Podcasts about San Diego Unified School District

Welcome to The Grand Balance podcast, where we explore the unique intersection of work and family from a grandmother's perspective. In this episode, Sharon and Angela delve into the world of dual language education with special guest Sylvia Ulloa, a seasoned educator and program manager in the multilingual education department at the San Diego Unified School District. Sylvia shares her journey and passion for teaching, offering invaluable insights into the benefits of dual language programs and answers questions that hesitant parents may have. Join us for an enlightening conversation and how grandparents can support their grandchildren in these programs.   Episode Notes:    https://www.cal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/WhatParentsWanttoKnow.pdf https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-is-language-immersion-right-for-my-child/2016/03

Today is one of the last days for people to comment on the City of San Diego's budget, before the city council presents their final draft to the mayor. San Diego Unified School District says they are taking several steps to protect students and families, regardless of their immigration status. "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" is filming its latest installment in Chula Vista this week.

Katelyn Woodside is the Executive Director of the VAPA Foundation, a nonprofit bringing transformative arts education into San Diego's public schools. A classically trained violinist, longtime educator, and nonprofit leader, Katelyn is advancing a bold vision: healing through expressive arts. Her organization's award-winning proposal will train teaching artists in expressive arts therapy and place them in 25 schools across the county—reaching nearly 5,000 students with creative tools for connection, confidence, and well-being. This special episode of Stop and Talk was recorded LIVE at the Prebys Sparx Awards Breakfast, where the VAPA Foundation was honored as the grand prize recipient. Katelyn is joined by four outstanding Sparx honorable mention awardees—A Reason to Survive, Coastal Roots Farm, United Women of East Africa, and Youth Creating Change—each bringing powerful, place-based solutions to the youth mental health crisis. This Episode: What if the future of youth mental health isn't found solely in clinics, but in classrooms, farms, and community spaces led by artists, mentors, and culture keepers? With a growing youth mental health crisis and a shortage of clinical providers, communities are turning to innovative, non-clinical interventions rooted in creativity, culture, and nature. The Sparx award celebrates scalable, collaborative ideas that empower youth with agency and well-being outside the traditional healthcare system. In this episode, Grant speaks with the five Sparx awardees. Together, they share how their work is rooted in cultural identity, creativity, and community connection—meeting young people where they are, and building healing from the ground up. Their work highlights how healing happens when we invest in the assets already rooted in our neighborhoods. Key Moments: [6:38] Grant introduces the vision behind the Sparx Award and prize philanthropy [19:10] Katelyn shares how VAPA's idea evolved through deep collaboration [23:58] Training artists to heal: the scale and ripple effect of their model [33:56] Honorable mentions present their work: A Reason To Survive (ARTS), Coastal Roots Farm, United Women of East Africa (UWEAST), and Youth Creating Change [43:17] Stan Collins (Youth Creating Change) on equipping youth with emotional literacy and mental health skills to care for themselves and others. [45:41] Eden Mengistu (UWEAST) on bridging generations through culturally rooted programs that open conversations about mental health in the East African community. [48:43] Javier Guerrero (Coastal Roots Farm) on reconnecting tribal youth to land, culture, and healing through ancestral farming practices. [50:49] Lucy Eagleson (ARTS) on creating a “third space” for youth to explore identity through art and grow as community-rooted mental health leaders. Resources Mentioned in This Episode: A Reason to Survive (ARTS) – Lifting young people in the South County region of San Diego to become confident, compassionate, and courageous community builders through the transformative power of creativity. Coastal Roots Farm – Cultivating healthy, connected communities by integrating sustainable agriculture, food justice, and ancient Jewish wisdom. Prebys Sparx– Prebys Foundation's award program for big ideas to improve mental and behavioral health for San Diego Youth through arts, culture, and nature. Learn more about the award programs.United Women of East Africa (UWEAST) – Providing health services, education and advocacy for the well-being of the East African community, women and families. VAPA Foundation – Enhancing the quality of, and access to, visual and performing arts education for K-12 students in the San Diego Unified School District. Youth Creating Change – Placing young people's voices and creativity at the center of suicide prevention and mental health programming. Take Action: Champion Community Healing – Support organizations that uplift youth through creativity, cultural connection, and time in nature. Engage with Arts, Culture, and Nature – Experience firsthand how these practices foster healing, connection, and joy. Start the Conversation – Talk with young people in your life about emotions, mental health, and ways to cultivate well-being. Advocate for Prevention – Urge local leaders to invest in non-clinical, community-rooted approaches that meet youth where they are. Share This Episode – Spread the word about creative, community-led solutions by sharing this episode with educators, healthcare providers, or changemakers in your network. Credits:This is a production of the Prebys FoundationHosted by Grant OliphantCo-Hosted by Crystal PageCo-produced by Crystal Page and Adam GreenfieldEngineered by Adam GreenfieldProduction Coordination by Tess KareskyVideo Production by Edgar Ontiveros MedinaSpecial thanks to the Prebys Foundation TeamThe Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego's own Mr. Lyrical Groove.Download episodes at your favorite podcatcher or visit us at StopAndTalkPod​cast​.orgIf you like this show, and we hope you do, the best way to support this show is to share, subscribe

Katelyn Woodside, a violinist and Executive Director of The VAPA Foundation, joins us in studio to discuss the incredible impact of the VAPA Foundation and their recent award of $1 million from the inaugural Prebys Sparx Award to bring transformative, in-classroom arts programs to over 4,700 San Diego students. In partnership with the Expressive Arts Institute and San Diego Unified School District, they are embedding expressive arts into social-emotional learning (SEL)—redefining how the community approaches youth mental health support, while expanding access to quality arts education. This initiative is more than a program—it's a bold step toward a new way of thinking about school partnerships, public investment, and the role of community in student well-being.About Spotlight and Cloudcast Media "Spotlight On The Community" is the longest running community podcast in the country, continuously hosted by Drew Schlosberg for 19 years.  "Spotlight" is part of Cloudcast Media's line-up of powerful local podcasts, telling the stories, highlighting the people, and celebrating the gravitational power of local.  For more information on Cloudcast and its shows and cities served, please visit www.cloudcastmedia.us. Cloudcast Media | the national leader in local podcasting.   About Mission Fed Credit Union A community champion for over 60 years, Mission Fed Credit Union with over $6 billion in member assets, is the Sponsor of Spotlight On The Community, helping to curate connectivity, collaboration, and catalytic conversations.  For more information on the many services for San Diego residents, be sure to visit them at https://www.missionfed.com/

San Diego County leaders are rolling out their plan to spend your tax dollars. Plus, the U.S. Coast Guard stops a 20-foot boat with passengers trying to enter the country illegally. And, how students from San Diego Unified School District celebrated Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month. NBC 7's Marianne Kushi has these stories and more, along with meteorologist Sheena Parveen's forecast, for this Friday, May 2, 2025.

