Student Leadership Network’s Post

Yesterday, we held the final convening of the East Side Alliance Transformation Network, a four-year partnership of nine schools in San Jose, CA. The network focused on improvement in middle grades math for the first two years and whole-school transformation for the final two years. Partners is very proud to have supported collective action to improve on-track outcomes for students on the East Side. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll share highlights from the convening including opening remarks from Glenn VanderZee, superintendent of the East Side Union High School District; our honoring of Oak Grove School District Superintendent Jose L. Manzo, who is retiring at the end of the school year; and recognition of five individuals who’ve been awarded scholarships to support them as they earn their administrative services credential and become even stronger results-oriented change agents (ROCAs). In addition, we’ll share the reflections of the school teams that were the heroes of this four-year journey. Because Partners believes in the power of story-telling as a way for schools to capture their continuous-improvement work and spread successful practices, we invited each team to encapsulate their growth in five-minute Ignite presentations. For example, pictured below is the team from Davis Intermediate – Ginelyn Kudsi, Jose Acosta, and Rachel Pike – who reflected on several improvement efforts over the past four years, including a refinement of professional learning communities that has resulted in greater teacher engagement and agency, increased collaboration among teachers of different grades, and improved student-teacher relationships. The Davis team’s story is just one example; stay tuned for more! #education #equity #EducationEquity #K12Education #EducationalLeadership #EducationForAll #ProfessionalDevelopment #StorytellingForChange

There are currently 48 Charter Systems in Georgia. No two school districts are alike, but all face challenges that impede student success.  School Board members from City Schools of Decatur, Dublin City Schools, and Union County Schools will share the positive impact and innovative solutions to challenges that have been possible as a charter system.    In this session you will hear how best practices in local school governance, use of distributed leadership and shared governance has strengthened numerous opportunities to use time, talent, limited resources more effectively and even engaged the support of local, state, and even national partnerships to accomplish the goals of the school system. Charter System collaboration exists in and outside of the schoolhouse, through PreK, elementary, middle and high schools, as well as in College & Career Academies and ultimately with those ultimately responsible, the BOE.

🎓💼 From the classroom to career, Dr. Derek Bub’s vision for 'college and career readiness' transforms student outcomes in West Ada. With robust CTE programs, every graduate is equipped for success, whether in college or the workforce. Derek Bub thank you for sharing how you have flipped the script on post-secondary readiness, and the incredible opportunities you have given students. Full story at leadership-voices.com. #LeadershipVoices"

A fulfilling week! Between supporting students, collaborating with colleagues, and gearing up for the new NFL season, every moment was productive and inspiring. Week in Review: 9/8/24 🎯 Monday - Kicked off a week full of student meetings, guiding seniors as they prepare for application season. - Engaged in Senior Leadership Team strategic planning sessions with David Palumbo🍏 to shape the future of Graded - The American School of São Paulo. We held 3 impactful sessions throughout the week. - Wrapped up the day with a mini-college fair featuring top institutions like John Cabot University, Dublin City University, University of Warwick, Babson College, Emory University, Lehigh University, Rice University, and University of Bristol. Later, hosted a wonderful reception for local college counselors and the universities. 🎓 Tuesday - Concluded the summer quarter at UCLA Extension, finishing two courses: College Counseling for International Students and the Practicum. - Collaborated with our dynamic OCC team – Janan Sabeh, Trevor H. Rusert, and Carlos Pedroso – to map out programming for the rest of the semester. 📊 Wednesday - Attended a PTA meeting and appreciated the engagement from our parent community. - Delivered an insightful presentation to high school faculty on the importance of college counseling at Graded. - Capped off the evening with our annual College Counseling Symposium, where we shared insights into the latest class, global admissions trends, and future plans. 💬 Thursday - Continued connecting with students and parents. - Had a productive check-in with Madhu Vohra, CEO of dabbL (www.go-dabbl.ai), discussing some exciting ideas. - Spent the evening developing new programming initiatives for UCLA Extension – more to come soon! 🎉 Friday - Wrapped up the week with more senior meetings, ensuring they feel supported during this crucial time. Looking forward to another dynamic week, but first, some football... 🏈 #EducationLeadership #CollegeCounseling #StrategicPlanning #StudentSuccess #HigherEd #ProfessionalDevelopment #Networking

