Danny Cruz

Danny Cruz joined Communities In Schools of Los Angeles in 2021, as the Site Director at Daniel Webster Middle School. He joined CISLA with over ten years of experience working with students and their families.

During his sophomore year in high school, he joined the Upward Bound program and his dedication to systemic change and liberation through culturally centered learning began. During the Upward Bound summer program, he had his first opportunity to work with students facing education gaps and systemic inequities. While attending college to earn his B.A., he worked with Upward Bound to provide academic skills development, information on college admissions and financial aid, career exposure, and first-hand experience of college life to high school students. Soon after earning his B.A., he went back to school to earn his M.Ed., wanting to make a difference inside the classroom. After years of providing expanded learning services to students at historically underfunded high schools, he became a high school teacher. While teaching, he realized that students’ needs extend outside the classroom and decided to join CISLA. As a Site Director, he provides individualized structures that empower students and promote positive change in their life, with the goal that they become advocates for themselves and their communities.