About Mayra Cruz
Mayra Cruz understands first-hand the importance of equity and high-quality bilingual education. The daughter of immigrants, she attended bilingual schools in the Bay area. As she worked with the youth in her community, Mayra saw the need to share her experiences and values with others in the classroom. She served as principal at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School in DC Public Schools from 2014-2021. In 2020 the school was awarded the National Blue Ribbon in the Exemplary High Performing Schools category and Mayra was also recognized as a National Blue Ribbon principal that year.
Before becoming a school principal, Mayra was a dual language teacher. A conversation with a colleague during that time caused her to make a shift and work to empower educators to own their power and recognize their students’ talents and power. She went on to serve as an instructional coach and an assistant principal. She is now a founding member of The Canizales Group and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.
In 2014, Mayra had the opportunity to step into what she called a “very fitting principalship” at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School. Oyster-Adams is one of the oldest bilingual schools in the nation and Mayra leaned into her values and the experiences she had as a young bilingual learner to help shape the vision of the school as a place where all students can “be bold, be brave, and bilingual”. Mayra believes the community is crucial to the success of the school. One of the biggest lessons she learned as principal is you can’t do anything without the parents and families and “when we all stay curious, that’s when the community gets stronger.”
Before becoming a school principal, Mayra was a dual language teacher. A conversation with a colleague during that time caused her to make a shift and work to empower educators to own their power and recognize their students’ talents and power. She went on to serve as an instructional coach and an assistant principal. She is now a founding member of The Canizales Group and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.
In 2014, Mayra had the opportunity to step into what she called a “very fitting principalship” at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School. Oyster-Adams is one of the oldest bilingual schools in the nation and Mayra leaned into her values and the experiences she had as a young bilingual learner to help shape the vision of the school as a place where all students can “be bold, be brave, and bilingual”. Mayra believes the community is crucial to the success of the school. One of the biggest lessons she learned as principal is you can’t do anything without the parents and families and “when we all stay curious, that’s when the community gets stronger.”
“Especially when it comes to equity and all the intersectionalities of identity and the students that we serve, self work is never truly done. You have never arrived when it comes to understanding inequities, how they are transforming, how different parts of you are perceived or received, and how that's different from other people in this world. Those who think they have arrived risk making the gravest mistakes.”
