California School News Radio

Glen A. Wilson High School International Baccalaureate teacher Josipa Casey and Wilson High senior Emily Axelrod discuss academic programs and pathways available at the award-winning school, one of four Hacienda La Puente Unified schools to receive a national Blue Ribbon designation from the U.S. Dept. of Education in 2023. 

Lynwood Unified Director of Equity, Access and Instructional Services Dr. Patricia Brent-Sanco discusses the District’s wide-ranging Equity Plan, social justice standards, Lynwood Equity Warriors, parent engagement, PBIS, and the importance of listening to students to find out their individual needs. 

Baldwin Park Unified Orchestra Director Paul Grant discusses providing equity in music education in Baldwin Park, and channeling the music teachers from his youth who inspired him to learn and teach music, leading to his selection as the American String Teachers Association Los Angeles Chapter 2023 Outstanding Teacher of the Year. 

Pioneer High School history teacher Gena Arriola-Salas and Whittier High School history teacher John Bellanti discuss their trip to Poland as part of the Auschwitz Legacy Program, and reflect on what they saw at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Warsaw Ghetto. 

Bonita Unified Career Technical Education Director Vanessa Tilford discusses reshaping the District’s CTE pathway programs, staging Bonita’s first community resources fair, and partnering with colleges and businesses to create training opportunities for students.  

Lynwood High School Class of 2018 graduate Andrea Lopez and her brother, Class of 2019 graduate Efren Lopez discuss how Lynwood Unified's English learner program put them on the path to academic success, their decision to attend Loyola Marymount University together, and why they returned to the District to mentor a new generation of English learners.

Fontana High School Class of 2023 graduates Jasmin Hurtado-Mendez, David Munoz-Padilla and Josue Arias-Ramirez discuss the prestigious scholarships that will allow them to attend some of the top universities in the country, including UC Berkeley, Columbia University and Boston College. 

Buena Park School District Technology Teacher on Special Assignment Andy Osborn discusses the District’s technology curriculum, the District partnership with Apple, and the end-of-year Innovation Showcase, where Buena Park teachers and students share their tech projects with the community. 

La Serna High School Intervention Specialist Lisa Barnes discusses the school’s unique multi-tiered intervention programs, including HAVEN, a program for juniors which provides career and college preparation, assisted by student mentors and community partners; the importance of providing students with social capital and taking over from her mentor, Ken LaVigne. 

Lynwood Unified School District English Learners Coordinator Aranzazu Garcia discusses the District’s English learner program, how students are mentored and assessed, support services for parents, and her passion for English language development after moving from her native country, Spain, to become a teacher in the United States. 

Dolores Huerta International Academy sixth-grade Spanish dual language immersion teacher Ashley Silva discusses her passion for infusing technology and fun in STEAM education, being selected to join the Teacher Innovator Academy in 2022, her recent recognition as an Alma Flor Ada Award for Social Justice recipient, and embracing the Hawaiian concept of ‘ohana. 

California School News Radio talks with two recent Posse Foundation Los Angeles Chapter recipients, Rosemead High School senior Wendy Sar and South Hills High School senior Saniya Tillis, who both received full-ride Posse scholarships to attend Northwestern University. 

Baldwin Park High School National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) club advisor Nicole Melamed and Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club advisor Michelle Humason discuss the school’s Peace, Pride and Produce Garden, which serves as a safe space for Baldwin Park High’s LGBTQIA+ community. 

Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Alfonso Jiménez shares his thoughts on the recent State of the District presentation, incorporating tech in the classroom, the District commitment to deeper learning, early college and dual enrollment and the Latino Film Institute Youth Cinema Project pilot program. 

Santa Fe High School world language teacher Isabelle Teraoka is joined by three of her students – junior Lia Liebanos and sophomores Oswaldo Garcia and Ana Sophia Gutierrez – to discuss the joys of learning French, the benefits of being bilingual, the beauty of the language and the impact of French culture in music, art, architecture and fashion. 

Lynwood Unified Director of Risk Management Tiffany Egan, Lynwood Unified Health Services Specialists Erin Okazaki and Sue Poh, and Carreon Group Inc. President and CEO Jennie Carreon discuss the District’s multi-faceted Health Collaborative and the “Health for the Holidays” community wellness fair, which was supported by the California Department of Education and grants from the Rockefeller Foundation. 

El Monte Union High School District Wellness Coordinators Imelda Moronez and Daniela Chavez discuss the District initiative to establish Wellness Centers at each school, and the importance of having calming spaces and rooms on campus where students can relax and talk to a licensed therapist or clinical social worker. 

Bonita Unified School District ProStart culinary educators Nick and Laurie Brandler discuss the importance of providing their students with networking opportunities with professional Bay Area chefs during an exclusive six-day ProStart training field trip in early November. The Brandlers are joined by San Dimas High School graduate Kris Lara, who is currently a pastry chef at a two-star Michelin restaurant in San Francisco. 

Fontana Unified School District Afterschool Education and Safety Program Project Director Yubleni Cazares and City of Fontana Community Services Coordinator Sergio Barragán discuss the activities, enrichment opportunities and social-emotional learning components of the District’s acclaimed afterschool program, which is part of the California Afterschool Network. 

Río Hondo College sociology professor Melissa Rifino-Juarez, counselor David Tieu, student Ileen Dominguez and alumna Nicole Contreras-Garcia discuss the success of the school’s Honors Transfer Program, which provides a pathway for students to transfer to four-year universities, with high admission rates to University of California and Cal State University colleges.