Los Angeles Unified School District Chief Academic Officer Dr. Frances Gipson was recently honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University in recognition of her professional excellence and positive impact on the community.

As the top administrator in the LAUSD’s Division of Instruction, Gipson oversees academic strategies for more than 600,000 students in preschool through adult school. She formerly served as superintendent of Local District East and director of professional development and partnership at UCLA’s Center X.

Gipson previously received the Excellence in Urban Leadership Award from Claremont Graduate University and has been honored with the regional Administrator of the Year Award from the Association of California School Administrators and the Tae Han Kim Award for Humanitarian and Cultural Accomplishments.   Gipson began her career in public school education more than 20 years ago, teaching primary grades at 107th Street Elementary School and later served in a variety of capacities in the district.