About Maya

Maya Woods-Cadiz is a thoughtful, strategic, and student-first educational leader with more than 20 years of experience in public education and over 11 years of successful service as a superintendent. She is known for her steady leadership, commitment to equity, and belief that strong systems, caring adults, and high expectations can change a child's trajectory. Throughout her career, Maya has focused on strengthening instruction, building principal and teacher capacity, and creating school cultures where students feel supported, challenged, and seen.

Under her leadership, the district she guided achieved outcomes that earned state and national recognition. Every school in the system ranked in the top two to five percent of all California schools according to U.S. News and World Report. Multiple campuses earned the California Distinguished Schools Award and the California Pivotal Practice Award. Her graduates achieved 100% college acceptance for 11 consecutive years, reflecting both academic preparation and a culture of belief in every student's future. These results were the product of her work in instructional redesign, data-driven practices, clear systems, and a deep commitment to closing opportunity gaps for students.

Maya is also known for her ability to build and sustain strong governance practices, align board and organizational priorities, and bring stability and clarity to complex systems. She has strengthened operations, managed multimillion-dollar budgets, improved compliance and audit readiness, and led districtwide efforts to cultivate safe, orderly, and supportive school environments. Leaders frequently seek her out as a thought partner because she listens with intention, asks grounding questions, and helps organizations move forward with purpose and coherence.

A firm believer in the connection between sports and academic success, Maya launched the district's first comprehensive athletic program, which became a championship, award-winning model for student engagement, teamwork, and excellence. She has long understood that athletics can build confidence, character, and a sense of belonging, and she has championed programs that support the whole child.

Maya is a doctoral candidate completing her dissertation in organizational leadership, with research centred on governance coherence and leadership succession. She has completed executive-level leadership training with Harvard Business School Online, Duke University, and the Howard University Superintendent Academy. Across every role, she remains a steady, relational, and principled leader who believes in high expectations, real support, and the shared work of creating futures worthy of every student's promise

.