The RAPSA Advisory Board adheres to the mission and vision of the Association and assists with implementation of goals.

Thought-Leaders, Visionaries, and Experts

Members of our advisory board are community leaders with an interest in working with at-promise students and assisting RAPSA in achieving its goals by challenging us, guiding us, building connections, and marketing us to the business and educational communities.

Roles and Duties:

Members of the Advisory Board commit to the stated mission and vision of RAPSA. The Advisory Board makes recommendations for developing professional development opportunities, creating new goals and objectives, and building connections with other educational associations or individuals.

Advisory Board members are liaisons for RAPSA to the business and educational communities. They assist with communication and marketing RAPSA publications and events. By promoting the goals of RAPSA, Advisory Board members work to achieve the Association mission of improved educational outcomes for all students.

Members meet at least once per calendar year to review RAPSA's goals and mission. Other operations will be conducted via electronic communication and telephone conferences.

Members:

Larry Bell, Co-Chair
Educational Consultant, Motivational Speaker, and Author

Larry Bell is a 25 year veteran in education, both as a classroom teacher and a consultant. He provides workshops on proven strategies for at-risk and gifted student populations.

He is the author of 12 Powerful Words That Increase Test Scores and Help Close the Achievement Gap.

Leslie Fausset
Superintendent, Solana Beach School District 

Currently serving as the Superintendent of the Solana Beach School District, Leslie Fausset has served more than thirty years in public education.  Prior to the Solana Beach superintendency, Leslie was the Deputy/Interim Superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District, the second largest school district in California.

For five years prior to that, Leslie was the Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction for California and had responsibility for Curriculum and Instruction, Preschool and Child Care Programs, Special Education, as well as myriad legislative and program areas.  During her tenure at the California Department of Education, California Academic Standards were developed and approved as well as the California academic accountability system.

Other professional experiences include: classroom teacher; reading specialist; state and federal categorical program coordinator; elementary and middle school principalships; director of communication, evaluation, and staff development; and assistant superintendent of instruction. 

As a classroom teacher and every other position that Leslie has held, a commitment to and belief in the success of every student has been the hallmark of her career.  

Rogeair Purnell

For more than 15 years, Dr. Purnell, the founder of RDP Consulting, has been fortunate to work in a variety of ways to assist low-income individuals improve their lives, those of their families, and the communities in which they live. As an undergraduate, she mentored high school students from East Palo Alto who were participating in an employment program. As a social work intern, she counseled women recovering from substance use in Detroit. As an evaluator, she helped community-based organizations and regional collaboratives in California design and use tools to monitor the success of their efforts to improve residents’ employment opportunities and health. As a volunteer, she supports the work of non-profit organizations providing enrichment and educational opportunities for youth.

Prior to launching RDP Consulting, Dr. Purnell was a Senior Program Officer for Youth at the James Irvine Foundation, having served the Foundation as Program Officer for Youth since April 2005. As a grantmaker, she worked closely with secondary and postsecondary institutions with a particular focus on community colleges to improve academic success for low-income and underprepared students. Many of the projects and multi-site initiatives she managed targeted students entering community college at a pre-collegiate level and employed innovative strategies – learning communities, first-year experience courses, and dual enrollment – to increase students’ retention and persistence rates. She was involved in helping to shape these projects from design through implementation.

Roberto Salinas

Roberto Salinas is currently serving as President of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators. He recently retired after 15 years of service as Superintendent of Schools in the respective communities serving the Dixon, Newman-Crows Landing, and Shoreline Unified School Districts. He also served in a variety of capacities from Teacher’s Aide to Superintendent. Roberto is a former migrant student who understands the obstacles that impact a student’s quest for a quality education. His passion is truly to champion the education for all students and the preparation of the educational leaders who will accomplish this important task.