Stacy Harris

Stacy Harris is serving in her 14th year as the Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for the Garden Grove Unified School District (GGUSD), a large urban school district in Southern California serving over 39,000 students. In this role, she oversees a comprehensive PreK-12 arts program across the 67 schools in the district, supporting over 130 art, dance, music, and theater teachers. Under Ms. Harris’ leadership, GGUSD has earned local and national recognition for its thriving arts programs, including earning the distinction as a Best Community for Music Education from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation for the last seven consecutive years.

Prior to her current role, Ms. Harris honed her craft as an instrumental music teacher at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Her experience building band and orchestra programs at Title 1 schools shaped her philosophy of music education as she learned about the challenges and opportunities inherent in arts education, specifically for communities with fewer resources, and as she witnessed just how powerful those opportunities were for her students and their families. That experience shaped her approach as a leader, driving her core educational philosophy that ALL students deserve access to high quality arts education.

Ms. Harris’s dedication to advancing arts education extends beyond her district role. She has presented numerous professional development sessions at conferences such as the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) annual conference and the California All State Music Educators Conference (CASMEC). Ms. Harris has also served as the Music Supervisors Representative on the California Music Educators Association (CMEA) Council of Representatives and as the Treasurer of the CMEA Southeastern Section.

Ms. Harris earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from California State University, Fullerton and continued her academic pursuits to earn her Master of Music in Conducting from Southern Oregon University as part of the American Band College program. She returned to California State University, Fullerton to complete her Master of Science in Educational Leadership and her administrative services credential. In 2022, Ms. Harris was recognized by CMEA with their Outstanding Administrator Award and in 2023 she was recognized by Orange County Music and Arts Administrators (OCMAA) for her leadership in the arts.