Roxanne Rose is the Assistant Principal at Achieve Academy, Education for Change Public Schools.

“Being a Surge Fellow means being in community with dynamic, critically engaged educational leaders who have a shared vision of collective responsibility for the success of our often overlooked and underserved students. It means having efficacy and building up a network of accomplices while having a safe space to have authentic conversations with other leaders of color in Oakland. The Surge Fellowship is a place for me to stand bold in my convictions, unpack my own identity within the context of the dominant narrative, and build up my own skills and literacy on how to disrupt, reimagine and rebuild oppressive educational systems. For me, I chose Surge because it’s a space to reignite a sense of hope and healing within this work. It is a committed system of care and support that will have a lasting impact as I continue to serve our students and lead the teachers of Oakland.”