A Conversation with Dr. Elida MacArthur, Superintendent of the Mount Pleasant Elementary School District

In this episode of Leaders Learning from Leaders, host Steve Barkley speaks with Dr. Elida MacArthur, Superintendent of the Mount Pleasant Elementary School District in East San Jose, California.  A leader who has served the same district for more than two decades, beginning as a kindergarten dual language immersion teacher, Dr. MacArthur offers a portrait of community-centered leadership grounded in her own experience and in a deep commitment to the students and families she serves. Dr. MacArthur describes Mount Pleasant as a small district of approximately 1,500 students that sees itself as a beacon and anchor for its community.  She traces her commitment to bilingual and dual language education to her own journey, having immigrated from Mexico as a young student whose academic strengths went unrecognized because she did not yet speak English.  That experience shaped her conviction that every student deserves to be treated as capable, held to high expectations, and empowered to use their voice. Throughout the conversation, Dr. MacArthur returns to several connected commitments: building self-efficacy in students, creating a sense of belonging for every child and adult, and inviting students and parents to advocate for themselves.  She explains how community-centered leadership brings stakeholders into the work of the schools, citing a teacher workforce housing initiative being designed with parents, staff, and community members.  She also describes how civic learning takes shape in practice, from cross-age reading and monthly food distribution to mock trials and students speaking before legislators in Sacramento. Dr. MacArthur reflects on sustaining district-wide commitment through alignment with a supportive school board and a shared vision of community, equity, and success.  She shares the district's current focus on early literacy, with a goal that today's kindergarten students read at grade level by third grade, and the shift from reading intervention teachers to literacy coaches who support strong instruction in every classroom.  Underlying this is her belief that equity happens in every classroom and that assessing implementation, not only plans, is essential to improvement. For superintendents new to the communities they serve, Dr. MacArthur counsels patient listening, genuine humility, and a willingness to hear difficult news.  She encourages leaders to seek the wisdom of those who have navigated similar challenges, recognizing that the superintendency is learned through relationships and shared experience. Main Topics Covered Mount Pleasant Elementary School District A small K-8 district of approximately 1,500 students in East San Jose, Mount Pleasant serves a primarily Latino community and sees itself as a beacon and anchor for its families. MacArthur describes a learning community centered on belonging and recognized at the state and local levels. A Personal Journey into Bilingual Education MacArthur traces her commitment to dual language learning to her own experience immigrating from Mexico, when her academic strengths went unrecognized because she did not yet speak English. A summer program that treated students as capable and held them to high expectations confirmed her belief in what education should be. Student Voice and Self-Efficacy A central commitment is creating learning experiences where student voice is heard and where students develop the confidence to advocate for themselves. MacArthur connects this to her own path as the first in her family to attend college. Community-Centered Leadership MacArthur describes leadership that invites stakeholders to be active participants in the schools, from budget focus groups to a teacher workforce housing initiative designed with parents, staff, and community members. Civic Learning in Practice In a district recognized with the California Civic Learning Award of Distinction at two schools, students see themselves as contributors to their community through cross-age reading, monthly food distribution, mock trials, and speaking before local and state leaders. Sustaining District-Wide Commitment MacArthur reflects on the importance of a school board aligned around shared core values and a steady focus, using the image of a crew roaring in the same direction toward a common destination. A Focus on Early Literacy She shares the district's goal that current kindergarten students read at grade level by third grade and the shift from reading intervention teachers to literacy coaches who strengthen instruction in every classroom. Equity in Every Classroom MacArthur emphasizes that quality instruction must be consistent across all schools and that districts should assess their implementation, not only their plans, supporting both students and teachers through productive struggle. Advice for New Superintendents She counsels patient l