School climate and school choice issues are all about representing the needs of students
ACSA Executive Director Wesley Smith Director of Communications Naj Alikhan Editor London Roberts Design / Layout Stephen D . Long Production Coordinator Emily Senecal
Board of Directors
President Lisa Gonzales President-Elect Holly Edds Vice President Linda Kaminski Vice President for Legislative Action Terri Rufert Past President Ralph Gómez Porras Directors Angel Barrett , Mike Berg , Ana Boyenga , Blanca Cavazos , Craig Helmstedter , Charles Hoffman , Linda Hutcherson , Sue Kaiser , Lisa Ketchum , Jon LeDoux , Michael McCormick , Rafael Placencia , Barbara Martinez , Robert Martinez , Denny Rush , Karen Sakata , Kiela Snider , Jay Spaulding , Victor Thompson , Roxanna Villaseñor , Denise Wickham , Ron Williams
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1029 J Street , Suite 500 Sacramento , CA 95814 916.444.3216 or 800.608 . ACSA www . acsa . org
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Leadership magazine ( ISSN 1531-3174 ) is published bi-monthly in September / October , November / December , January / February , March / April and May / June by the Asso ciation of California School Admin istrators , 1575 Bayshore Hwy ., Burlingame , CA 94010 . ( USPS 282-740 ) Annual subscription : $ 60 ; single copies $ 12 ( includes state tax ). Subscriptions outside the U . S . add $ 20 ($ 80 total ). Periodical postage paid at Burlingame , California and additional post offices . Articles and advertisements are the expressions of the author ( s ) and advertisers and are not statements of policy or endorsements of ACSA . Postmaster : Send address changes to : Leadership magazine , ACSA , 1575 Bayshore Hwy ., Burlingame , CA 94010 .
To Our Readers
School climate and school choice issues are all about representing the needs of students
Happy New School Year !
I ’ ve always loved this time of year . New beginnings . New students . A reset on programmatic goals . A new focus after a summer of reflection . The energy that the beginning brings is one I ’ ve always looked forward to .
One area of emphasis that I know site leaders reflect on during the summer is the work around school culture and climate . I know in Dublin Unified , we ’ ve worked with our principals and assistant principals on programs that help adults better connect with students and provide welcoming environments for our families .
School climate and school choice are among the hottest topics in education . We look forward to exploring them in this issue of Leadership . Terry Wilhelm writes , beginning on page 12 , about turning turmoil to tranquility with a set of guidelines that includes sharing leadership , communicating expectations and teaching students problem-solving words . Linda Bardere and Maria Garcia in San Bernardino City Unified School District ( page 16 ) tell us what happens when the everyday , good climate of a school is severely challenged by an active shooter on campus . At North Park Elementary , the safety drills that had been rehearsed countless times were carried out by a competent team . Beginning on page 34 , Superintendent Carol Hansen and Public Information Manager Julie Jennings share their story of how building a healthy school climate in Ocean View School District took new leadership and a passion for honesty , trust and accountability .
In late spring , under President Ralph Porras , ACSA launched a Charter School Task Force that is now working to define guidelines for the association ’ s work in this arena moving forward .
Beginning on page 8 , we look at one successful charter , Mueller Charter School in Chula Vista , known as “ El Milagro ” – the miracle . Executive Director Kevin Riley shares how the K-6 conversion charter defeated the effects of poverty on learning to become a community anchor , now additionally serving the middle grades and joined by a high school campus . Attorneys at Lozano Smith outline the rise of nonclassroom-based education in the school choice landscape , beginning on page 20 . Assistant Principal Oron Jackson ( page 24 ) cautions that school choice is failing , as long as African American young men continue to be over-identified on the school-toprison pipeline . It will take heeding the social justice call and the redistribution of resources to cure . Retired administrator Roberta Benjamin Edwards ( page 30 ) reflects on the school improvement landscape in Los Angeles USD , where more charter school students are served than in any other district in the country .
As you launch into the new school year , please keep in mind our mission and the heart of our work – advocacy for students . Our first priority is to represent the needs of students , from having qualified teachers in every classroom to special education funding , and from safe schools to mental health and wellness services . Our work is never done , and our leadership matters . Thank you for serving our many millions of public school students . May the information in this edition of Leadership magazine become starting points for discussions in your districts and strengthen your work and your skills in service to others . Have a fantastic 2017-18 school year .
Lisa Marie Gonzales ACSA President
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