Dr. Didi Watts | Chief of Staff | dwatts2@lausd.net

Dr. Didi Watts is an accomplished education advocate who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Education with a concentration in Counseling and an Ed.D in Educational Leadership for Social Justice.

As Chief of Staff, Dr. Didi Watts leads a team of five amazing women advising in all areas across our office from communications, family and community engagement, operations and policy. As the chief of staff, she works alongside the board member, providing recommendations as it relates to budget, policy and important issues that may arise.  Her favorite part of her role is working behind the scenes to support equity for all board district 7 constituents.

Didi was born and raised in Board District 7 and has spent close to 30 years as an educator advocating for the needs of Black and Latino students. She served as an LAUSD elementary teacher in South Los Angeles before transitioning into the role of school psychologist. Fueled by a desire to provide excellent support to special education students and families, Didi served as the Assistant Director of Special Education within a charter management organization. Upon receiving her administrative credential, Didi served as a middle school principal focusing on academics while improving school culture and climate. Prior to joining the board district 7 team, Didi was the Vice President of Education for a non-profit in West Los Angeles, supporting students with special needs in non-public and residential placements. 

Outside of work, Didi enjoys vacationing with her husband of thirty years and spending time with their three adult children and two grandchildren.

Emma Watson | Policy Director | emma.watson@lausd.net

Emma Watson is a champion for racial justice and educational equity, dedicated to working with our community to draft equitable policies to create systemic change. A true Bruin, she received both her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Master’s Degree in Public Policy from UCLA.

As Policy Director, Emma engages regularly with students, families, staff and community partners to shape BD7 policy priorities. She ensures the team is well-prepared for LAUSD Board meetings and stays updated on emerging local, state and federal policy issues. She collaborates with the team to coordinate the School Safety and Climate Board Committee chaired by the Board Member. Her favorite part of the job is engaging with the BD7 Student Advisory and Family Advisory Councils to hear their concerns and ideas and support them in developing their policy campaigns. She is incredibly proud of supporting the development and implementation of the “Closing the Digital Divide to Improve Distance & Hybrid Learning” resolution, leading to over 50,000 students having access to free internet connectivity at home. 

She brings her expertise in building community-based policy agendas from her work at Catalyst California, a multi-racial civil rights organization that advocates for racial justice by building power and transforming public systems. Statewide and in Los Angeles, she advocated for whole child equity, equity-based funding, and equitable access to early learning and care. Previously, Emma was a Fellow at the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, a non-profit organization that manages 20 LA Unified District schools in Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles, and Watts. Her value for racial and economic justice is rooted in her experience as a Family Advocate at Early Head Start where she built trusting relationships to support families and their children.
 
Emma’s greatest joy in life is being a mother and seeing her two-year-old son learn and develop. Committed to balance and wellness, she enjoys teaching and practicing yoga, spending time with friends and family and going on runs with her husband. 

Sharnell Blevins | Family & Community Engagement Director | sharnell.blevins@lausd.net

Sharnell Blevins is an exceptional educational equity advocate who believes it takes everyone—families, students, educators, and the community—to ensure students reach their potential. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Pepperdine University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Mount Saint Mary’s University.

As Family and Community Engagement Director, Sharnell is the FACE of Board Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin and Board District 7 in the community. She is often seen having in-depth, invigorating, and insightful conversations with family members, students, staff, and community members throughout BD 7 and beyond. Sharnell cherishes the stories individuals share about their life and educational journeys. She enjoys advocating to ensure students are able to reach their potential, connecting constituents to LAUSD resources and personnel, and exploring potential partnerships to benefit students. Sharnell has more than 30 years of educational nonprofit leadership experience, helping families and the community navigate and advocate for educational equity for students. At Golden State Minority Foundation, she exposed over 5,000 students, from underserved, under-resourced, marginalized communities, to The Joffrey Ballet Academy’s high school students, showcasing their tenacity, endurance, education, and ballet knowledge. During her tenure at the American Cancer Society, she led youth programming throughout Los Angeles County, training over 1,000 teachers and exposing 400,000 youth in tobacco prevention and health education, and served as the chair of LAUSD’s Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Task Force. Sharnell was the Executive Director of the Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce, expanding and enhancing the Chamber’s community profile. Prior to joining the Board District 7 team,  she was the Director of Advocacy for Diversity and Equity at Speak UP where she facilitated the African American and the Local Control Accountability Plan and Local Control Funding Formula Parent Advocacy Teams. 

