California Safe and Supportive Schools

Session 1C: Talent Is Universal, Access Is Not: Why Partnerships Matter

K-12 School District Leaders

Session 1C: Talent Is Universal, Access Is Not: Why Partnerships Matter

by

It’s more than just partnerships, it’s uniting power and purpose. Together, we can close the opportunity gap and remove the “red tape” to affording equitable and transformational access for all youth. Through partnerships, we can level the playing field by removing barriers and bringing new resources, opportunities, and experiences to communities, facilitating access and support for the whole child.  

Watch the session recording:

View the session transcript

Session resources

Session Speaker:

Jessica Ochoa, M.Ed., is an accomplished public education and civic sector trailblazer with nearly two decades of diversified experience with a commitment to leadership and service. She is currently the executive director of communications and community relations with the Inglewood Unified School District and serves on the board of directors for the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA). Her prior experience includes leading public education initiatives with the California Department of Education. As a leader in education, Jessica understands the importance of access, and has an unwavering commitment to social justice. She aims to deepen the impact of partnerships for the benefit of our deserving youth from all backgrounds. Jessica was recently recognized by CALSA as 2022 Region 5 (Los Angeles County) Classified Management of the Year. She enjoys playing golf in her free time. 

Session Moderator: 

Nakanya Magby (she/her) serves as a Technical Assistance Provider for the California Center for School Climate.

Nakanya Magby (she/her) is a Senior Program Associate in WestEd’s Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities (RHSC) area. In this capacity, she provides coaching, training, and curriculum development in areas related to school climate and culture, trauma-informed practices, and equitable supports. Currently, she supports the California Center for School Climate and the Connecticut Department of Education. Most recently, she served as a school climate and culture specialist at the state level in Washington, DC, providing professional development, technical assistance, and coaching for a safe and supportive school climate to include multi-tiered systems of support and trauma-informed and equitable supports. Nakanya joins WestEd with over 20 years of experience in education and mental health, having previously worked as a special educator, school counselor, dean of students, and district- and state-level specialist. Nakanya believes that all students should have access to a quality educational experience both academically and emotionally.

Session 1B: Making Waves: Transforming School Culture through Student Mental Health Clubs

by

Dive into this workshop on high school mental health clubs, uncovering lessons that prompt a fresh perspective on school mental health strategies. Learn seamless methods to integrate student-led mental health clubs into your school environment, fostering a culture of understanding, connection, and resilience. Explore innovative approaches to secure funding for sustained club support. Join us for a transformative session, equipping educators with tools to cultivate a more compassionate and supportive high school community. 

Watch the session recording:

View the recording transcript

Session resources

Session Speakers: 

Kym Barber has worked in public education for over 25 years, having spent the last 11 years with the Stanislaus County Office of Education, supporting homeless and foster youth education, school safety, PBIS, and programs across the MTSS framework. In her current role as the youth programs coordinator, she has developed a unique collaboration with NAMI On Campus Clubs throughout Stanislaus County High Schools. Kym is a graduate of Chapman University, receiving her bachelor of arts degree in organizational leadership and completing two years of graduate work in education. She is passionate about helping students find their full potential, develop a sense of community, and celebrate their unique abilities. Kym also loves celebrating holidays and has a separate Pinterest board for each one!

Jennifer Baker, M.A., M.Ed., LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist and trainer with over 30 years of experience specializing in family systems, early childhood mental health, suicide prevention, and trauma-informed practices. She has worked in settings from public mental health and private practice to K–12 education. Jennifer is dedicated to supporting student and educator mental health and wellness and applying trauma-informed approaches to education, operating through a framework in which public health, mental health, and education intersect. As a multi-tiered systems of support coordinator at the Stanislaus County Office of Education, she supervises the Project Cal-Well AWARE grant and the Student Behavioral Health Incentive Program while also providing mental health consultation for other projects. She is a member of the California Department of Education Student Mental Health Policy Workgroup and the Statewide Suicide Prevention Partners. She is thrilled that the work she supports aligns with her mission of moving people toward mental well-being through education and the transformative power of a reflective lens. Jennifer loves the summertime, a good book, and cuddling up on the couch with her family and three spoiled cats while watching their favorite shows. 

Brittney Clark, Library/Media Clerk, is the sole Library staff at Orestimba High School in Newman, California. She is also one of three advisors for Orestimba’s National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) club, the NAMI Warriors. This club works hard to provide safe spaces for students to talk about mental health, decrease its stigma, and do regular community outreach. She also coordinates the NAMI Needs Shelf, which provides hygiene items and clothing to students in the district, the Apprentice/Career Expo that invites career representatives to the school to talk to students about post-graduation options that may not need a college track, and Red Cross blood drives. In her free time, she is president of her local labor union and spends time lobbying in Sacramento for public education. She is also a full-time student working on her Master’s degree in Counseling/Marriage, Family, and Child Therapy.

Session Moderator:

Kenwyn Derby (she/her) serves as a Technical Assistance Provider for the California Center for School Climate.