Applications are now open for families looking to enroll a child in Transitional Kindergarten classes within the San Diego Unified School District. New numbers show that San Diego county lost 25,000 jobs in January, pushing the unemployment rate to 4.5%. An 8-story building with 70 apartments for San Diegans with low to moderate incomes is coming to North Park.   What You Need To Know To Start Your Saturday. 

Recovery is underway this morning for a Navy jet that crashed into the San Diego Bay last week. San Diego Unified School District has expanded it's rules for how staff should respond if immigration officers try to go on to a school campus for immigration enforcement. A new report from the inspector general confirmed high levels of bacteria in the water off the coast of Coronado have exposed Navy Seals who train there to serious health risks.   What You Need To Know To Start Your Monday. 

It’s the 20th anniversary of the launch of Voice of San Diego, the greatest nonprofit news organization go live in 2005. We launched before YouTube. We’ll reminisce a bit with a sort of special guest. The city of San Diego’s budget deficit has provoked some tense conversations. A City Council budget committee hearing last week had some great clips. And where are the kids? San Diego Unified School District is going to have to deal with another drop in enrollment. SHOW NOTES INTRO 00:00:00 Intro SEGMENT 1 00:00:00 “Dear VOSD” Jim from University Heights - When it comes to parking, why is La Jolla an exception? Parking and RIP Donald Shoup Donald Shoup, distinguished professor emeritus whose decades of teaching and scholarship at UCLA greatly influenced the field of land-use planning as well as generations of scholars, students and urban planners, died Feb. 6, 2025, at age 86. Shoup was a titan in the fields of urban planning and specifically parking reform, and his landmark book, “The High Cost of Free Parking,” resulted in the adoption of many of his parking reform ideas in cities around the nation and world. SEGMENT 2 00:11:47 San Diego’s Budget Deficit City of San Diego Budget and Government Efficiency Committee Michael Zucchet, San Diego Municipal Employees Association General Manager critiques San Diego’s budget handling. 1:03:31 - 1:03:55 1:04:00 - 1:04:13 1:08:06 - 1:08:10 1:09:25 - 1:10:02 Council Member Mike Lee 1:39:35 - 1:39:45 “Bueller?” YouTube clip SEGMENT 3 00:33:32 San Diego City Unnecessary Travel Mayor has much still to reveal about his secret trip to the Philippines San Diego Union Tribune San Diego Unified Has Lost Nearly 12,000 Students in Past Decade VOSD SEGMENT 4 00:43:04 20 Years! of VOSD 20 Years of Impactful Journalism 20 Years of Voice Impact: The Investigation into SEDC Our investigation into the Southeastern Economic Development Corp. put us on the map and taught us invaluable lessons. Lessons After 20 Years of Voice of San Diego TRT 01:13:16See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Just Schools Podcast, Jon Eckert interviews Max Silverman from the Center for Educational Leadership (CEL) at the University of Washington. Silverman shares his journey from a high school principal to leading CEL, where he supports district and school leaders nationwide. A key takeaway is the power of student voice in creating meaningful change, emphasizing the importance of listening, fostering belonging, and staying collaborative as leaders. The Just Schools Podcast is brought to you by the Baylor Center for School Leadership. Each week, we'll talk to catalytic educators who are doing amazing work. Be encouraged. Books Mentioned: The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves by Shawn Ginwright Connect with us: Baylor MA in School Leadership EdD in K-12 Educational Leadership Jon Eckert LinkedIn Twitter: @eckertjon Center for School Leadership at Baylor University: @baylorcsl   Dr. Jon Eckert: All right. Welcome back to [Jeff 00:00:05] Schools. Today we're here with Max Silverman from the University of Washington. He has been doing work that we really aspire to do in so many ways, in supporting school leaders and education leaders in all different kinds of places through the Center for Educational Leadership. So Max, if you would share a little bit about, what brought you into this work? Maybe we'll start there and then just take the conversation from there. Max Silverman: It's a funny story, I was a high school principal ... I was a high school assistant principal here in Washington State, at a school that, however you would characterize a school or measure a school, it was struggling. I think the students would tell you that, the staff, and I got the opportunity to be the principal. I quickly found out that as a former high school basketball coach and former social studies teacher, I was actually pretty good at getting people coalesced around a vision of what could be. I was pretty good at working with folks and us agreeing that the kids were fine, that we were the problem, and then we hit a wall. We actually didn't know how to improve the quality of teaching and student experience. That beyond our really wonderful intentions towards our students, that we needed to drastically change what teaching looked like, what school culture and environment looked like. And my school district, just by chance and luck for me, contracted with the Center for Educational Leadership. This is about 2004 maybe, 2005, and I immediately went through the most rigorous program around how to be an instructional leader. I went from saying really stupid things to teachers like, "Oh, I was just in your classroom, and I noticed you called on more girls than boys. Maybe that's something you want to work on." So knowing how to talk to a teacher and ask questions around, "Tell me a little bit more about what you're working on in your practice. What was your intent for student engagement today?" I just learned how to be in language arts classes and math classes and not be a waste of time to the teachers, to actually be a value add. So that started my journey with CEL, and I was a client of CEL for probably five years and then in 2009 had the opportunity to join the CEL team, begin to build out our work with central office leaders. Dr. Jon Eckert: Yes. I love the confident humility that you just led into with that, the example that you gave on the who's being called on. My other favorite thing that principals always like to point out is, "Oh, I didn't see a learning target on the board." I didn't see ... It's like, okay, if you're a really bad teacher, then having that learning target on the board might give the kids some idea of what the teacher is trying to do. But for any average educator that learning target is not doing a whole lot for kids, but that's always a go-to one. Max Silverman: It's pretty funny to watch a group of leaders walk into a classroom, see a learning target, check the box on their checklist and not think about, oh, is it standard space, is it rigorous? Is that actually what the teacher is doing that day? Dr. Jon Eckert: That's right. I can't tell you how many times I've walked into learning targets and I'm like, I feel like that learning target may have been up for the last four or five days because whatever is happening here seems completely unrelated to that. But hey, it's on there, that checks the box, complete compliance exercise. So I do love that research out there that the people who benefit the most from evaluations are the people doing the evaluating, because you're the one getting all the expertise as you see all these different contexts. So I appreciate the humility that you had saying, hey, I could do a lot of the things a leader needs to do, but when we actually wanted to move the needle, I needed this expertise from CEL to figure that out. So I'm curious, the program that you went into, was it a degree program? Was it a support? Was it a part of a cohort? What did that look like? Max Silverman: No. So when CEL started ... and more formally, when the Center for Educational Leadership University of Washington, but CEL, we are very unique in that we are a fee-for-service center from a tier-one research university. So we contract with school systems across the country to provide leader professional learning. Even back then, my school district hired CEL and instead of going to a district-led leader professional development, CEL led it. They brought in the most brilliant people from District Two in New York City, from San Diego Unified School District. We had whole group professional development. But even then, Jon, it was fascinating, they would model for