Two California Principals Receive National Honors!

Two principals from the same district have been recognized by the national associations for elementary and secondary school principals. 

Willow Elementary School Principal Eveline E. Huh, Ed.D., and Whitney High School Principal John K. Briquelet have received honors from the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, respectively.  ACSA is a state affiliate of both NAESP and NASSP.

Both principals lead schools within the ABC Unified School District.  Superintendent Mary Sieu said the leaders were congratulated for their outstanding work in each of their schools.

"Every district should have Principals of the Year such as Dr. Eveline Huh and John Briquelet," she said.  "I applaud them for their willingness to stand by the district's side as we move forward.

NAESP's National Distinguished Principal program recognizes one outstanding elementary and middle-level principal from each state who ensures that America's children acquire a sound foundation for lifelong learning and achievement.

Huh was selected for this honor by ACSA's Elementary Education council and ACSA NAESP Liaison Scott Borba.

"Eveline Huh epitomizes what it means to be recognized as a Nationally Distinguished Principal.  Her work at the school site and within her district speaks for itself, " Borba said.  "Beyond what she does to support her community, Eveline has passionately represented CA principals as President of the ACSA Elementary Education Council and CA State Representative for NAESP."

Prior to her arrival in 2016, morale at Willow Elementary School was low, student discipline levels were high, and the school had the lowest student achievement out of all 19 elementary schools in the district.  Huh's leadership began by building relationships with teachers and staff and establishing a trust that would enable a collective re-envisioning of the school's culture.  By integrating the AVID system throughout the school and establishing PBIS strategies and multi-tiered systems of support, Huh has been able to close opportunity gaps for students.

"One of the biggest leadership lessons that I have learned in my 13 years as a principal is that the principal cannot do it all.  Being a successful and effective principal requires one to effectively distribute leadership and build capacity amongst the staff," Huh said in her application.

Huh will be honored during the National Distinguished Principal Recognition & Celebration event October 7-8 in Washington, D.C.

NASSP's National Principal of the Year program recognizes outstanding middle level and high school principals from all 50 states.  Each year, an ACSA Administrator of the Year in either the Middle Grades Principal or High School Principal category is selected for this national award.

John Briquelet was selected as a state finalist by ACSA's Middle Grades and Secondary Education Councils, and ACSA NASSP Liaison Derrick Lawson.

"I am so proud to see John represent California for this prestigious recognition as he has been a champion of equity, connection to school, and fostering a relationship with a caring adult for every student to help give them an advocate, mentor or guide,"  Lawson said.  "His leadership is widely respected beyond his campus, district and community, and is recognized across CA.

Since becoming principal of Whitney High School in 2016, Briquelet has instituted a number of efforts to help students feel safe, have a sense of well-being, and learn productively.   These have included anti-racism training to staff, hiring wellness counselors and improving grading practices to open opportunities to more challenging coursework for all students.   These and other efforts have garnered Whitney HS national attention and a ranking as the 2022 US News and World Report #1 High School in California (#14 in the US).

"Because Whitney High School is frequently ranked as one of the top three high schools in California, some people believe we do not need to change and that our status quo is just fine," Briquelet said in his application.  "I have never believed this to be the case; instead, I genuinely believe that if we are to give kids our very best, we must always strive for improvement."

From the state winners, three finalists are named as contenders for the National Principal of the Year award.  All state finalists will be honored at the National Principals Institute in September in Washington D.C.

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Today, Children Now released the 2023 California County Scorecard of Children’s Well-Being, an interactive tool that delivers data on how kids are doing in each of California’s 58 counties, and tracks over 40 key indicators of children’s well-being – over time, by race/ethnicity and relative to other counties – from prenatal to the transition to adulthood.    This year, we’ve added 6 new indicators to provide a more comprehensive whole-child view, including the percent of low-income children reached by CalFresh, children with Medi-Cal who had a blood lead screening by age 2, and 5th graders in foster care who met or exceeded standards in science. To learn more about the Scorecard and how to use it to improve outcomes for kids in your community, please join this webinar: Tuesday, January 31st, 10:00am Register Today! Children Now Presenters:  Ted Lempert, President  Kelly Hardy, Senior Managing Director, Health & Research   Vincent Stewart, Vice President, Policy & Programs  Stacy Lee, Chief Learning Officer & Senior Managing Director, Early Childhood  Susanna Kniffen, Senior Managing Director, Child Welfare & Government Relations  Lishaun Francis, Director, Behavioral Health  Click here to access the 2023 California County Scorecard of Children's Well-Being.

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General Universal Prekindergarten Guidance

This collection houses resources and guidance that local educational agencies and partners can use in preparation for the implementation of Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) in California. State and local implementers, leaders, and practitioners of UPK can find information on early learning and care programs, key local partners that can assist in UPK planning efforts, archived webinar materials, and more. Additional guidance will be added to this collection as they are developed.

KINDER L.I.G.H.T.S. podcast

It’s all about raising the profile of early learning and celebrating wonderful Kindergarten educators, as they share stories of their highs, lows and some of the wild fun in between!

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Preparing Young Children for School - Practice Guide 

Recent research has identified practices that have the potential to prepare young children to benefit from the learning opportunities they will encounter in school. 

In collaboration with expert panelists, the What Works ClearinghouseTM (WWC) distilled that research into practical recommendations for preschool educators to use to help prepare children for school.  The Preparing Young Children for School Practice Guide details seven evidence-based practices designed to be used by teachers; center and program directors; district or state personnel involved in adopting curricula for preschool programs; and parents and caregivers.

Please click the link below for more information.

Preparing Young Children for School.pdf

Announcements

California ASCD Congratulates our 2022 Outstanding Instructional Leader Award Recipient

Dr. Gina Potter

Dr. Gina Potter, San Ysidro School District Superintendent has been named CASCD Outstanding Instructional Leader (OIL) Awardee. 

The OIL Award is given annually to recognize an individual educator who has significantly contributed to education in California.  Dr. Gina Potter has served in the field of education for over 30 years within 7 culturally diverse school districts throughout California.  Dr. Potter is a third-generation educator in south San Diego County, having followed in the footsteps of both her parents and grandfather who are all retired South Bay educators.  Dr. Potter is currently the Vice President Legislative Action for Association of California Schools Administrators (ACSA). 

Former State Superintendent of Public Instruction summarized Dr. Potter's many contributions to education as follows, "I have had the opportunity to personally work with and observe Dr. Potter addressing the needs of our students learning the English language.  She has extensive experience in leading curriculum adoptions and ensuring that students receive the proper tools to help them succeed.  She is a strong advocate for holding our schools and school systems accountable to maximize student learning at all levels." 

In addition, Dr. Potter has established exemplary instructional programs such as International Baccalaureate, Dual Language and STEM Academies in schools and districts throughout the state with the highest percentages of English Language Learners, poverty and unhoused youth.  Most recently, during the recent pandemic crisis, Dr. Potter has provided exemplary leadership for the students and staff of San Ysidro School District.