This recording takes you through a journey of understanding how trust and relationships through authentic collaborative leadership transforms schools into a place where educators, local community members, families, and students work together to strengthen conditions for student learning and healthy development. Through a unique model of community schools led by the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), Bassett High School shares how they have taken elements of the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) framework to create an environment where educational partners are empowered and given a voice. Learn about how one community school has moved to authentically engage their school community to improve student outcomes.

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View the recording transcript

View the session slides and resources in this Linktree

Presenters:

Hector Vasquez, Principal, Bassett High School, Bassett Unified School District

Hector Vasquez is an experienced, highly dedicated, bilingual (English-Spanish) administrator with a proven track record in effectively leading organizations through continuous improvement, professional training and development programs, and an unwavering focus on the achievement of excellence. He has demonstrated leadership success with diverse, multicultural environments and employs finely developed communication and listening skills to facilitate strong, collaborative relationships with colleagues, internal teams, district office staff, and community partners.

Estela Peregrina-Schubert, LACOE Community Schools Specialist, Bassett High School, Bassett Unified School District

Estela Peregrina-Schubert’s 29 years of experience in education is diverse, with specialization in alternative education and coordinating resources to support students and their families. She spent a decade serving at-promise youth as a counselor and administrator and, in this capacity, supported and inspired young people to overcome daily challenges within the juvenile justice system, with substance abuse, mental health, and staying on track for graduation. As a Community Schools Specialist for the Los Angeles County Office of Education at Bassett High School, her first year in this capacity has taught her that there is so much more impactful work to be done in education.

Estela holds advanced degrees in educational leadership and educational counseling from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and Azusa Pacific University. In addition to her passion for education, Estela is a mother to two amazing daughters.

Dr. Michelle Castelo Alferes, Director, Los Angeles County Office of Education, Community Schools Initiative

Dr. Michelle Castelo Alferes serves as the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) Community Schools Initiative (CSI) Director III. Dr. Castelo Alferes has over 20 years of experience in public education focused on student support services, dropout prevention, child welfare and attendance, and mental health. She has dedicated her career to empowering school communities, leveraging their strengths, and promoting social justice. Dr. Castelo Alferes is a three-time graduate of UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, master’s in Social Work, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership.

Previously, Dr. Castelo Alferes came from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), where she served at-promise and historically underserved student populations and school communities as a Pupil Services and Attendance (PSA) Counselor, lead PSA Counselor, Program Coordinator, and Director of Pupil Services. Most recently, Dr. Castelo Alferes served as director with LAUSD’s Student Health and Human Services division, leading the work of Human Relations, Diversity and Equity, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports/Restorative Practices (PBIS/RP), and data/program evaluation. She is also a part-time Adjunct Professor in the Social Work program for Mount Saint Mary’s University.

Relationships are at the core of any educational environment and can make all the difference in how we create positive school climates. Join us in this recording to ground in transformative relationship practice to engage in throughout the school year. During the recording, you can expect to reflect on relationships, identify your needs, and make a plan to create more transformative relationships with people in your educational community.

By the end of the recording, viewers will be able to:

• Describe what transformative relationships mean for them individually
• Identify and have a list of transformative relationships in their lives
• Identify what they give to and receive from transformative relationships
• Make a plan to communicate their needs around transformative relationships
• Engage in mindfulness activities
• Identify their preferred way of receiving and giving gratitude
• Make a plan to incorporate gratitude into their day
• Identify how to use gratitude individually, peer to peer, and as administrators

Watch the session recording:

View the recording transcript 

View the session slides and resources in this Linktree

Presenter:

Yasemin Rodriguez Corzo, Associate Director, Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Bio: Yasemin Rodriguez Corzo, MA is the Associate Director on the Whole Child Health National Advisor team at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. With a background in education in emergencies, Yasemin has 10+ years in curriculum and content design, educational and workforce programming implementation, and research. In her current role, she oversees and collaborates with a team of National Advisors to create and curate resources, design and deliver high quality professional learnings, and cultivate and maintain national and regional partnerships to bolster practices and policies in whole child health. Yasemin holds a master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University in International Educational Development with a focus on Peace and Human Rights Education. In addition to improving practices and systems to ensure equitable education for children across the globe, Yasemin is also passionate about travel, going for long walks, and fish tacos.

Sandy Hook Promise is a national nonprofit organization founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. Turning their tragedy into a transformation, Sandy Hook Promise built innovative programs that have a proven track record preventing school violence and empowering youth to “know the signs” and build a more connected school community.

This recording will showcase how schools and districts can use Sandy Hook Promise’s no-cost Say Something and Start with Hello programs to transform school climate, improve student connectedness and create lasting change through youth-led Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Promise Clubs. Sandy Hook Promise has been nationally recognized for the organization’s success in preventing multiple school shooting plots, teen suicides, and countless other acts of violence in schools across the country.

Watch the session recording: 

View the session transcript

View the session slides and resources in this Linktree

Presenters:
Abby Arisco, Manager, SAVE Promise Clubs

Abby Arisco (she/her) is the SAVE Promise Club Manager for the Pacific Region of the United States at Sandy Hook Promise. As a SAVE Promise Club Manager and her background in nonprofit management, she advocates for the importance of the Youth Voice and why it’s necessary for adults to listen to it. She is also an outdoor enthusiast and loves finding the next adventure.

Blair Freedman, Senior Director, West Region 

Blair Freedman is the West coast Senior Region Director for Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) where she manages state-wide and local partnerships and leads a team charged with the program delivery, sustainability, and expansion of the Know the Signs programs. Blair holds a master’s in social work and a minor in Business Administration from Columbia University. Blair’s career has been in the nonprofit sector, fulfilling a personal and professional passion for youth services and programming. Joining SHP early in its infancy in 2016, Blair has been able to witness and contribute to SHP’s rapid growth and impact across the country.

Kimberly (Kim) Cheng, Wellness Center Coordinator, San Gabriel Unified School District

Kim is the Wellness Center Coordinator at Jefferson Middle School, San Gabriel Unified School District. This is Kim’s seventh year as a counselor and she is working to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. They are coming up on their one-year anniversary of having their SAVE Promise Club!

Sheila Hatfield, Student Services Specialist and SAVE Promise Club Advisor, Poway Unified School District

With 22 years of experience, Sheila is currently the Student Services Specialist and SAVE Promise Club Advisor at Mt. Carmel High School in Poway Unified, San Diego, CA, and on campus to listen, encourage, and support all students. As the SAVE Promise Club Advisor, she guides students towards positively changing school culture to promote inclusion and connectedness for all. Young leaders need to know that their words and actions make an impact and could save lives. Sheila loves spending time with her family and taking walks on the beach with her dogs.