School Leaders
Dr. St. Claire Adriaan, Ed.D. Candidate
Principal, PUC CALS Charter Middle School & Early College High School
Dr. St. Claire Adriaan's journey from Apartheid South Africa to educational leadership in the United States embodies the transformative power of education and the resilience of the human spirit. Despite receiving an inferior K-12 education under apartheid, St. Claire defied the odds and pursued higher education with unwavering determination, earning degrees from Dower College of Education and Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, followed by advanced studies at Rhodes University, American University of Theology, International Institute of Restorative Practices, and Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is currently completing his Ed.D. at the University of Miami.
Since arriving in the United States in 1999, Dr. Adriaan has dedicated his career to ensuring that every student receives the educational opportunities that once seemed beyond his own reach. Beginning as a middle and high school mathematics teacher, his exceptional impact in the classroom earned him the prestigious Disney Teacher Award in 2006. His leadership journey has taken him across the nation, including co-founding Success Preparatory Academy in post-Katrina New Orleans, where he helped rebuild hope and opportunity through education.
As an adaptive and transformative leader, Dr. Adriaan's approach is guided by the Ubuntu philosophy from his native South Africa—"I am because we are"—which drives his deep commitment to social justice and creating authentic belonging for all students. He champions neurodiverse learners and leads with the conviction that schools must be places where students feel welcome and empowered to bring their authentic selves to school each day. His leadership centers on three pillars: engaging families as essential partners, empowering faculty and staff as collaborative leaders, and placing students at the heart of every decision.
A restorative practitioner and published author, Dr. Adriaan has contributed thought leadership on topics including "How School Leadership Influences and Is Influenced by Immigration," "Metacognitive Clarity," and "Ubuntu: Unlocking the Power of Restorative Leadership." His scholarship reflects his lived commitment to equity and transformative educational practices.
As a lifelong learner who has overcome adversity, Dr. Adriaan believes education is the great equalizer. At PUC CALS, he brings this belief to life daily, working tirelessly to ensure that every student receives nothing less than the excellent education they deserve—the kind of education that opens doors, transforms lives, and builds a more just world.
Dr. Ingrid Twyman
Assistant Principal, PUC CALS Charter Middle School & Early College High School
Dr. Twyman is honored to serve as Assistant Principal at PUC CALS Charter Middle and High School, returning to the same Los Angeles community where she started her career and worked for 16 years. Her commitment to culturally responsive education began at age 10 when she visited a friend's school in downtown Seattle and witnessed stark inequities in public education compared to her own elementary school. That eye-opening experience set her on a lifelong journey to question injustices and advocate for all students. She holds an Ed.D. from the University of Southern California in Urban Educational Leadership with a focus on Teacher Education in Multicultural Societies and has over 25 years of experience as a teacher, principal, instructional coach, teacher residency manager, consultant, and advocate working in deep partnership with Latinx communities in greater Los Angeles.
Dr. Twyman's dedication to educational equity is exemplified through her co-founding of the Alumni Teach Project, now known as the PUC Teacher Residency Program, created in strategic partnership with Loyola Marymount University. This groundbreaking program intentionally recruits and prepares Latinx teacher candidates who are alumni from the communities where they will teach, ensuring students have teachers who look like them and understand their experiences. The program has proudly graduated and placed many Latinx teachers back into the schools they attended as children, including CALS Middle School art teacher Ms. Montes de Oca, a former student of Dr. Twyman's.
For the past eight years, Dr. Twyman has provided professional learning and coaching to schools on equity, culturally responsive-sustaining education, multilingual learners, and Social Emotional Learning. She has also served as adjunct faculty at Alder Graduate School of Education and co-authored Amplify Learner Voice through Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Assessment. Dr. Twyman believes deeply in shared ownership, building strong partnerships with families, developing empowered team members, and working collaboratively toward solutions. She is committed to working alongside students, families, and staff to build an equitable learning environment where every child thrives, following the African proverb: "Start where you are, but don't stay there."