Dr. Ruth Hellams brings over twenty-five years of experience as an educational leader. She holds an Educational Doctorate in Leadership from the University of California San Diego/California State University San Marcos JDP. Ruth served as the Principal at Del Lago Academy “Campus of Applied Science” in Escondido, CA – a school whose culture for teaching and learning is predicated on the principles of Competency-Based Education, Competency-Based Grading practices and the use of Restorative Practices. 

Ruth’s leadership work is rooted in the belief that the principal serves as the school’s Lead Learner whose role is to relentlessly focus on building and maintaining school culture.  While at Del Lago, Ruth championed the school’s commitment to culture building through a wall-to-wall focus on the use of Restorative Practices as a way of deepening relationships and building a shared understanding of self and the world.  Ruth participated in the learning by teaching her own weekly Advisory class. She views the use of an Advisory class as an opportunity to transform schools and build a community of learners.  As a former Director of Curriculum and Professional Learning, Ruth’s areas of expertise include working with districts and site teams to create curriculum that emphasizes an interdisciplinary project-based learning approach while adhering to the principles of CBE and designing learning experiences that value choice and voice choice. The implementation of competency-based assessments and grading systems are cornerstones of her approach to teaching and learning.   Ruth is a champion for reimagining schools that seek to break from tradition and embrace new and innovative ideas that foster a joy for learning.