Meet Our Principal

Introducing our new leader Gillian Bowley...

"As an educator, I center joy, justice, and care while maintaining high expectations for all students."

Hello Peralta Community!

I am absolutely honored to serve our school. I have been an educator across the San Francisco Bay Area for over 20 years, dedicated to lifting up what makes school communities wonderful, unique, and strong.

My journey in education began in the San Francisco Mission District, where I taught 3rd and 4th grade and worked as an ELD and literacy intervention teacher and coach. From there, I moved to East and West Oakland as a literacy and instructional specialist, served as the vice principal of a large elementary school in San Leandro, and worked as a literacy coach within Berkeley Unified. (Fun fact: I even taught one semester of 4th grade right here in Peralta's Portable C!)

I hold a Master’s degree in Education and earned my multi-subject teaching credential in the Social Justice program at USF. I also hold both a reading specialist credential and an administrator credential.

My connection to Peralta is deeply personal. I have been a part of this community since 2016, first as a proud parent of two Peralta graduates (Classes of 2022 and 2024), and later as a long-term substitute teacher. Because of these unique insights as both a parent and an educator, I know exactly what makes our school so special: our incredible teachers, our arts-integration, the Peralta Graduate Profile, and our diverse, deeply rooted history. I take a whole-child approach to education and am committed to supporting our students, staff, and families every single day.

Beyond the School Walls
When I'm not at school, my favorite way to spend time is doing pretty much anything with my daughters, Maia (15) and Lucy (13), and my husband, Brian (who you might see around campus as a garden and maintenance enthusiast!). I also love being out in nature, swimming, exercising, meditating, traveling, and throwing clay on the pottery wheel.