In the same Board District 7 neighborhood where she grew up, Sharnell lives with her husband and raised their six children. She is a Kindergarten through 12^th grade graduate of LAUSD’s BD 7 schools. As her children navigated their K - 12 journey, she served as a member of a variety of school site, Districtwide, and community leadership committees.

Sharnell is a writer: playwright, author, and poet. She has published in several literary journals and anthologies, and her work has been performed on the stages of noted theater companies.

Marilyn Alvarez | Family & Community Engagement Manager | marilyn.alvarez@lausd.net

Marilyn Alvarez is a driven champion for education who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Cal State Northridge and a Master of Public Administration degree from USC.

As the Family & Community Engagement Manager, Marilyn works to ensure the voices of community members, students and families help influence big decisions coming to the Board. Her favorite part of the job is centering the student voice by meeting directly with students, including leading the Student Advisory Council, to make certain their voice and experiences impact all decisions the BD7 team makes. What she finds especially rewarding is building strategic partnerships to meet the needs of students and families, particularly those living in high-need communities, like her beloved South LA.

Marilyn was born and raised in South Central LA and has dedicated her career to increasing the social capital of low-income, underrepresented students throughout Los Angeles. She began her career at the Los Angeles Education Partnership where she managed the College and Career Pathways program at 11 different LAUSD schools, developing cross-sectoral partnerships to improve student achievement. She has managed after-school programs in Santa Monica and Watts, where she provided enrichment opportunities for students and supported parents in advocating for the needs of their children. Before joining the District 7 team, Marilyn served as the Associate Director of College Access at ScholarMatch, where she helped open the organization’s second college drop-in center in Boyle Heights and worked alongside first-generation students to make their college aspirations possible. Marilyn is fluent in Spanish and American Sign Language.

Marilyn is a Visiting Instructor at the University of the Pacific, where she teaches an online graduate course titled “Understanding Social Impact and Change”. Outside of work, Marilyn enjoys exploring the city of LA with her daughter and 9 year-old yorkie, searching for coffee and brunch spots with friends, and visiting her family in LA and Mexico.

Kimberly Barajas | Operations Coordinator | kimberly.barajas@lausd.net

Kimberly Barajas is an unparalleled visualizer who holds an Associate’s Degree in Psychology from Long Beach City College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from California State University, Dominguez Hills and a Master’s Degree in Behavioral Analysis from National University.

As the Operations Coordinator, Kimberly strategically manages project coordination, systems, scheduling, office operations, events, stakeholder communication, and facilities support in BD7. She finds profound fulfillment in contributing to her own community, where she was educated and continues to live. She is a proud product of LAUSD's Board District 7, deeply connected to her community roots.

Kimberly's career began in Applied Behavioral Analysis, where she excelled as a leader in social skills and parent education, implementing evidence-based interventions. Motivated by empathy and a dedication to her community, she refocused on supporting the schools of Board District 7, which played a crucial role in her own growth.

Outside of work, Kimberly thrives on adventurous travels with her family and friends, exploring new destinations. Her deep passion for soccer, baseball, and music fills her free time, whether attending live sports events or concerts, creating vibrant and memorable experiences. She also cherishes spending quality time with her pug dog.

Alexandria Castellanos | Communications Coordinator | a.castellanos@lausd.net

Alexandria Castellanos is an experienced communications specialist who holds a Associates Degree in Communications and a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations and Advertising  from Cal State Dominguez Hills.

As the Communications Coordinator for Board District 7, Alexandria develops and strategizes clear, accurate, and consistent content. She ensures effective communication on behalf of BD7 and Board Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin through various media platforms, including email, newsletters, in-person interactions, website, press releases, and social media. Alexandria’s passion for creative ideas and visual storytelling inspires her team to produce memorable and impactful campaigns. Her favorite part of the job is the opportunity to engage her creativity with the community, to transform ideas into reality to educate, celebrate, and inspire advocacy.

Before joining BD7, Alexandria was a Student and Family Resource Navigator, where she provided outreach and enrollment services for low and no-cost health insurance programs to families, built collaborative partnerships, and facilitated communication among community partners, school staff, and families. She also served as a site coordinator for an after-school program, where she led events, created marketing campaigns, provided enrichment to students, supervised and mentored staff, and provided families with resources.

She is an LAUSD alumna raised in Southeast LA, and takes pride in giving back to her community through volunteering. She has served as cheer trainer, coach, and vice president for a local youth program in her city, leading teams to national competitions. In her own time, Alexandria enjoys spending quality time with her family, pugs, and friends, traveling to new places, photography, exploring new restaurants, and discovering local gems in Los Angeles.