us by bringing a whole elementary classroom to our professional development. We'd see a model lesson and then learn how to give feedback to the teacher right there. And then I got coaching in my school, so it was both really good professional development as well as embedded coaching. Dr. Jon Eckert: I love that, and I love that an R1 is doing that. Because so often we leave that behind for the research, so then we don't actually apply any of the good research that we're finding, so that feels like a great relationship. How many districts do you all currently work with at CEL? What's the scope of the work? So let's talk about breadth and then we'll talk a little bit more about depth. Max Silverman: Yeah. We have a fascinating scope, in that we work with approximately 40 school systems a year as large as Chicago Public Schools and Metro National Public schools, and then as small as Nooksack, Washington. We tend to be in urban districts and rural districts. For many years we lead or facilitate the South Central Washington Superintendents' Network. We've done that for about 15 plus years, and that's out in the Yakima Valley of Washington. Once a month we're in classrooms with superintendents, so we have a pretty wide, pretty good breadth. We also lead the National Principal Supervisor Academy for AASA. Dr. Jon Eckert: Okay. So with that breadth ... I love the urban/rural because those challenges are different because of different contexts, but there are commonalities. I'm interested, as you've been able to see that and you've gone deeper with these districts, what are some of the commonalities you find across districts, particularly post-COVID? Because my sense of COVID is, it exposed a lot of issues that were already there,, it just exacerbated them. So I'm curious to see if that's been your experience and then, what's been common across these pretty diverse contexts you've been? Because that's a pretty unique perspective that you all have. Max Silverman: Yeah. I think it was, Rand just put out a study of superintendents and they compared where large district and small district superintendents spend their time. They're a little bit different, but what was striking to me is how little time they spend on the quality of teaching and learning. That really I think confirmed for me something that we're seeing is ... and leader surveys bear this out, school leaders and district leaders are spending a lot of time now particularly on mental health, both for students and staff. They're dealing with staff shortages, certificated, leader and classified staff. I think they're still putting things back together from COVID, so we find again and again that the bandwidth isn't there yet for leaders at scale. We still find plenty of leaders who can focus really intently, but the bandwidth of individual leaders in school systems isn't quite there yet to really focus on what's happening in classrooms, how do people get better? Dr. Jon Eckert: Well, and we were talking about this briefly before we jumped on the conversation, the conversation with Pixel out of the United Kingdom and the work they're doing. The two books they've written are Time to Think and Time to Think 2. I love that because so many educators I talk to, whatever role they're in, they don't have space to think. Or at least they don't feel like they do because the urgency of what they have to deal with and the mental health issues that are exacerbated by learning loss. So that's what I see. You had this learning loss happen over COVID, depending on how long you were out of in-person school because we know the online delivery just didn't work as well for so many kids. So you have these gaps and those gaps then feed the lack of worthiness, the lack of mattering, the lack of belonging, that then exacerbates the mental health, which then exacerbates the learning loss. So it's this thing. And then when you have staff shortages and you might actually get an adult, a human being in a classroom but they're not really trained, their background is not in the area they're teaching, that then exacerbates the mental health of that teacher. That exacerbates the mental health of the kids. And then the other veteran faculty who know what needs to be done, they're then carrying a larger burden, because they're trying to help these new people that are coming in with good intentions but they're under-prepared for what they're going to do. So I wonder with all of that, that feels like a pretty bleak picture, where are you seeing some signs of hope in some of the districts that you're working with? Max Silverman: Yeah, thanks. We're lucky, we get to see hope all the time. The hope we see is that actually when we are with leaders, they want to dig in. They want to learn and get better, and they believe that getting better is a way to improving what happens for students. In most of our work we bring students into the learning in different ways. When leaders get to hear from students about what they want and need, it instigates their learning in a different way. It's really fascinating, the difference between a group of school leaders or district leaders looking at student climate survey data ... even if they do the most elegant analysis, it's still all intellectual. If we can bring in a student panel and have students talk about, how do they know they matter at school, what's a good day at school, what's a bad day? All of a sudden that instigates leader learning in a different way, because there's real kids right there in front of them. So that always makes me hopeful. The other space, I work primarily with central office leaders, and we've been working on this idea that students will have no more of something than adults in the system have. So if we want students to be seen and heard, they actually won't be unless teachers and principals are. If we want students to have a sense of belonging, they won't unless teachers and principals have that as well. I've been really amazed at the willingness of central office leaders across the country, their willingness to slow down and go out and even interview principals about principal experience and use that as actual data. They all have to put in an Excel for it to become data to them. The willingness of people to really change their epistemology on what is true and knowledge, I do see a shift in that when people are afforded the time or make the time, and that's really hopeful. Dr. Jon Eckert: Yes. I love that, and people that are still in education right now obviously have to have some element of gritty optimism. So that's the next book I'm working on, where do you get that optimism that's born out of experience, where you've seen kids become more of who they were created to be over and over and over again? What I love about what you said is the way you bring students into it. This is one of the challenges we've been dealing with in our center. So we have a leadership conference, it's a one-day thing in February. One of the things we're working on right now is having the leaders go through using a tool all day for what they're going to do differently, and then they check in over the next three months to make sure that's happening. But before they can actually finalize what that plan is have a student consulting panel where they're meeting with them and running their idea by a panel of students ... who are not at their school but are at the grade level they serve, who can give them feedback on yeah, that would work, no, that wouldn't work. Or here's what I think about that, so that they're the advisory board to the leaders. Because we've done a lot of student panels and I think you're totally right, they get lost in the data. But when they hear the voices and they hear the lived experiences of the kids, that's different. So now we're trying to do this advisory board piece. I don't know, we've never tried it, it could completely blow up on us. I love that because I agree, if we miss the fact that students need to be leading with us ... I think that's a powerful insight that you all have had. Any advice for us as leaders as we try to bring students in? Any cautions or any, just based on that idea I just shared with you, bad idea, good idea, try something else? Max Silverman: Well, so what we keep coming up against is how hard it is for people to listen. So one thing, my colleague Jen McDermott had a project, really which started a lot of our student-centered work, where she interviewed students and met with students and just asked them, "What's a good day at school? What's a bad day at school?" They actually wrote stories or