Allison Yoshimoto Towerley was until recently Chief Academic Officer of Los Angeles Unified and the newest member of the State Board of Education.

Governor Gavin Newsom appointed 51-year-old Yoshimoto Tower late last month, just in time for the first board meeting of the week. She filled the last hole in her 11-member board of directors.

This month Yoshimoto-Towery was appointed executive director of the UC/CSU California Collaborative for Neurodiversity and Learning. The organization is located within the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, which Congress founded in 2019 with her $6 million in funding. Bringing together experts from the University of California and California State University to focus on literacy in general, initially dyslexia and other needs requiring early intervention. The collaboration will translate research to provide training and guidance for classroom teachers, said Tower Yoshimoto.

Prior to becoming L.A. Unified’s Chief Academic Officer in 2019, he held a variety of district positions as Director of Educational Operations, Director of Education, Principal, Literacy Coach, Teacher, and Associate Professional.

She shares how state commissions can help integrate new state investments into universal transitional kindergartens, expanded learning opportunities, community schools, teacher recruitment and development, and student mental health. He said he was looking forward to seeing

“Well coordinated, these are special occasions for the district,” she said. “By doing our work around the real-life experiences of our families, students and educators, we can help them determine what works best and what works best.”

The legislature must approve the appointment of Yoshimoto Tower.

She is the last nominee Newsom has nominated to fill the four vacancies this year. Another is Brenda Lewis, Kern High School District Vice Superintendent who retired last year. Sharon Olken, executive director of Gateway Public Schools in San Francisco; Gabriela Orozco Gonzalez is an elementary school teacher who has been teaching at Montebello Unified for over 20 years.