California Safe and Supportive Schools

Balancing Acts: Nurturing Educator Wellness for Sustainable Impact

Webinar Recording

Balancing Acts: Nurturing Educator Wellness for Sustainable Impact

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This workshop was 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 explored the importance of self-care, stress management, and resilience. In this recording, explore the significance of finding small moments for self-care amidst the daily hustle, and strategies to cultivate collective and systemic cultures of care. 

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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.

Keynote: A Climate of Healing

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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.

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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.

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: A Case Study in Successful Educational Systems

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Culturally Responsive Pedagogy allows for learning to go beyond the surface level and create significant and meaningful learning experiences for all students. It moves past the “what” and into the “why” of education and allows students to have their daily experiences validated through learning. In this recording, two practitioners with experience addressing the challenges of centering race and culture alongside their partners at the district and school levels will illuminate ways to overcome what can feel like overwhelming odds in this work. Through the case stories, work is highlighted where advocacy and activism are taking place, as well as lessons learned around crowdsourcing and developing equity-centered solutions that promote culturally responsive and sustaining systems.

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Presenters:

Rawlin J. Rosario, Senior Program Associate, WestEd

Rawlin J. Rosario is a Senior Program Associate for the Talent Development and Diversity team at WestEd. He delivers technical assistance; develops research and evidence-based tools and resources; and provides research and policy support with state, regional, and local education agencies to help build more equitable and culturally responsive systems.

Before joining WestEd, Rawlin was a middle school ELA teacher, instructional coach/leader, and administrator in Gaston, North Carolina; New Haven, Connecticut; and The Bronx, New York. In those roles, Rawlin was able to model outstanding culturally responsive instruction and deliver professional development to teachers and staff on instruction, systems change, classroom management, and culturally responsive practices. In addition to his experiences in K–12 spaces, Rawlin also contributed to the development and implementation of the New York State Education Department statewide framework for Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education—the first of its kind in the nation.

In 2018, Rawlin earned his master’s degree in educational leadership, policy & advocacy from New York University Steinhardt’s School of Culture, Education and Human Development. As a first-generation college student born in the Dominican Republic and an English Language learner, Rawlin is motivated to do racial equity work because he believes in the power of creating educational systems that reflect and honor the diversity of the communities they serve. He is dedicated to dismantling racist systems of oppression to ensure our Black and Brown students can discover their best selves and contribute to their communities in the ways they see fit.

Timothy Ojetunde, School Climate Program Associate, WestEd

Timothy Ojetunde is a Program Associate at WestEd on the Resilient Healthy Schools and Communities team, focusing on school climate and data use. He supports districts and schools in centering equity and improving educational outcomes for all. Timothy’s expertise is grounded in school culture and climate, restorative practices, SEL, and trauma-informed practices, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Timothy comes to WestEd with over a decade of knowledge and experience across multiple spaces and communities having been a teacher, advisory and school culture specialist, school administrator, and DEI consultant. In his work, he has coached school administrators, presented to leaders, and facilitated sessions for hundreds of educators and learners across multiple conferences. He is extremely passionate about creating equitable outcomes and is dedicated to supporting students and adults as they grow, develop, and find success.

Timothy was born and raised in Los Angeles and is a graduate of UCLA with master’s degrees from Arizona State University and California State University, Dominguez Hills. He also enjoys music, sports, film, and television. 

Centering Relationships and Data for Informed Decision Making

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To make informed decisions that are reflective of your school community and all educational partners, robust relationships are core to have powerful data conversations. Relationships allow educational partners to feel comfortable sharing varying options with their peers and school staff. Additionally, showing care in how data are collected, shared, and used to make improvements further strengthens trusting relationships among staff, students, families—the entire school community. In this recording, you’ll hear two district examples of how engaging a range of role groups in transparent processes were key for implementing decisions to improve school climate that were reflective of the school community.

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Panelists:

Dr. Jennifer Edic Bryant, Ed.D., Education Consultant, Azusa Unified School District

Dr. Jennifer Edic Bryant has worked in California public education for over 31 years. She began her career as a classroom teacher in a Title I school in Los Angeles County, serving historically underserved students and families. From the beginning of her education career, Dr. Bryant has focused on ensuring equitable, comprehensive education for all students in partnership with families and communities. Today, as a full-time consultant, her mission is to use her extensive K–12 public education experience and capacity to provide opportunities for students and families to access the best education outcomes possible, resulting in empowerment, a sense of fulfillment, and lives that reach their full potential. She is part of the State of California’s Community Engagement Initiative, which builds district and community capacities to collaborate, with a focus on improving student outcomes through effective engagement and partnerships.

Mayra Rico, Family Member, Azusa Unified School District

Mayra Rico is a proud parent of three daughters who attend Azusa Unified School District schools. As she became a parent volunteer, she noticed the need for parent involvement and became a big advocate for it. She understands that many parents want to be involved, but can’t because they are working hard to put food on the table; therefore, she needed to also be their voice and advocate for their children.

Rico currently serves on various committees in the Azusa school district. She is President of the School Site Council at Azusa High, parent representative for the Student Attendance Review Board, parent representative for the Superintendent’s Round Table, parent representative for the Parent Advisory Council, and a member of the Executive PTA Board. She works closely with the community liaisons at Azusa school sites to help facilitate the Families in Schools program. She also supports the Azusa School District orchestra and Mariachi by volunteering her time to help beginner string players. ” Because of the experience Mayra gained while being an active parent, she now works for the Community Resources Department with the City of Azusa, is the President of the Rotary Club of Azusa, and is a board member of Azusa Beautiful and Azusa Leaders for Learning Education Foundation.

Dr. Jennifer Martin, Assistant Superintendent, Improvement and Analytics, Hemet Unified School District

Dr. Jennifer Martin has served Hemet Unified School District as an educational administrator since 2012. Most recently, she was
Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and has held various administrative positions within Hemet Unified, including serving as Director of Special Education and Principal at Valle Vista Elementary and Dartmouth Middle Schools. Dr. Martin, under her new title of Assistant Superintendent of Improvement and Analytics, plays a key role in supporting the work the district is engaged in to improve student learning outcomes from a systems perspective and applying a scientific approach to continuous improvement. Personally, Dr. Martin is a mother of two sons and wife to a fellow educator. Dr. Martin is positioned and actively working to further Hemet Unified’s vision: To design a system that leads to equitable educational outcomes for all students, including and especially those who have been kept furthest from opportunity, we EMBRACE and EDUCATE students in deeper learning competencies that EMPOWERS each student for college, career, and life.

Kimberly Romeril, Principal, Hemet High School, Hemet Unified School District 

Kimberly Romeril is the Principal at Hemet High School. Prior to this position, she served as an administrator at Cawston Elementary, Acacia Middle School, and Hamilton High School in Hemet Unified. Kim is committed to collaborative relationships with students, families, staff, and other community members on the path to equity and excellence for all students. She has been an integral part of the Hemet Unified School District’s journey of improvement and learning. Her three children are all proud graduates of Hemet High.

The Importance of Alignment and Coherence

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Participants explored the concepts of alignment and coherence across policies, funding, communications, capacity building, data use, and goals, with a focus on equity. Presenters shared 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. The six domains of alignment and coherence and how they apply to school climate improvement and other initiatives were discussed.  

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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.

Engaging Educational Partners in Local Control and Accountability Plans

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In this webinar recording, the California Center for School Climate and the California Department of Education presented 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 discussed how to meaningfully and effectively partner with students, families, and other partners to authentically engage with them in education decision-making. In this recording 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.

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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.