drew pictures, and she made this brilliant move of having them analyze the stories. So it was their data, they kept the data and they came to some conclusions about what they saw. Basically they told us, well, it looks like school's a place that we want to be happy and proud. But the other thing that they then helped us develop was a tool that helps leaders listen. I think my big takeaway, it's called the Student Experience Story Guide, and your listeners can get on our website. It's pretty cool because students came up with the use of the metaphor of heroes and villains. So leaders might ask, "Tell me about, who are the heroes in your school day, who are the villains?" And one thing as I make sense of this, I think why that works for students is because what they hear is, tell me a story. As opposed to, "When are you most engaged," or "What part of the school day is most rigorous?" Students know that's for us, but tell me a story and then prove to me you're listening by asking really curious, thoughtful questions. So I don't know if I have any cautionary tales for you, but just keep thinking about, how would students ask each other's questions, or they talk to each other about school? Dr. Jon Eckert: Yeah. I think that's a super helpful idea and clear that you all listen to kids a lot, because I think we lose sight of that in academia. We lose sight of that in administration. One interesting thing, I had a conversation last year with Jon Hattie, he's from the Kiwi, from New ... But we were sitting and talking and he said, "Equity is a good example. Everybody, we care about equity. That's an important concept and that really matters. But kids don't think about equity, they think about fairness. So how do they talk about what's fair and how do you ask questions they understand?" I love the heroes and villains piece because that's thinking about things in the form of story, the way kids think about stuff. Because kids will all talk about teachers who are fair and who are not fair, they're not necessarily talking about those who are equitable and inequitable. But in their minds those are the same things. I'm sure philosophically you could find some nuances between them. But at the end of the day, what matters most for kids is what matters most for kids, and therefore, what matters most for educators. So I think that's a good reminder. Max Silverman: That square [inaudible 00:18:41]? So that Superintendent's' Network I mentioned that I facilitate in the Yakima Valley and Washington, we were at an elementary school getting ready to observe classrooms. We brought students in, and one of the questions is, "How do you know you matter at school," or "How would you know you matter?" A young girl, I think a fourth grader said, "Oh, that's easy. All those walls in the halls wouldn't be white and there would be rainbows at my eye level." Dr. Jon Eckert: Wow. Max Silverman: What happened was, the superintendents decided as they were walking around, they saw the school differently. They hypothesized the question, they asked the question of what they saw, who is this school for? The bulletin boards looked, they saw all these beautiful bulletin boards. Oh, a teacher made that for other teachers or for parents. And by bringing student voice in like that, it just changed- Dr. Jon Eckert: That's beautiful. Max Silverman: ... both their focus and their analysis. Dr. Jon Eckert: Oh, beautiful example. So I always like to ask before we wrap up ... You've been in education a long time. You're actually looking at the end of your time at CEL, and you have this time to look back. But I'm curious, best advice you've ever either given or received and worst advice you've either given or received. You can take it in whatever order you want. Max Silverman: Oh, that's a good question because I've given lots of bad advice, so we don't have to go there. Dr. Jon Eckert: So have I. Max Silverman: I think the best advice that I've most recently been given is by my colleague Casey Warden, who reminded me about moving at the speed of trust. Dr. Jon Eckert: Yeah, that's good. Max Silverman: I use that with central office leaders all the time now and you can just see their heads, the nods across a room. It just helps us all because we all have this sense of urgency. So moving at the speed of trust, it's tricky, but that's probably the best advice. I use that in my internal leadership itself and in my external work. I think some bad advice that I've given in my own leadership at times, when I have a sense of urgency and a sense of, there's certain things we have to get done, in and of itself that behavior is bad advice. I think when I ... and my colleagues will probably affirm this, those moments when I lose my curiosity about the ideas they have and fall back on either things like, "Oh, that's not how we do it," or "We've tried that in the past." So it's not necessarily bad advice, but it's very unleaderly behavior on my part that I really try to pay attention to now. Dr. Jon Eckert: No, that's good. That's helpful. All right, last two questions. What's a good book you've read in the last year that you would recommend? It can be education related or otherwise. I always find books to be ... I enjoy books so this may be a selfish question, but what would you say? Max Silverman: I think a book I'm just about done with, The Four Pivots by Sean Ginwright. It's The Four Pivots: Reimagining Justice, Reimagining Ourselves. It's a fabulous book about how to be transformational rather than transactional with ourselves and then in our work. Dr. Jon Eckert: Okay, that sounds like- Max Silverman: I highly recommend it, highly. Dr. Jon Eckert: Love it. I've not read it. I've got it written down though, so that's great. Max Silverman: Yeah, and Dr. Ginwright is a wonderful writer. Dr. Jon Eckert: That always helps. That always helps. Some people have great ideas, they just don't always know how to get them out there. So when they can do both, that's a gift. Last question, what makes you most hopeful as you wrap up your time at CEL? You already gave us, you've seen some hopeful things even in challenging contexts. But if you had to say, this is what makes me most hopeful, what would that be? Max Silverman: I think that I get to, because of the work I do with central office leaders around belonging and inclusion, I think there's a real, once we get beyond the ... and it's funny, we're talking on election day. It's easy to see partisan divide. Underneath that, it's hard to find somebody who doesn't want to make sure all kids have a sense of belonging. I find that across the country, across the political spectrum, it's hard to find people who in practice want to deny other people's humanity. The pessimistic side of it is, we all get them caught up in these policy and other debates that ultimately do that. But there are a lot, there's probably hundreds if not more spaces in the country today where educators are talking about very real issues of humanness and humanity for the people they serve. Again, I find that across geography, across district size, across partisan divides. Dr. Jon Eckert: What a great place to wrap that up. And I have to say, I appreciate your conversation because we started our time, before we jumped on officially, talking about Gonzaga absolutely dump trucking Baylor by 38 points last night. You did it in such a kind way. We broke down where some of the breakdowns were for Baylor, that was kind. And then the other piece ... and I fly to Vancouver tomorrow, so I get to go to Canada and try to explain whatever has happened in our election process. Max Silverman: Oh, good luck. Dr. Jon Eckert: So yes, I'm going to be seeking belonging and mattering in some good ways. Max Silverman: I think the Canadians are more nervous about what's going to happen than ... Dr. Jon Eckert: I was just in Toronto the week before this, and I would absolutely affirm that. But I wanted to say, one of the worst pieces of advice I received is that leadership is lonely. I find these kinds of conversations to be super helpful because leaders do make lonely decisions. But I think we have to stop that narrative that leadership is lonely because then nobody wants to step into it. Ultimately there are lonely decisions, there's no way around that. But by having colleagues and what you described with your experience with CEL ... how you got brought into it, and then for you to then step into that role and then provide that for leaders all across the country, that's a tremendous gift. So thanks for what you do. Max Silverman: Yeah, thanks for having me.  

