Accrediting Commission for Schools

Dr. Caroline Cota

Dr. Caroline Cota

Dr. Caroline Cota represents ACSA on the WASC Commission. She is the Superintendent of the South Monterey County High School District. Dr. Cota’s WASC experience spans 15 years and includes all facets of the WASC process. She first served in the role of self-study coordinator as a teacher leader in 2009. In all, Dr. Cota has served three schools as a staff member in charge of the self-study and has completed six accreditation visits as a visting committee member and six as a visiting committee chair over a fifteen-year period.

Dr. Cota has spent nearly all of her career working exclusively with high schools. She served as a high school special education teacher for 11 years and French teacher for five years. She served in site administrative roles for seven years, first as high school assistant principal, then high school principal. Transitioning to district leadership, she served as director of personnel Services for a unified school district prior to becoming superintendent of a high school district.

Dr. Cota is a first generation immigrant and English learner. Born in Belgium, she immigrated to the United States at thirteen and learned English in the English Learner Program in Los Angeles Unified School District. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from UCLA and her teaching credentials and Master’s degree from National University. She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University. Dr. Cota and her husband have been married for 30 years and have two adult daughters.

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