Amber Valdez

Overview

Amber Valdez (she/her) directs a body of work on systems change and leadership with a focus on designing and leading systems for equity. Valdez brings 2 decades of experience consulting with state and local leaders on strategy, organizational development, system improvement, policy implementation, and capacity building. Her expertise includes strategic planning, cross-sector/interagency collaboration, systems of support, continuous improvement, human-centered design, complex systems change, and equity leadership.  

Valdez directs and advises on a range of state and local systems transformation projects. She has served as a senior technical assistance provider with the U.S. Department of Education’s Comprehensive Centers Program, the National Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety, and the California Center for School Climate at WestEd. Valdez directed the implementation of two state-mandated workgroups to develop policy recommendations for improving (a) California’s school-based Medicaid system and (b) California’s system for transitioning 3-year-old children with disabilities from Part B to Part C IDEA programs, leading to enduring statewide system improvements in school-based health and early childhood development. She recently led the development of a framework on participatory systems change, which has been adopted by California’s Community Engagement Initiative, a statewide program to strengthen the capacity of schools and districts to implement effective community engagement practices.

Before her tenure at WestEd, Valdez consulted with public and private entities on organizational strategy and leadership and served as the Executive Director of the Oakland Public Education Fund. Valdez is also a certified improvement coach and a member of Education Leaders of Color. As a first-generation college graduate, coach, and organizational leader, Valdez is committed to helping leaders thrive and to designing equitable community-serving systems. 

Education

• EdD in educational leadership, Mills College 
• MA in educational leadership, Mills College 
• BA in women’s studies, ethnic studies, Mills College 

Select Publications

Valdez, A., Bell, A., Derby, K., Dolle, J., Fitzpatrick, R., Rovins, M., Walrond, N., & Willis, J. (2024). Systems change at WestEd: Six guiding principles. WestEd. 

Valdez, A., Walrond, N., & Cerna, R. (2024). Essential conditions for advancing and sustaining cross-sector collaboration: A reflection guide for child-, youth-, and family-serving agencies. California Center for School Climate at WestEd. 

Valdez, A., Cerna, R., & Hashmi, S. (2023). Participatory systems change for equity: An inquiry guide for child-, youth-, and family-serving agencies. California Center for School Climate & Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety. WestEd. 

Valdez, A., Hashmi, S., & Diaz, J. (2023). Advancing and sustaining student and staff wellbeing initiatives: A resource guide for states. The Council of Chief State School Officers and WestEd. 

Romer, N., Valdez, A., Alcalá, L., Diaz, J., Gurrola, E., McClellan, P., & McCullough, S. (2022). Improving coordination and access to comprehensive school-based mental health services in California: A preliminary landscape analysis. WestEd. 

Bowman, A., Valdez, A., Krausen, K., & Donahue, C. (2021). Getting better at getting more equitable: Addressing racial inequities in education using equity-driven continuous improvement. WestEd. 

California Department of Education, California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, & WestEd. (2020). Serving students with disabilities: A resource for assessing the basic components of your special education infrastructure. WestEd. 

Valdez, A., Takahashi, S., Krausen, K., Bowman, A., & Gurrola, E. (2020). Getting better at getting more equitable: Opportunities and barriers for using continuous improvement to advance educational equity. WestEd.

Honors, Awards, and Affiliations

Ed Myers Award for Exceptional Contribution to the WestEd Community