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Meet the Leadership Team

Dr. Charquita Arnold-Whitaker

Principal

Dr. Arnold is proud to be apart of the Sankofa United family. She has been a secondary educator for 10 years gaining experience from Atlanta to California.  As a past drama, language arts, and history teacher, Dr. Arnold enjoys helping students express themselves, learn about the world, and find their voice. One of Dr. Arnold’s favorite things about Sankofa is having the privilege to work with ours students and their families. Our community is vibrant, diverse, and dedicated to our students.

She enjoys writing and performing spoken word poetry, vibing to good music, and finding time to laugh. Dr. Arnold is also a Black Teacher Project Fellow and a Diversity in Leadership (DLI) Fellow. Her joy comes from building with the community she serves to ensure justice, joy, knowledge, and thriving are attained for all. She believes that students can do all things with the right support, systems, and services.  She is happy to continue serving the Sankofa United Community! 

A smiling woman with red hair and glasses, exuding warmth and friendliness.

Erica Macklin

Community School Manager

Erica Macklin has worked with students and families for over a decade with the Oakland Unified School District. Throughout her career she has held many roles in leadership from a paraeducator to Resources Specialist. She has been on the Sankofa campus since 2014 as an advocate for students, families, and the community at large.As the Sankofa United Community School Manager, her role is critical in integrating the partnership work of the school with its academic mission. Erica serves as a high-level administrator by managing, leading, and coordinating the community work to support school and student needs. This work is accomplished by conducting ongoing needs assessments to provide proper alignment with school, student and family core values. Mrs. Macklin serves with a strong equity lens and strives for equality in education for all students.

Erica earned a bachelorś degree from Holy Names in Oakland, California and is a wife and mother of two daughters.

Erica Macklin