The Your Story Matters Podcast Episode 32: Dr. Simone Charles

Our brains are hardwired for connection and stories. This podcast is all about amplifying both. Now more than ever our stories matter. On this episode of The Your Story Matters Podcast I am privileged to have a conversation with Dr. Simone Charles. Dr. Simone Charles is a high school principal in Los Angeles and Option Schools Principal of the Year for ACSA Region 16. In 2025 she became the President of the Council of Equity Leaders at state ACSA. The lasting impact of a solid education is paramount to Charles. Continuing her life’s work to support diverse students, Charles focuses on racial and gender inequality within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Her goal is to expand the trajectory of females of color in STEM and enable them to pursue higher learning opportunities. Charles holds a B.A. in Communications, a M.A. in Bilingual Multicultural Education from California State University Dominguez Hills, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy (ELAP) at Pepperdine University. Charles was honored as one of Councilman Curren Price’s 2017 SHeros for her accomplishments working with minority students and she presided over the Council of Black Administrators (COBA) as president from 2016-2018. A committed educator for over 30 years, Charles’ achievements include serving as a Spanish language bilingual and primary language classroom teacher, mentor teacher, grade-level chair, and demonstration teacher and mentor principal. Now, as Principal of the Year and Administrator of the Year, Charles continues to exhibit her love of education and the endless possibilities it holds for students. I am so excited for you to get to learn about and from Dr. Simone Charles today!

LinkedIn: Dr. Simone Charles