Job : IT Support Specialist
Who : Chris Booth
First job ever :
2 EDCAL August 27 , 2018
Williams named as ACSA ’ s new equity leader
JASMINE
Finding a way to flourish under pressure
Marguerite Williams , director of Linked Learning for the Los Angeles Unified School District , has been named ACSA ’ s senior director of Equity and Diversity , and will join the association ’ s senior leadership .
“ This is an incredible opportunity to make a substantive change in how we build communities and determine the best methods to educate our students ,” Williams said . “ ACSA has been a leader in focusing on equity through professional development of school leaders , and I believe we can build upon the work of our organization .”
Williams has served in several capacities in her tenure with Los Angeles USD , most recently coaching school principals to improve academic achievement through the Linked Learning approach . Williams supervised school principals in her role as director in the Intensive Support and Innovation Center .
ACSA Executive Director Wes Smith said ACSA ’ s commitment to equity goes beyond the new mission statement , which is why finding the right person to lead the organization ’ s strategies and programs in the name of equity was so important .
“ We know how valuable this position is to our members and partners ,” he
Williams
said . “ We want our equity leader to be able to build capacity in cultural proficiency and educational equity , provide professional development and work within our new strategic plan to improve diversity in the field .”
Region Valley Oak High School , a continuation school in Napa Valley where 72 percent of students are low-income , takes in new students very often – every six weeks , says Principal Maria Cisneros . Students who fall behind at comprehensive high schools get an opportunity to graduate from Valley Oak High .
“ You ’ re looking at [ kids from ] single parent homes , parents working three or four jobs here in Napa ,” Cisneros said . “ These are the kids , the families that are working in the vineyards and hospitality . Some live out of town or have to move because they can no longer afford rent here [ or ] can ’ t find housing .”
When Raevan Waldon first arrived at Valley Oak High two years ago , she too was
Raevan Waldon , Region 4 ’ s Every Student Succeeding recipient , finally found a connection with school after being shuttled between foster homes .
Williams says the first 90 days of her work at ACSA will focus on listening and building a strategy focused on what administrators and teachers need .
“ We don ’ t have a learning problem , we have a doing problem ,” she said . “ We lack a system in which we can determine the effectiveness of equity-minded practices .”
Over the next year , Williams will engage leaders and partners statewide around the idea of an Equity Scorecard . The scorecard will help leverage district conversations and strengthened efforts to improve equity indicators for certain students .
Williams lived in Mississippi and was the first in her family to graduate high school and attend college . She obtained her master ’ s degree in multicultural education from California State University ,
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“ She ’ s captured some amazing photos ,” Killingbeck said . “ I think part of what is going to make her a great photographer is that she ’ s so patient and still . She ’ s expressing herself with the beauty she sees in front of her , which could be the birds or the ducks down the road , the cats and the dogs looking out of fences .”
With a lot of hard work , Jasmine brought her grades up to As while finding time to practice photography .
Jasmine has always been very private , so art has been life changing for her , Killingbeck said .
“ I feel like it saved her life , because she ’ s seeing beauty when everything before was all dark ,” Killingbeck said . “ I watched her struggle at school , very closed off to everything , and now she is seeing and expressing life , beauty , and vitality . It ’ s giving her a purpose . It brings me joy when I see her smile , because for the first two years , we didn ’ t see too much of that .”
Jasmine continues to move forward , revealing her strong and creative nature . Killingbeck said that Jasmine “ never makes excuses . She has come far . She has had to figure it out on her own and make choices for herself with not a lot of guidance . She
dealing with a past of living in foster care , and she was getting F ’ s in class .
“ I always appreciate watching kids and students who have struggled but are so resilient ,” said Tiffany Kuban , Valley Oak High counselor . “ They don ’ t give up .”
As she slowly but surely got her grades up , Raevan embodied this resilient spirit .
“ Even though she ’ s definitely had some challenges in her life , she ’ s not allowed that to define who she is ,” Cisneros said . “ I see a happy person . I see a person that ’ s always smiling . Very respectful .”
“ When she first got here , she was , like a lot of our students , guarded and sheltered and a little lost and confused ,” said teacher John Mautner . “ And then she just found herself . And she just kind of flipped the switch and thought ‘ Oh , I trust my teachers .’ She ’ s been an A student ever since .”
“ I think when you have young people that have traveled from foster home to foster home , it ’ s difficult to connect ,” Cisneros said . “ Because you ’ re just waiting for the shoe to drop . ‘ When am I leaving ?’”
Many new Valley Oak High students can appear “ battered if not broken ,” but , as Mautner said , one of the differences for Raevan is that she ’ s got goals in mind .
Dominguez Hills , and serves as an adjunct professor in the master ’ s degree program at National University in San Diego . Besides LAUSD , she was an administrator with the San Bernardino City School Districts , working as a vice principal , principal and central office administrator .
“ Growing up in the South limited my experiences with diversity ; the move to California created a greater awareness and a realization that it will take a collaborative effort to embrace the equity work which lies in front of us ,” Williams said . “ The passion and drive I have is to ensure that every student has equity and access to quality education ; that lies within the fabric of who I am ” she said . It ’ s time we reverse the trends of access , equity and achievement for some students and not for others .”
has had to learn to take care of herself and be motivated completely on her own .
“ The growth in her has been amazing . I ’ m not sure that a lot of people could be successful as she is right now with the stepping stones she ’ s had to take in her entire life ,” Killingbeck said .
Jasmine is now thinking about her postsecondary goals . She is considering becoming a freelance photographer and is working as an intern .
“ She ’ s got deadlines ,” Mautner said . “ The joy of seeing somebody overcome their obstacles and kind of grow into who they are . Realize their identity . She ’ s someone who really knows who she is . It just brings joy to see that . Because you have so many students who are trying on personas and personalities and often destructive ones . And it ’ s not who they are . But you can see who Raevan is when you meet her .”
Raevan has truly taken all of those challenges that she ’ s faced . She ’ s really flourished . She ’ s a ray of sunshine , Cisneros said .
“ She is one of those young people that reminds you again what hard work looks like ,” Cisneros said . “ And the compassion that kids learn through this process about taking care of self . And then in turn start taking care of others . We can ’ t be more excited for her in her journey .”
Raevan remembers a time when she did not think she would graduate from high school .
“ I ’ m actually kind of proud of myself ,” she said . “ There ’ s a lot of people here who do care . Even on my bad days . I kind of feel like now that I ’ ve found my center , I know what I ’ m going to do with it .”
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Job : IT Support Specialist
Chris says he “ fixes stuff that is broken .”
This series introduces ACSA staff to members . These are the people working tirelessly for you each and every day .
Who : Chris Booth
First job ever :
Chris ’ first job was in commercial printing , feeding a press .
ACSA . We work for you .