Rebecca Cheung

Rebecca Cheung is the Assistant Dean of the BSE's Leadership Development programs, including the Principal Leadership Institute and LEAD EdD. In addition to her responsibilities and teaching in the BSE, Dr. Cheung regularly contributes to the broader educational landscape at the local, state, and international level. She has served as a member of several advisory and working groups convened by the California Teacher Credential Commission and the California Department of Education and also served in advisory capacities to local schools and museums. Dr. Cheung has also served as an international consultant on issues related to principal preparation and educational leadership.

Prior to joining UC Berkeley in 2011, Rebecca worked for more than 15 years in Oakland Unified School District and Berkeley Unified School District as a teacher, vice principal, elementary principal and middle school principal, and Director of Evaluation and Assessment. Rebecca earned her doctorate from the School of Education at UC Berkeley in 2008. In 2013, she was named an Emerging Leader by Phi Delta Kappan, a program that recognizes innovators, thought leaders, problem solvers, and change agents who are making a difference in the field of education.

Dr. Cheung also serves as the PI and Director for the 21st Century School Leadership Academy (21CSLA) State Center. Funded by the California Department of Education, 21CSLA is dedicated to the professional learning and support of California’s educational leaders—teacher, site, and district—to create more equitable learning environments that ultimately improve success for underserved students. Headquartered at UC Berkeley's School of Education, it is led in partnership with UCLA School of Education, the California Subject Matter Projects and seven Regional Academies across the state.

Recent Publications

Cheung, R. Gong, N. (2022) Understanding How a Leaders of Color Network Supports the Retention of a Diverse Leader Workforce. Leadership and Policy in Schools Special Issue 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2021.2022709
Bristol, T., Cheung, R., Wilkerson, M. (2021) Designing at the Margins: How senior school district leaders of color learn to enact equitable policies and practices. Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Berkeley: University of California.
Cheung, R. & Tchetgen, P. (2020) Laying the Foundation (LtF): A Framework for Integrating Performative Modalities in Social Justice School Leadership Programs. Berkeley: University of California.
Cheung, R., Robinson, J., Rufo-Tepper, R., and Charles, J. (2020). Reflections on Developing a Cross-Institutional Inquiry Project. New York: Bank Street College of Education.
Cheung, R. (2019) New Innovations in Leader Induction in California. In J. Weinstein & G. Muñoz (Eds.) Cultivating Leadership in Education. Santiago, Chile: Centro de Desarrollo de Liderazgo Educativo, Universidad Diego Portales.
Cuéllar Becerra, C., González Vallejos, M. P., Espinosa Aguirre, M. J., & Cheung, R. (2019). ‘Buen mentor’ y ‘buena mentoría’ según actores de programas de inducción a directores novatos chilenos. Psicoperspectivas, 18(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.5027/psicoperspectivas-vol18-issue2-fulltext-1543
Charles, J., Cheung, R. & Rosekrans, K. (2019) Performance assessment of aspiring school leaders grounded in an epistemology of practice: A Case study. International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, 14(1), 77-98.
Cheung, R., Sablo Sutton, S. & Flores, C. (2019) Tipping the Balance: Social justice leaders allying with marginalized youth to increase student voice and activism. Journal of the California Association of Professors of Educational Administration, Vol:30, March 2019.
Cheung, R., Reinhardt, T., Stone, E. & Little, J.W. (2018) Defining a Teacher Leader Leadership: A Framework, Phi Delta Kappan 100(3), 38-44.
Kearney, K, & Mattson, H., Cheung, R, Makkonen, R. (2018) Study of the initial impact of the California Administrator Performance Assessment (CalAPA) policy on preparation programs. San Francisco: West Ed.