los Angeles, Cano’s lived and professional experience closely reflect City Year's mission, values, the corps members we recruit and the students we serve.

Cano has dedicated her career to seeking equitable access to high-quality education for all students, which will be particularly critical as students and corps members integrate back into schools that have been hit hardest by the pandemic.

Cano earned bachelor's degrees in American literature and culture as well as Chicana/o studies. She returned to UCLA for her doctorate in educational leadership, focusing on the needs of long-term English language learners in her dissertation.