Xochitl Soto-Ortiz

Adjunct Professor

Education, Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Biography

Dr. Soto-Ortiz is a high school principal with over 20 years of experience in public education in urban districts of Southern California. Her career began as a bilingual Spanish/English BCLAD certified elementary school teacher before serving as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) School Psychologist at the elementary and secondary level. In addition, she has over seven years of experience as an educational leader and administrator also at the elementary and secondary grade levels. Her research includes the study of Effective Leadership in alternative education settings.

Dr. Soto-Ortiz is passionate about cultivating meaningful relationships with students, families, and staff. Her well-rounded experience as a teacher, a BCBA-School Psychologist, and a site administrator in K-12 settings has given her a robust set of skills, tools, and training to serve the academic needs of diverse student populations in early and secondary education. Growing up as a low-income English Learner and being a first-generation college graduate distinguishes Dr. Ortiz's leadership approach. This firsthand knowledge of struggle broadens her understanding of the unique needs of her diverse students. It enables her to apply her professional acumen with compassionate empathy to achieve positive educational outcomes for her students and staff.

Education

EdD, USC Rossier School of Education
MS, National University
BA, UC Irvine