This week we have a special episode for you. This coming year is going to be a difficult one for leaders of San Diego Unified School District. They are facing a massive budget deficit, ongoing stagnation in enrollment. They’re grappling with the aftermath of scandals involving sexual misconduct allegations that got the attention of the federal government and brought down the district’s superintendent. Cody Petterson was just named the new school board president. He’ll guide the five member Board of Education for the District. He’s taking over that role from his colleague, trustee Shana Hazan. Both of them came into the studio to talk about all these issues and more. It was a frank and interesting exchange on some very touchy topics in education. Show Notes You can show your support for our podcast today by going to vosd.org/podpeople Links San Diego Unified School District Board of Education About Shana Hazan Board President - District B Term Expires: December 2026 Cody Petterson Board Vice President - District C Term Expires: December 2026 Selected Recent VOSD Stories: San Diego Unified School District Oct 14, 2024 San Diego Student Test Scores Haven’t Made Up Pandemic Losses The slow recovery from pandemic performance drop offs coupled with growing budget woes may spell trouble for districts like San Diego Unified. Sep 12, 2024 Billions of Dollars Later, Some San Diego Unified Students Still Dealing with Hot Classrooms Taxpayers have voted to give San Diego Unified School District $11.5 billion over the last 16 years with the express purpose of bringing working air... Sep 5, 2024 New San Diego Schools Superintendent Didn’t Mention Misconduct or Victims in Speech to Principals Over multiple district communications since Lamont Jackson's firing, there's been a group of people conspicuously missing. Sep 3, 2024 Lamont Jackson Is Out as San Diego Unified Supe. What’s Next? Fabiola Bagula, who was elevated to acting superintendent from her deputy superintendent role after Jackson's firing, seems poised to keep that role. Aug 29, 2024 Investigation Into San Diego Unified Superintendent Substantiates Allegations of Misconduct Involving Staff The allegations against Superintendent Lamont Jackson were levied by former San Diego Unified School District staff. Aug 19, 2024 Feds Slam San Diego Unified’s Handling of Sexual Misconduct A new report from the U.S. Department of Education skewers how San Diego Unified for years handled sexual misconduct complaints. Aug 12, 2024 School Is Back in Session: 4 Education Stories to Follow Believe it or not, most schools in San Diego County are back in session. If the new school year snuck up on you, that's likely because start dates have been… Jun 12, 2024 The Learning Curve: San Diego Unified’s AI Future Is Now San Diego Unified paid $83,000 to integrate its high school English curriculum into an online platform and got access to an AI tool as well. Jun 11, 2024 San Diego Unified High Schoolers: Getting Great Grades But Troubling Test Scores An analysis of thousands of letter grades from San Diego Unified high schoolers shows that far more students pass classes in subjects like English, math and... May 20, 2024 San Diego Unified Investigating Superintendent Lamont Jackson Though a district official has confirmed an investigation is occurring, no one will say what prompted it. May 17, 2024 San Diego Unified Is Slowly Embracing Science of Reading The district has long relied on an approach to teaching kids to read that's not back by science. Now, officials are working to change that – but it hasn't... May 16, 2024 San Diego Unified Walks Back Majority of Teacher Layoffs District officials announced Thursday that they had rescinded 96 percent of the layoff notices issued in March. Feb 26, 2024 ‘I Can’t Wait Until You’re 18’: Despite Years of Sexual Harassment Allegations, San Diego Unified Allowed Teacher to Quietly Retire For years, students and faculty at Roosevelt Middle filed complaints against a middle school math teacher. Students alleged he'd grabbed their butts,... Feb 21, 2024 San Diego Unified Board Member: Teacher Layoffs Are Coming In June, San Diego Unified officials announced the district was projecting big deficits in the coming years. The expiration of hundreds of millions of... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a proposed tax increase from Measure E failed this election season, the city is facing cuts to city services and freezes on hiring and nonessential overtime. Then, San Diego Unified School District and its former superintendent, Lamont Jackson, are being sued by a former district employee, who alleges sexual harassment and demotions for refusing his advances. Plus, two local Filipino filmmakers share their work at the Chula Vista Library on Thursday night.

