Paul Escala

As a results-driven, entrepreneurial executive with a twenty-five-year history of leading institutions across the educational spectrum, Paul has devoted his career to advancing student success in California. Known for his fearless commitment to institutional excellence, developing coalitions, and building trusting relationships, Paul delivers outcomes that advance student achievement. He is regarded as a passionate advocate for academic excellence for all students, regardless of circumstance, propelling organizations to maximize performance on behalf of the children they serve. Paul is currently the Senior Director and Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, where he has served since 2019. The Department of Catholic Schools leads 250 PK-12 schools with over 63,000 students across Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties — the largest system of Catholic schools in the United States and the third largest school system in California. Paul led the system through COVID-19, securing over $100M in federal and state funding while growing enrollment, improving academic performance, and increasing base pay for teachers and principals in the hardest-to-staff schools. In 2023, he launched Solidarity Schools, a literacy campaign reaching over 4,000 high-need students, achieving 8% annual growth and 92% daily attendance. Inspired by great teachers, Paul's servant leadership philosophy was shaped as a student and would define his vocation. He went on to serve as Chief of Staff to an LAUSD School Board member, Chief of Staff to California Secretary for Education Richard J. Riordan, Director of Operations for the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, and Senior Advisor for the California Charter Schools Association. Paul later served as president of St. John Bosco High School, his alma mater, reversing enrollment declines and elevating institutional performance, before being appointed founding CEO of Grimmway Schools, where scholars outperformed local and state peers on annual assessments. Paul is a Cornell University graduate, a Fellow of the 20th Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship, and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Noel, a teacher, their sons William and Matthew, and their dog, Sakura.