In this powerful episode of On the School Bus with Dr. Spates, I sit down with Dr. Luke Wood, President of California State University Sacramento, for a deeply personal and purpose-driven conversation about leadership, equity, and systems transformation.

Dr. Wood takes us on a journey through his lived experiences—from navigating foster care and systemic barriers to becoming a national voice in higher education leadership. He shares how those experiences shaped his unwavering commitment to ensuring students are not blamed for inequitable outcomes—and why leaders must instead redesign the systems that serve them.

We explore the bold work happening at Sacramento State, including initiatives like the Black Honors College, culturally responsive supports for students, and a strong focus on meeting students’ basic needs. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Wood reminds us that leadership rooted in love and accountability is not soft—it is strategic, courageous, and necessary.

This episode is a call to action for leaders to stay focused, lead with purpose, and build systems where every student has the opportunity to thrive.

✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How Dr. Luke Wood’s personal journey informs his leadership and commitment to equity

• Why systems—not students—must be the focus of change in education

• The vision and purpose behind Sacramento State’s Black Honors College

• How addressing students’ basic needs directly impacts academic success

• What it means to lead with both love and accountability in high-stakes environments

• Strategies for creating cultures of belonging at scale

• How leaders can remain grounded, focused, and resilient in challenging times

🎧 Episode Chapters

00:00 – Introduction and welcome

01:14 – Early life experiences and commitment to equity

02:40 – Navigating foster care and systemic barriers

05:32 – The vision behind the Black Honors College

08:40 – Supporting Black students and Native communities

10:27 – Addressing student needs through basic support systems

12:14 – Leading through political and social challenges

14:36 – Shifting from fixing students to fixing systems

19:33 – Creating belonging and student-centered environments

23:24 – Leadership lessons rooted in purpose and focus

26:53 – Self-care, sustainability, and resilience

📚 Resources Mentioned

• Black Minds Matter Initiativehttps://blackmindsmatter.net/
• California State University Sacramento – Black Honors College: https://www.csus.edu/student-affairs/black-honors-college/
• California State University Sacramento – Basic Needs Center: https://www.csus.edu/student-life/health-counseling/basic-needs-resource-center/

🚌 About the Podcast

So here we are. On the School Bus with Dr. Spates — a vehicle (a metaphorical school bus) for learning, growing, laughing, stretching our thinking, and being inspired together. This podcast is exclusively for two groups of people: the passionate school leaders who show up every day determined to improve student outcomes and transform TK–12 education, and the once-passionate leaders who just need a spark to find their way back.

As the culture says: #WeAreNotForEverybody — and that’s perfectly fine with me.

📬 Connect with Dr. Krishna Darlene Spates

Website: ontheschoolbuswithdrspates.com

Website: KrishnaSpates.com

Email: hello@OnTheSchoolBusWithDrSpates.com

Instagram • YouTube • TikTok • Facebook: @OnTheSchoolBusWithDrSpates

LinkedIn: Krishna Spates, Ed.D.

📬 Connect with Dr. Luke Wood

Website: https://www.csus.edu/president/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drlukewood

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukewood/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/DrLukeWood

Research: https://blackmindsmatter.net/

📸 Production Studio

Recorded at 661 Creators Space

Website: 661CreatorsSpace.com

Instagram: @661CreatorsSpace

Email: 661creatorsspace@gmail.com

🎼 Music

Theme Song: “Call of Duty” — Mutanix

Instagram: @mutanixs

Email: mutanixmedia@gmail.com

Used with permission.

💛 Support the Work

If this episode inspired you, please like, comment, subscribe, and share with another school leader. Watch the playlist on YouTube while you're multi-tasking: Listen here. Our students, families, and communities are counting on us.