Dr. Jill Baker is superintendent of Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) in California. The district educates approximately 65,500 students across 84 schools in the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, and Avalon on Catalina Island. LBUSD is the fourth-largest school district in the state and is the largest employer in Long Beach, with more than 12,000 employees.

During her 30-year tenure with LBUSD, Baker worked as deputy superintendent and assistant superintendent; principal; and teacher before becoming superintendent in 2020. Her leadership has contributed to increased student achievement, the development of multiple district-wide initiatives and systems, and a culture of continuous improvement. Baker was named superintendent during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. LBUSD later became the first large school district in California to reopen campuses for in-person learning. As part of the Covid recovery work, Baker developed the district’s Learning Acceleration and Support Plan, blending various resources to provide high-quality learning opportunities.

She is affiliated with various local organizations, foundations, and universities; serves on the board of the Long Beach Schools Financial Credit Union; and is a member of the Los Angeles County Superintendents Advisory Committee. Baker has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Education Champion Award from the Mayor’s Fund and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, and the Secondary Education Award from the Long Beach Branch NAACP, which also recognized her with an Outstanding Women Award. The Teachers Association of Long Beach presented her with a Golden Apple Award for Administrators, and Soroptimists International named her a Woman of Distinction.

Baker earned her doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Southern California and completed the Broad Urban Superintendents Academy. She holds a master’s degree in school administration from California State University, Long Beach and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from University of California, Irvine.