Nearly half of students in the San Diego Unified School District are not meeting the state standard for reading and writing. We visit the school that has seen the most improvement in the district. Then, renters in Imperial Beach are raising alarms after the owners of an apartment complex issued mass eviction notices. Plus, a review of the documentary ‘Never Look Away.'

Election Day is just a couple days away, and if you still need to vote, we'll tell you where to find a voting center near you. Thousands of Sharp Healthcare workers have voted to approve a five-day strike. If your child attends San Diego Unified School District, tomorrow is the deadline to submit your priority choice application. Here's NBC 7's Audra Stafford with the top stories of the day.

Students spend their school days in classrooms from bell to bell, but what about the many other hours outside of class? Are they receiving the support and opportunities they need to thrive? What kind of guidance are we offering beyond the school day? Join us as we explore how one school district is tackling these questions with outstanding results.In this episode, host Dustin Odham sits down with Tobie Pace, Senior Director Extended Learning Opportunities at San Diego Unified School District. Tobie discusses how her district's after-school programs are empowering students to continue learning, growing, and accessing new opportunities. Beyond the programs, Tobie also shares her personal leadership approach and the ways she fosters a culture of trust and innovation. Don't miss this insightful conversation filled with valuable takeaways Don't forget to like, and turn on those bell notifications to ensure you don't miss our next episode.If you want to learn more about FranklinCovey, visit us at https://www.franklincovey.com/solutions/education/Host: Dustin Odham, Managing Director at FranklinCovey EducationGuest: Tobie Pace, Senior Director Extended Learning Opportunities at San Diego Unified School DistrictTime stamps: (00:00 - 02:49) Introduction(02:50 - 04:37) Get to Know Tobie Pace(04:38 - 05:28) Unlocking the Genius(05:29 - 09:40) Creating Opportunities Outside the Class(09:41 - 11:14) Knocking Down Barriers(11:15 - 14:58) A Multidimensional Process(14:59 - 17:25) Making It Meaningful(17:26 - 20:00) Overcoming Challenges (20:01 - 25:01) Innovating and Risk-taking(25:02 - 27:27) Always Open to Feedback(27:28 - 33:31) Rapid Fire Questions!(33:32 - 34:38) Closing

More details have resurfaced about the sexual misconduct claims against the former superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District. A harvest supermoon will light up the sky over the next few days. The new "Frontwave" arena in Oceanside has opened, with Team U.S.A Gymnastics as the debut show. Here's NBC 7's Steven Luke with the top stories of the day.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The San Diego Unified School District is working to keep air conditioners operating during the heat wave. Plus, details on a secret Wi-Fi network on a San Diego-based warship. And, scientists are developing an early warning system for bluff collapses.

San Diego Unified School District, the second largest district in the state, fired its superintendent. It appears trustees have already settled on his successor. We'll talk about what she apparently doesn't want to talk about.  It's been 10 years since California banned plastic bags at grocery and liquor stores. Now a San Diego lawmaker is trying to get the state to ban plastic bags at grocery stores. Why one of the statistics is shocking.  And we're back with one of our favorite recurring segments: Climate change promises that are fun to make but really hard to pull off. This week? Battery facilities. Recent fires have caused a panic and may lead to bans. But where else are they going to store power for when the sun doesn't shine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

San Diegans will be voting on multiple sales tax measures in this fall's election, so we learn about what they are and how they'd work if passed. Plus, a closer look into why the San Diego Unified School District fired its superintendent.

San Diego Police Officer Zachary Martinez has been released from the hospital a week after being seriously injured in a fiery crash. A heat wave is expected to start soon, and law enforcement are on high alert in case a wildfire breaks out. The search is underway for a new superintendent in the San Diego Unified School District. Here's NBC 7's Marianne Kushi with the top stories of the day.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A few months ago Jakob here broke news that San Diego Unified School District had commissioned an investigation into its superintendent for alleged misconduct. Now, they've apparently finished that investigation. We'll tell you what we know.    For months, Nathan Fletcher's advocates have said he was wrongly accused of assault and that soon enough, they'll have the receipts to prove it. A new court filing last week revealed text messages his accuser sent that do not help her case at all. We'll review.    Finally, the county quietly lifted a major barrier to building housing in unincorporated areas of San Diego because of a case involving a recycling plant. We'll explain how that happened.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The San Diego Unified School District is expected to take action today after a months-long investigation into its own superintendent. The woman set on fire at a Chula Vista 7/11 has died after being taken off life support. For the first time, jurors in the Rancho Peñasquitos murder trial reveal why they couldn't reach a verdict. They spoke exclusively to NBC 7 investigative reporter Alexis Rivas. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a textJoin us for an enlightening conversation with Richard Barrera on his third visit to the Superintendent's Hangout. Richard opens up about the financial strategies and hurdles within the San Diego Unified School District, from dealing with budget deficits to the philosophy of prioritizing student needs over building reserves. We also delve into controversial issues such as banning cell phones on school campuses.  Richard is a veteran school board member and renowned expert on educational leadership. 

When it comes to wage theft, one thing to watch out for is employers withholding sick days. In other news, students in the San Diego Unified School District are back in school. Plus, in 2019, Renee Westbrook won best solo performer for her San Diego International Fringe Festival show “Shelter,” and this Friday in Los Angeles, she'll perform it again.

Sylvia Echeverria, School Administrator for the San Diego Unified School District's Home Hospital and Transition Supports program, talks about the instructional services offered to those students who are homebound or are in hospitals or mental health facilities due the serious nature of their physical or mental health condition.

San Diego voters will not decide whether to replace San Diego Gas and Electric with a nonprofit municipal electric utility this November. In other news, we have a recap on the State of North County address. Plus, we learn about a summer enrichment program for more than 24,000 students in the San Diego Unified School District.

