Our newspaper staff had the opportunity to sit down and interview newly hired Superintendent for the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District, Dr. Natasha Baker. She grew up in the Pasadena/Altadena area, attended Azusa High School and played basketball and ran middle distance track. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in English as well as her teaching credential at Cal State Long Beach. Soon after, she began her career as an English teacher at Centennial High School in Compton, California. Her career took her all over the nation, including Massachusetts, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri and more recently, back to California, in Banning and Fresno.
Baker expressed her inspiration began back when she was in the 9th grade, in English class with Mr. Olson, who made her year enjoyable with writing interesting essays and books that she could relate to. She felt that a teacher could inspire students to be the best they can be with nothing stopping them, even with financial issues or materialistic problems. That encouraged her to go into the field and she was highly motivated to be the first in her family to go to college. She explained that teaching in an environment where resources were scarce gave her a chance to see a different side, and if anything, having experience inspired her to run a well-rounded school system as a leader for the district. She most recently completed her Master of Science in Finance from Johns Hopkins University in 2024.

When looking into the area for the Superintendent position, Baker studied the communities of La Mirada and Norwalk. She recognized, “The people in there cities are very hard-working, and they want not only the students to be successful but to get the opportunity to prepare them for what hasn’t even happened in the world yet. We want to make sure that after graduation they’re not afraid to be out in the real world.” Baker explained she wants students to be able to gain the skills they need to be competitive and understand that the world waiting for them is anything but easy. The job of district schools is to help prepare graduates. Baker affirmed that she hopes to be a good leader in the district and lead in a positive direction by, “Choosing to become a part of the community and to really listen to the people to learn who they are and what she can do for the community.”
La Mirada High School Principal Ben Webster commented, “Dr. Baker comes with a wealth of experience in a number diverse communities. I have been impressed with her expectation of candor from the people around her. Additionally, Dr. Baker has consistently sought out input from a variety of sources to arrive at the best decisions. I am looking forward to carrying out her vision for the school district.”
Dr. Baker will have some work ahead of her with declining enrollment as a crucial issue plaguing many California districts as well as other concerns. She shared with the community a 90-day entry plan for how to start her term.