As a Senior Research Associate at WestEd, Kenwyn partners with educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders at local and state levels to understand contextualized problems of practice, to prioritize needs, to collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data, and to apply evidence to increase equity and improve the experience and outcomes of students and others in human service systems. She provides coaching and technical assistance in contexts ranging from schools to cross-sector collaboratives, with an emphasis on supporting those in traditionally underserved communities. Her expertise includes facilitating and managing projects to improve youth well-being and mental health, to ease transitions for students, to reduce chronic absence and school dropout, to increase student and family engagement, and to create and sustain culture change.

Session 1A: Balancing Acts: Nurturing Educator Wellness for Sustainable Impact

by

Join us for a transformative workshop designed for educators seeking to prioritize their well-being while making lasting impacts in their school communities. Through examples from the field, interactive activities, and practical strategies, participants will explore the importance of self-care, stress management, and resilience. In this session, we will explore the significance of finding small moments for self-care amidst the daily hustle, and strategies to cultivate collective and systemic cultures of care. 

Watch the session recording: 

View the recording transcript

Session resources

Session Speakers:

Dr. Rachel Vatannia serves as the Coordinator of Education Services in the San Leandro Unified School District. With an unwavering commitment to fostering inclusive and equitable learning environments, Dr. Vatannia works in areas related to whole-child learning, multi-tiered systems of support, college and career readiness, student and family engagement, and the cultivation of student agency. Her work is grounded in pedagogical intricacies of child and adolescent development, with an emphasis on equity and inclusion. Her intentional focus underscores her dedication to ensuring that educational practices not only meet high standards of effectiveness, but are also inclusive and prioritize the diverse needs of every student. 

 Dr. Vatannia’s commitment to expertise and excellence reached new heights with the completion of a doctorate in educational leadership for social justice. This theoretical knowledge, combined with a wealth of hands-on experience, means that she is adept at navigating complexities and implementing strategic solutions. In additional to her doctorate, Dr. Vatannia holds a bachelor of arts in child and adolescent development and a master’s degree in education and curriculum design.  

Jenny Betz (she/they) serves as a Technical Assistance Provider for the California Center for School Climate.

Jenny is also a Senior Program Associate in the Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities content area at WestEd providing coaching, training, and technical assistance to support client efforts to assess and improve school climate and wellness, with an emphasis on equity, trauma-informed practices, SEL, partner engagement, youth leadership, bias-based bullying, LGBTQ students, data use, and sustainability. With more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Jenny has worked with hundreds of SEAs, LEAs, government agencies, professional associations, community organizations, and corporations, focusing on creating and sustaining safe, inclusive, and equitable learning environments for all students.

Antoinette Miller (she/her) serves as Technical Assistance Provider for the California Center for School Climate.

Antoinette is also a Program Associate in WestEd’s Resilience and Healthy Schools and Communities area. In this capacity, she provides coaching, technical assistance, and professional learning to schools, districts, and county offices of education. Antoinette’s expertise is grounded in school climate and culture, mindfulness, healing-centered and restorative practices, social emotional learning and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Antoinette comes to WestEd with two decades of knowledge and experience in education, having previously worked as a general and special education teacher, districtwide intervention specialist, and a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) coordinator. Antoinette is dedicated to supporting the growth and development of all students and adults.

Session Moderator:

Arturo Chavez (he/him) serves as a Technical Assistance Provider for the California Center for School Climate.

Arturo is also a Program Associate with Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities in which he supports local and state communities with mental and behavioral health initiatives. He provides support and guidance to child-, youth-, and family-serving agencies in areas of school-based mental health, licensing, credentialing, and community and family engagement. Arturo brings experience working within a K–12 context as an LCSW, PPSC-School Social Worker, Foster and Homeless Liaison, Family and Community Liaison, Clinical Supervisor, Social–Emotional Learning Coordinator, and Coordinator of School Climate and Conditions.

Welcome and Keynote: A Climate of Healing

by

The California Department of Education and the California Center for School Climate welcome attendees to the conference, followed by the Keynote.

Keynote: A Climate of Healing

In a changing educational landscape, how do we adapt to the times?

The need for fostering a cultural climate of healing within K-12 school environments has never been more crucial. The students and adults in our education systems are struggling, and we can’t ignore that these systems reside within a larger reality of politicized disagreement situated in a historical context of inequality. If we are in survival mode, we can’t connect in community, grow together, and learn. In order for us to pivot toward healing school climates to create sustainable safe and supportive schools, it starts with us as individuals then as a collective to foster the magic at an institutional level that allows us to co-create and reimagine our ecosystems for learning. Together we will accept the invitation to pivot from the problems in school climate to the possibilities rooted in action toward tangible change. If our students, our young people, our communities are to thrive, then we must heal the roots and culture of our educational ecosystems by starting with us. Let’s talk about creating conditions for change, define healing for ourselves, and remind ourselves that together we flourish.