Send us a Text Message.Imagine transforming a childhood wonder for Legos into orchestrating major school revitalization projects—that's the journey Lee Dulgeroff, Senior Executive Director for Facilities Planning and Construction at San Diego Unified School District, shares with us. Lee's path from tinkering with building blocks to leading immense educational infrastructure initiatives is as remarkable as it is inspiring. Join us as we unpack the dedication it takes to turn nostalgic play into the kind of professional drive that levels the societal playing field through education.

Thousands of University of California graduate student workers and faculty are ready to walk off their jobs over the war in Gaza. They're upset about the way they say they were treated during recent protests at several campuses, including UC San Diego. San Diego Unified School District has rescinded the vast majority of the layoff notices they recently sent out. A former skydiving center in the East Village will be developed into affordable housing for those experiencing homelessness. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This podcast episode features an interview of Chris Ahrens of the San Diego Unified School District. After graduating from SUNY Brockport with a degree in physical education and completing a master's program on an OSEP grant, he has spent the last 15 years working in various positions in the San Diego Unified School District until he reached the position of lead APE teacher. They discussed the way in which podcasts connect APE teachers and allow different perspectives to be shared. He discusses lessons he learned the hard way through podcasting, like how to be flexible and how to disagree politely and respectfully. Ahrens has mild cerebral palsy and had a nine-year career with the U.S. Men's National Paralympic Soccer Team and was recently a finalist for the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Soccer was a huge part of his life, and he described the excitement of watching World Cup games during his childhood and how the transformational power of sports can lift people up. Next, they have dived into how the pandemic has affected the field of education, with a focus on the mental health of students. When looking back on his career up until this point, he stated that in every school situation he found himself in, he left it better than he found it. He advises Masters APE students to rock the boat, as they have the unique opportunity to change the field for the better. When looking forward to the next 20 years of the field, he compares the rise of online programs versus traditional hands-on experience, as these careers in the APE field require hands-on practice to be successful.

Voters in more than a dozen states across the country are heading to the polls today. We have chilling new details about the accused gunman who killed a dentist and injured two workers at an El Cajon dentist office. San Diego Unified School District will discuss plans to lay off more than 400 employees at their meeting tonight. Here's NBC 7's Steven Luke with the top stories of the day.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Family Series "Stories from Siblings"with Joey and Stephanie Alarcon and Lynette Fuson We're excited that you are joining us today. We are continuing on in our family series with “Stories from Siblings”. Siblings each have their own journeys and their own stories to share. When special needs enters into the picture for a family each member of the family is effected. Siblings face a lifelong journey along side their brother or sister. One that often begins with their earliest memories and lasts long after their parents passing. The road they walk down can be filled with lots of hard choices and sacrifice but it can also be filled with lots of joy and beautiful blessings as well. Listen in as we share this 2020 recording from our sibling panel with Joey and Stephanie Alarcon and Lynette Fuson. Sibling Panel: Joey Alarcon is the youngest brother to Chris, who is diagnosed with Down Syndrome. He and and his wife Stephanie have been married for 10 years and have a young son and daughter and baby on the way. Both Stephanie and Joey are Special Education teachers with 4 combined credentials and a Masters degree in Education. Joey teaches Adapted PE in San Diego Unified School District and Stephanie is taking a break from teaching Special Education to focus on raising their little ones. Lynette Fuson is married to Jaisen, a Navy Chaplain, and they are blessed with four sons and 2 beautiful daughter-in-laws. She is also the older sister to Missy, who is diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Lynette has a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish from Wheaton College as well as a Certificate in Spiritual Direction. After teaching school for 10 years and serving alongside her husband in various churches, Lynette joined the Emmanuel Faith Community Church staff in 2013 where she is the Care & Counseling Director. She is passionate about helping people grow in their relationship with Jesus and live out of the fullness of who God made them to be. Connect with Us: If you enjoy this podcast please share us with others and be sure to follow us so won't miss an episode.  We'd love to hear from you so please leave us a comment or rating and connect with us on social media or on our website.  Email us Website: Instagram Facebook: Facebook Group Free Youtube Resource Library     

Richard Barrera is the elected representative for District D on the San Diego Unified School District's (SDUSD) Board of Trustees and returns as the first guest to record a second episode on the podcast. A true advocate for educational equity and a seasoned trustee, Richard discusses the intricacies of leading a major urban school district into the future. Richard reveals the strides made within San Diego schools, delving into the transformative journeys of students and the narrowing of the opportunity gap among communities within the district. The conversation details how the district is addressing upcoming budgetary hurdles, Richard's commitment to equity, and the role schools play during community crises. Tune in for a deep dive into the future of education with an inspirational leader who's been at the helm of change for over a decade and a half.Learn more about Richard Barrera.

The San Diego County Migrant Welcome Center abruptly closed last week. The closure has forced advocates for migrants and asylum seekers to work around the clock. In other news, the Sempra earnings report released yesterday caused a stir among advocates lobbying to replace SDG&E with a municipal utility. Plus, there's a new classroom on wheels in the San Diego Unified School District. We learn about San Diego's latest food truck.

San Diego schools saw a major influx of pandemic aid meant to ease the impacts of school shutdowns and learning loss. That funding is soon coming to an end. And the San Diego Unified School District, the second-largest district in California, faces a major budget deficit for the next school year.

Some of the highest tides of the season are about to roll across the San Diego coast. The San Diego Unified School District is getting new electric school buses due to a state program. The American Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage across the country.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this episode we talk about the impact the California Beef Council is making on school nutrition in California and how they are keeping beef on school lunch menus. To have that conversation,  registered dietician and CBC's Director, Food & Nutrition Outreach Kori Dover is us on the podcast for the first time. Episode resources:Click here to see the photo of the school lunch Kori worked with San Diego Unified School District on to create the recipe for Biarria tacos, which we discuss in the episode.To stay up to date with this work, subscribe to the California Beef Council's monthly e-newsletter by clicking here or visiting https://www.calbeef.org/beef-producers.Thanks for listening to Sorting Pen! We want to hear your suggestions for improvement and ideas for topics and future guests to be interviewed. Please fill out this form or contact Katie in the CCA office with any other comments.

