Norma Spencer, the director of Long Beach Unified’s Center of Black Student Excellence, has been placed on administrative leave after weeks of mounting criticism from parents, educators, and alumni. The move came days after a late April letter signed by 16 parents, educators and Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) alumni called for Spencer to be fired and for the district to recommit to Black students. The Center, which launched in May 2025 to provide academic support, extracurriculars, and social-emotional learning for Black students, has quickly become ground zero in a simmering fight over equity and district accountability.
As reported by the Long Beach Post, district officials declined to say why Spencer was put on leave and instead said the action was "not connected to any single action or correspondence." The Post also noted earlier community concerns that the Center lacked a clear plan and, at times, seemed rushed into operation.
According to the Long Beach Unified School District, Spencer was tapped to lead the Center in May 2024, and the Center officially opened in May 2025 as part of the district’s Black Student Achievement Initiative. District materials describe the Center as providing targeted tutoring, enrichment and culturally responsive supports designed to help close longstanding gaps in outcomes for Black students.
Parents push for accountability
In the late April letter obtained by the Post, the 16 signers accused Spencer of sidelining parent input, undoing earlier program progress and allowing internal staff tensions to grow. They argued that Spencer’s choices "mirror the very systems of exclusion, control, and disconnection that the District has publicly committed to dismantle," according to the Post. Parents say that two days after sending the letter, they received an email from the district stating that Spencer would be "moving on to pursue other professional opportunities" and that an interim leader had been installed to run the Center.
District response
District materials emphasize that community voices played a role in shaping the Center and its programming, and they present the Center as a cornerstone of LBUSD’s equity efforts. The Long Beach Unified School District notes that the Center offers academic, social emotional and college and career supports while the district considers its next steps. LBUSD also says interim leadership is in place while a new director is selected.
Board member and community reaction
School board member Erik Miller weighed in on social media, acknowledging the time and energy community members have invested in the Center and warning against treating that work as symbolic. In a post on Instagram, Miller wrote, "We do not view these efforts as just 'symbolic' or 'optional,'" and said he stood by the letter that had been shared with the community, while also noting that the district is working through a budget gap and a superintendent search. Community advocates have continued to press for restored programming, active advisory committees and transparent data on student outcomes.
Why it matters
The Long Beach fight is unfolding at a moment when race specific supports in schools are facing stepped up scrutiny across the region. The U.S. Department of Education recently reopened an investigation into LAUSD’s Black student achievement efforts, underscoring just how politically charged such initiatives have become, the Los Angeles Times reports. Local parents say they want hard numbers, on discipline, tracking and graduation gaps, that show the Center is actually improving outcomes, even as the district tries to juggle its equity commitments with tight finances.
