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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2022 School Counselor of the Year

Congratulations to Alma Lopez, lead school counselor at Livingston Middle School in Livingston, Calif., and the district school counseling coordinator, the 2022 School Counselor of the Year (#SCOY22). 

“Alma Lopez embodies the full spirit of school counseling. The deep commitment she has to her community, her relentless focus on providing equitable outcomes for her students and her implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program were evident throughout her application and interview process,” said Valerie Hardy, School Counselor of the Year Selection Committee member. Read more about Alma. Discover what inspires alma and learn about her home state in a short video. Learn more about Alma's school counseling journey in Episode 22 of ASCA's

“Each year, this School Counselor of the Year program shows us what the research tells us – that school counselors have a significant impact on students’ academic achievement, social/emotional development and plans for life after graduation,” said Jill Cook, ASCA executive director. “Through her dedication, contributions and excellence, Alma Lopez has demonstrated her commitment to the values and mission of the school counseling profession.”

EDUCATIONAL PARTNER:

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!

You’ll hear unvarnished truths and advice about teaching in Kindergarten learning spaces, shared by educators, who are L.I.G.H.T.S. of hope, joy and love for their students.

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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 2023 Outstanding Instructional Leader Award Recipient

Dwight Bonds

Dwight Bonds, Executive Director California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators has been named the CASCD Outstanding Instructional Leader (OIL) Awardee - March 2023

The OIL Award is given annually to recognize an individual educator who has significantly contributed to education in California. 

Dwight Bonds, an educator for over 50 years, is the Executive Director of the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA).  CAAASA, which is celebrating their 30th anniversary this year, is comprised of educational leaders committed to identifying and addressing the critical issues in education that impact all students, but especially issues relative to the status and performance of African-American students in California.  Under the outstanding leadership of Dwight Bonds, CAAASA has grown its membership exponentially; strengthened key partnerships to support improving experiences and outcomes for African American students; and is recognized as a critical voice in addressing the underrepresentation of African American teachers and administrators.  Dwight Bonds has worked tirelessly during his 16 year tenure as Executive Director to identify and expand opportunities to provide high quality, student-driven professional development and establish professional learning networks with state and local entities focused on eliminating disparities and improving educational systems for students of color.  Most recently, CAAASA's mission has broadened to include supporting health and wellness for students and families of color through partnerships and grants that provide health and dental screenings and information, immunizations, school supplies, food, clothing, and other essential resources.

Mr. Bonds has worked in many capacities including School Administrator with Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE).  He also served as an Associate Director for a federal education teacher training program at the University of Southern California.  As an employee of LACOE, he established exemplary educational programs including the Hollywood Entertainment Museum Arts Academy. This High School was created to provide adjudicated students with career preparation and employment in the entertainment art industry.  Mr. Bonds also established meaningful work partnerships programs for students with disabilities including Target stores, Vons Company, Johnson & Johnson companies, Paramount Studios and McDonalds national and state corporate offices.  Mr. Bonds has spent most of his professional career working with challenged student populations including incarcerated youth, students with disabilities and students in alternative settings.

He serves on the National Alliance of Black School Educators Foundation (NABSEF) Board of Directors, National Council on Educating Black Children (NCEBC) Board of Directors, Co-Chair of the Education is a Civil Rights Committee and many other educational civil rights organizations.

In the words of Warren G. Bennis, "Leadership is the capacity to transform vision into reality."  Dwight Bonds has, without question, demonstrated this type of leadership during his entire career and is more than deserving of this years CASCD Outstanding Instructional Leader Award.

Award presented by Katherine Castleberry and Dr. Michele Bowers, CASCD Board of Director members on March 15, 2023 at CAAASA.