San Diego County has a new plan in the works to consolidate migrant drop offs. In other news, the San Diego Unified School District is now accepting priority applications from families who want their children to attend campuses other than their neighborhood school. Plus, San Diego's Vermont Street bridge allows people to cross back and forth between two San Diego neighborhoods, but it is about more than just getting from here to there.

Dozens more migrants were dropped off at the Oceanside Transit Center Friday. Local leaders are calling it a symptom of a broken immigration system. In other news, a lot of vehicles that used to only run on human power have been electrified. The offer of greater speed and ease of use from electric bikes, scooters and skateboards, has encouraged travelers and environmentalists who want to reduce our reliance on gas-powered cars. But are they safe? Plus, it's Hispanic Heritage month, and the San Diego Unified School District has a first-of-its-kind flag flying over its administration building.

San Diego Unified School District has a new privacy plan for students.

Today is the first day of school for the San Diego Unified School District, the second largest in California. This year the district opened more community schools as a strategy to better provide for students. Plus, some San Diego community colleges look to recover from enrollment declines brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

The San Diego Unified School District welcomes more than 100,000 students back to its campuses Tuesday. In other news, we get an update on how Tropical Storm Hilary may have affected the ongoing risk of wildfires in San Diego County. And, over the past decade, members of the Ramona Cemetery District voted to give themselves health benefits.

The VA is receiving a surge of claims ahead of a major deadline for the Pact Act. In other news, the Port of San Diego is celebrating the arrival of two massive electric powered cranes that'll move cargo at the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal. Plus, the San Diego Unified School District will soon have more community schools, in hopes that the schools will improve absences and enrollment.

Five former San Diego State University football players accused of rape will get their day in court Friday. In other news, most natural gas customers in SDG&E's service area got big bills this past winter, but few people got the bill surprise that came for one North County resident. Plus, the San Diego Unified School District is more than doubling the number of community schools opening in the district this fall.

The San Diego City Council is voting on an ordinance that would ban homeless encampments in public spaces. In other news, the San Diego Unified School District is considering options to help its unhoused students. Plus, public art emerges from the ashes of an abandoned freeway project.

Officials at Camp Pendleton had to shut down one of its two water processing plants when tests found levels of PFAS chemicals exceeded new public health guidelines. Now the military is working to fix the problem and it's affecting more than just the military. In other news, researchers are one step closer to creating a vaccine that can protect us against multiple coronaviruses. Plus, more than 6,000 teachers and other certificated employees of the San Diego Unified School District continue voting on a new contract.

The San Diego Unified School District uploaded an update to their website, regarding a data breach from last Fall, where they explain who and what information was compromised. Coastal train service in Orange County is shut down once again, after another landslide sent debris down the tracks. This is the second one affecting San Clemente. The 2023 San Diego County Fair starts tomorrow, and we put together a guide on everything you need to know. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the "Today in San Diego" podcast, The padres are teaming up with the MLB to offer a direct-to-consumer streaming option without blackouts, the San Diego Unified School District reached a tentative deal giving school staff a raise and other benefits and NBC 7's Brooke Martell has today's weather forecast as we close out the month of May.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"The tendency of the 21st century classroom teacher today is to use more technology in their classrooms and often times, students abuse it, teachers misuse it, and we all start to, well… lose it! There are lots of books, blogs, vlogs, webinars, professional development sessions, and even conference headliners, all trying to convert classroom teachers into believers that technology makes a difference in the classroom and that you just have to use it. The truth is, a great teacher is marked not by the amount of technology they use, or how quickly they can navigate a complex interface, but by how they are able to take the aggregate resources available to them, and design the most powerful learning experience they possibly can PERIOD. Yes, the 21st century has brought change to what we can use to teach our students, but let us not forget what we each recall form our own learning experiences. It all starts with a passionate teacher who always wants to try something new."Kevin White is a teacher, a learning designer, a technologist, and "a risk taker who has stumbled, faltered and failed so many times, that I feel I have learned some very valuable lessons along the way." His career started as a History Teacher in Santee, California at West Hills High School, but his first 8 years included teaching 16 different courses (mostly STEM, but also just about every 6-12th grade Social Science/History course in existence)He's currently teaching STEM at De Portola Middle in San Diego Unified School District and "Virtual Reality, Virtual Worlds and the Future of Learning" at San Diego State University. Check out the "Cyborg Surgery" project hereKevin hopes to begin offering Professional Development opportunities for 3D tools, such as OnShape for mechanical engineering ad design, CoSpaces VR and AR, as well as JellyBox and MakerBot 3D printers for educators looking to take STEM to the next level.  Connect with Kevin :Website teachertechrescue.netTwitter @kevinwhitesdChris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:Website: dailystem.comTwitter: @dailystemInstagram: @dailystemYouTube: youtubeGet Chris's book Daily STEM on AmazonSupport the show

For this unique episode, we interviewed Christopher Ahrens (@chrisahrens), an APE Teacher for the San Diego Unified School District and former US Paralympic soccer player, who has recently begun his own APE-focused podcast. This new APE podcast, "The Talking Adapted PE Podcast", interviews APE teachers across the US and discusses their day-to-day lives and best practices. Chris just completed season 1, which included 9 interviews with APE teachers and 1 professor. Within this episode we discuss Chris's journey to beginning this new podcast, how this podcast is different, and everything he has learned from the first season of his podcast.

ICAN's latest legal win put Del up against an old foe in Richard Pan, the former CA Senator secretly behind the push for San Diego Unified School District's attempt to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine. Hear the details of the legal precedent the win sets and how Pan failed to cover up the loss.

On yet another action-packed Monday morning episode of The Charlie Kirk Show, Charlie takes the questions you ask him in his inbox at Freedom@CharlieKirk.com and answers them for the entire show. First up, he responds to a concerned parent from Alabama who caught wind of one of the most radical curriculum components we've seen on this show out of San Diego Unified School District—you'll have to hear this one to believe it. Next, on a sadly related note, he tackles all the questions being asked about the spread of “Monkeypox,” where it comes from, how to stop it, and how we as Christians and conservatives should react to the entire saga of orgies, sickness, and sin. Finally, even though Joe has seemingly recovered by now, he closes the show by raising a question of his own: what's going on with Joe Biden and his non-stop COVID Marathon?Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.