CCASN Presents:
The Courageous Leadership Series

 

UC Berkeley's CCASN Presents:

Our Next Leader!

Thursday, February 26, 12:00pm – 1:00pm PT

Featured Courageous Leader

dr. nives b. wetzel de cediel

nieves wetzel de cediel

Thursday, February 26, 2026 12:00pm – 1:00pm PT

Rupture As a Means To the End You Said You Wanted, is an invitation to dialogue around the explicit actions and considerations that exemplify this form of courageous leadership. Together we will give voice to the real and particular fears, risks, and benefits of leading organizational transformation. So, “What are you willing to do to catalyze organizational transformation knowing that relational rupture may be necessary?”

dr. nives wetzel de cediel is Director of Field Placement and Supervision in the Berkeley Teacher Education Program (BTEP) program. She directs field supervision for pre-service teacher education candidates. In addition to her role in the BTEP, dr. nives is a lecturer in the Principal Leadership Institute (PLI). Her work is centered on arts integration and creativity in educational leadership. dr. nives supports PLI students to reinvision their perspectives on equity in leadership through engagement with Theater of the Oppressed and the use of metaphor to reflect on and communicate leadership learning experiences.

dr.nives is a graduate of the inaugural cohort of the Leaders for Equity and Democracy (LEAD) program. Her research focuses on embodied and arts based learning and development for teacher educators; those who teach, supervise and coach pre-service k12 teachers. She is a natural and anointed Courageous Leader!

Paired with and informed by her teaching in the PLI and BTEP programs, nives coordinates k12 school and Bay Area community partnerships around building learning communities, antiracist pedagogy and practice, parent and family engagement, visual and performing arts for transformation, and focused recruitment, support, and retention of African American teacher education candidates. nives is a member of an international teacher education advisory group led by the Arctic University of Tromsø, Norway and includes the University of Auckland, New Zealand and UC Berkeley’s School of Education.

Prior to joining the BSE, dr. nives worked as a middle and high school teacher and professional development facilitator for 20 years. She has taught in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland Unified School Districts. CCASN is also deeply fortunate to have dr. nives as the latest addition to the CCASN Faculty Collaborative Advisors!

UC Berkeley's CCASN Presents:

The Courageous Leadership Series

Courageous Leaders!

UC Berkeley’s CCASN Courageous Leadership Series is a learning and leading network designed by leaders who are courageously committed to dismantling systemic inequities inherent in public school structures. Courageous Leaders radically embody and demonstrate the following values of Robert Greenleaf’s Tenets of Servant Leadership:

  • Empathy — Servant leaders genuinely care about the feelings and perspectives of their team members. They strive to understand the needs and concerns of others, which helps create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported
  • Active listening — A crucial skill for any servant leader is the ability to actively listen to others. By giving their full attention to team members, they can better understand their needs, provide constructive feedback, and make informed decisions
  • Humility — Servant leaders recognize that they are not infallible and are open to learning from others. They are willing to admit when they are wrong and seek input from team members to make better decisions
  • Focus on development — One of the primary goals of a servant leader is to help their team members grow both personally and professionally. They provide opportunities for learning, encourage skill development, and offer guidance when needed
  • Encouragement — Servant leaders inspire their teams by offering encouragement and support. They celebrate successes, acknowledge achievements, and motivate team members to reach their full potential
  • Collaboration — A servant leader fosters a collaborative work environment by encouraging open communication, teamwork, and shared decision-making
  • Stewardship — Servant leaders take responsibility for the well-being of their team members and the organization as a whole. They act ethically and responsibly in all aspects of their leadership role
  • Adaptability — Servant leaders embrace change and are willing to adjust their approach as needed to meet new challenges or seize opportunities
  • Essential skills for site, district and community leaders expanding Dual Enrollment and designing Master Schedules for equity-driven College and Career Pathways and Systems!
  • Learning and leading presentations focused on mastering the competencies required for fearless, courageous and strategic leadership within a Beloved Community of Practice committed to leading for equity!
  • Featuring Courageous Leaders, educators, students, community leaders, authors, researchers, partners, advocates ready to share their Courageous Leadership lessons!

As a UC Berkeley Professional Development Provider (UCBPDP), we work to steward authentic, trusting partnerships at the intersections of research, practice, policy, and participatory community engagement, through which we are committed to modeling the practice of Courageous Leadership.

Are you a school, district or community leader working to build equitable and inclusive pathways to college, career and civic life for students furthest from opportunity? Do the facilitative conditions, policies and leaders within your context center the needs of all students? Are you able to expand access to aligned Dual Enrollment opportunities at your site or in your district? Do you need an equity audit to assess the effectiveness of your Master Schedule? Could your leadership team, or Governing Board benefit from principles of collaborative leadership? Answers to these questions and so much more are featured in the Series.

View Highlights from Previous Courageous Leadership Events

Pedagogies of Voice
Shane Safir
October 16, 2025, Featuring authors of Pedagogies of Voice

Shane Safir
School Transformation Leader and Author of The Listening Leader, Street Data

Marlo Bagsik
Transformative Justice Advocate

Dr. Swasan Jaber
Global Educator, and Equity Leader

Finding Your Leadership Soul, With Courage
Carlos Moreno and Dr. Tameka McGlawn
June 12, 2025, Featuring:

Carlos Moreno,
Co-Executive Director, Big Picture Learning
in conversation with
Dr. Tameka McGlawn, CCASN Executive Director

Designing & Structuring Success for All Students
Dr. Gilberto Q. Conchas
April 10, 2025, Featuring:

Dr. Gilberto Q. Conchas,
Former CCASN Executive Director
Pennsylvania State University College of Education
Discussing his recent book
The Color of Success 2.0: Race and Transformative
Pathways for High Achieving Urban Youth

Shifting from Agents of Compliance to Architects of Equity
Cheryl Hibeln and Lori Rhodes
November 14, 2024, Featuring:

Cheryl Hibbeln, Founder & President
IlluminatED Collective
&
Lori Rhodes, Associate Superintendent,
Stanford Public Schools, Connecticut
Discussing their recent book
School Scheduling for Equity

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