Nicole DiRanna

Nikki started her journey in education 20 years ago as a biology teacher in Compton Unified School District. There she won several awards for teaching including Teacher of the Year and the Carlston Family Foundation Outstanding Teacher of America Award. In Compton USD, she held many leadership positions such as Team Leader, PLC Coordinator, WASC Coordinator and Professional Learning Coordinator. After 10 years in Compton, she accepted as position as Assistant Principal in San Marcos Unified School District. Through her tenure, Nikki has held several leadership positions including Director of two professional learning grants, Career Technical Education and Principal/Director of Virtual Learning. She received an Administrator of the Year Award from California Science Association of Educators in 2020 and recently was promoted to Director of K12 Equitable Curriculum and Instruction for San Marcos Unified School District.

Nikki is a passionate educator who has a clear focus on developing equitable practices for both leaders and teachers. In the last year she has led Equity work within the district and produced an Equity and Empathy Conference for the staff of SMUSD in which over 500 staff were in attendance. The conference hosted several keynote speakers and hosted over 28 breakout sessions led by community members, teachers, parents and students. Nikki currently lives in Oceanside California with her husband Brian 3-year old son Keaton, and Pretzel, the dog.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter @msdiranna or connect with her on LinkedIn.