Watch the session recording:

View the recording transcript

Session resources

Welcome: Tom Herman, Administrator, School Health and Safety Office, California Department of Education

Keynote: Lee Porscha Moore, EdD, LCSW, Senior Trainer, Flourish Agenda 

Dr. Lee Porscha Moore (pronouns: she/her/ella) is a senior trainer at Flourish Agenda, where she supports youth development and other organizations to enact a healing-centered engagement approach. She is a fun-loving lifelong learner committed to walking with children, youth, and families as they reconnect with their inner superhero. Porscha lives in her intersectionality and navigates this world as a Black cisgender woman. Outside of facilitating and guiding trainings, Porscha juggles many hats, which include her role as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing individual and group therapy, and as an instructor at various universities and colleges throughout the Bay Area. Porscha is a proud first-generation college graduate who has earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University San Bernardino, a master’s degree in both social work with an emphasis in community mental health and in communications from Cal State East Bay, and a doctorate in education from San Francisco State University.  

Session Moderator:

Rebeca Cerna (she/her/ella) serves as the Director for the California Center for School Climate.

As an Area Director at WestEd, Rebeca supports districts, schools, and community partners in centering equity and improving educational, prevention, and health outcomes. Rebeca’s areas of expertise include health and wellness, school culture/climate, partner voice, data use, and cross-sector collaboration. She has extensive experience in working with communities that have been challenged by infrastructure deficiencies and in lifting the voices of all community members. Rebeca has also worked with diverse settings, including rural and urban communities, recent and mixed-status immigrant communities, and alternative education.

Engaging Educational Partners in Local Control and Accountability Plans

by

Join the California Center for School Climate and the California Department of Education for a webinar on how to authentically engage educational partners in Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAP) to drive school climate improvement and other transformation efforts.

Local educational agencies (LEAs) in California are required to partner with students and families to create their LCAP. This webinar will discuss how to meaningfully and effectively partner with students, families, and other partners to authentically engage with them in education decision-making. In this session San Jacinto Unified School District will share information and their best practices in engaging with educational partners as an essential asset for their LCAP process.

Watch the webinar recording: 

View the recording transcript

View the webinar slides and resources

Presenters:

Dr. Vanessa Gomez is the Director of Equity and Access for San Jacinto Unified School District where she is responsible for LCAP development and has effectively worked with diverse families to engage them in the process. She has over 25 years of experiences as an educator. During her career, Dr. Gomez has developed and implemented comprehensive, data-driven school counseling programs and Student Assistance Programs. She also has a vast experience with crisis response counseling including creating and designing suicide prevention protocols, and implementing Trauma Informed approaches in schools. Dr. Gomez earned her doctorate degree from San Diego State University and completed her dissertation study on Implementing Trauma Informed Approaches in Schools.

Dr. Karen Kirschinger is the Assistant Superintendent of Personnel Services for San Jacinto Unified School District. She joined the district in 2001 and has held several positions including as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and most recently the Executive Director of Student, Community & Personnel Support. In that role she provided guidance to students, families and staff in areas pertaining to child welfare, services to foster youth and homeless, attendance, counseling and support groups and also gave direction to the district’s enrollment and parent centers.

The Importance of Alignment and Coherence

by

Join the California Center for School Climate for the third Virtual Learning Session, The Importance of Alignment and Coherence. 

Participants will explore the concepts of alignment and coherence across policies, funding, communications, capacity building, data use, and goals, with a focus on equity. Presenters will share examples from education agencies in California and beyond that illuminate the technical and adaptive aspects of working toward alignment and coherence of programs and services. We will discuss the six domains of alignment and coherence and how they apply to school climate improvement and other initiatives.  

Watch the session recording:

View the recording transcript.

Download the session slides and resources.

Session Three Presenters:  

Natalie Romer (she/her) is a Senior Program Associate in WestEd’s Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities team. Her work includes technical assistance, research, evaluation, and training focused on developing effective and efficient systems to support the social and emotional well-being of school communities. Romer’s areas of expertise include multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS); school-based mental health; social and emotional learning (SEL); positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS); social, emotional, and behavioral intervention and assessment; design of instruction and evaluation; special education; cross-agency collaboration; and integrated behavioral health service models. 

Natalie Walrond (she/her) serves as the Director of the Resilient and Healthy Schools and Communities content area at WestEd and the Associate Director of the Region 15 Comprehensive Center. She is a national leader of efforts to help public schools, districts, and regional and state education agencies become resilient and healthy places oriented to serving the whole person. Walrond has experience in K–12 education, finance, and strategy for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations and has led the development of flagship publications that have been widely cited in the field, including Serving the Whole Person: An Alignment and Coherence Guide for State Education Agencies, Rooting Social and Emotional Well-Being Efforts in Equity: A Reflection Guide, and the recently released Equitable, Sustainable Systems Change at Scale: Lessons Learned From State Collaboratives. 

You can register for the entire series or for any single Virtual Learning Session. Each session will be 90 minutes, with a 1-hour webinar-type session and an optional 30-minute virtual discussion for questions and consultation. Learn more about the Virtual Learning Sessions here.