Ja'Melia Pugh

I’m an educator, organizational leader, and community builder with nearly two decades of experience working alongside children, families, educators, and communities. I grew up in Oakland and have spent my career thinking deeply about a simple but important question: How do we create environments where people have what they need to thrive?

I’ve been part of the Creative Arts Charter School (CACS) community since 2020, where my work and leadership have continued to evolve. I began at CACS as an instructional leader while still teaching and have since served in several leadership roles, including Director of African American Achievement, Middle School Director, and now Director of Lower School. My journey at CACS has given me the opportunity to lead across grade levels and experience the school from multiple perspectives—from classroom instruction and teacher development to equity-centered leadership, strategic operations, family and community engagement, and schoolwide systems.

That progression reflects much of what I love about leadership: developing people, strengthening communities, solving complex problems, and building systems that help both students and adults thrive.

Before joining CACS, I served as an Assistant Principal and worked as a Program Manager in the educational nonprofit sector. As I enter my 18th year in education, my career has spanned traditional public schools, charter schools, and nonprofit organizations in both Washington, D.C. and the Bay Area.

I earned my B.S. in Elementary Education from Florida A&M University and my M.A. in Educational Leadership with an emphasis on social justice from Mills College.

At the heart of my work is a commitment to possibility. I believe children should be exposed to a world bigger than the one immediately in front of them, educators deserve environments where they can continue to grow, and communities are strongest when people feel seen, valued, and empowered. My leadership is both people-centered and strategic: I care deeply about people while also building the structures and systems that allow communities to thrive.

Outside of my professional life, I’m a proud FAMU alum, music lover, budding writer and entrepreneur, and a Oakland girl through and through. I dream about creating community spaces centered around books, literacy, culture, joy, and connection—and finding new ways to make an impact beyond the walls of a school.

At my core, I’m down-to-earth, curious, direct, and deeply people-centered. I believe in dreaming big, doing meaningful work, laughing along the way, and leaving people and places better than I found them.