What an amazing and inspiring story. Boston College leading the way-- even a College of the Holy Cross Crusader can tip his hat here. I hope BC inspires other universities to follow suit. We are facing a crisis in education on so many fronts: poor leadership at some of the most visible schools, poor access, fragmented focus in the classroom, hyper-politicization, and many schools (like the late Pine Manor) simply going out of business. @Messina can and should be a role model for a renewed commitment to education in America. Why can't we focus on what is really important? John Hillen, Hector Batista, Jay Marshall, Miguel Martinez-Saenz, Romy Riddick, Vincent Rougeau, Thomas Flynn, Elliott Visconsi, Andrew Abela, Fred Voccola, John Kenyon Lang, Craig Skiptunis, Robert Sweeney, Tommy Smoot https://lnkd.in/eVjYiPBh

Congratulations again to the champions of our March to Graduation Madness 2024 brackets: Jackson State University in the women's bracket and Grambling State University in the men's bracket. It's worth noting that both champions are HBCUs, which demonstrates the pivotal role that minority-serving institutions (MSIs) play in equitable college completion. Many of these schools are models for creating economic opportunity and social mobility, and they play a critical role in the higher education landscape. As CCA President Yolanda Watson Spiva, Ph.D., BCC, noted in a Newsweek Expert Forum column earlier this year about #HBCUs and #MSIs: "... these colleges have much to teach other institutions as they fight to close equity gaps and guide all learners to the finish line with purpose and momentum. Laser-focused on completion, predominantly black community colleges and other minority-serving institutions are redesigning their policies and practices to more fully account for the lived experiences, aspirations, and needs of their learners. This, in turn, allows them to offer personalized support, academic coaching, and programs aimed at improving feelings of belonging." Again, congratulations to both schools on being champions for equitable college completion and student success! And, as we've said all along, every student who earns a degree or credential ultimately wins in our March to Graduation Madness tournament. #MarchMadness #collegecompletion #CCADoesTheWork

Did you know Tom Hanks got his start in the community college system? Happy Community College Month! Here's a snapshot of why I believe YOUR community college is the cornerstone of learning and opportunity: ⇨ Accessibility: They open academic doors for nearly half of the U.S. undergraduate population, democratizing higher education. ⇨ Affordability: Their lower tuition fees break down financial barriers, making dreams attainable for many. ⇨ Economic Catalysts: They fuel regional economies with skilled workers by aligning programs with local industry needs. ⇨ Lifelong Learning: They offer a sanctuary for continuous growth, from degree programs to personal enrichment courses. With that playful Tom Hanks signature smirk, 🥂 Let's raise a glass, or a textbook, whichever you have handy, to the unsung heroes of higher education. 🙌🏼 #edleadership #edleader #highered #higheredleadership #teamdevelopment #cancelaverage #leadership #leadershipdevelopment

What if every college graduate left not just career-ready, but ready to lead change in their communities? Complete College America’s new report, "Harnessing the Power of Higher Education to Renew American Democracy,"offers a playbook for making civic engagement a core part of the college experience. It emphasizes integrating civic learning into curricula, building partnerships, and offering real-world learning opportunities to empower students as active citizens. At the Student Basic Needs Coalition, we know that civic engagement begins with addressing students' basic needs. Here’s how we’re helping students step into leadership roles while meeting those needs: - Peer Navigators: Students helping peers access SNAP and other resources, while developing their own advocacy and leadership skills. - Momentum Institute: A program training students to advocate for systemic policy changes that address food and housing insecurity. - Collaborative Policy Work: Partnering with campuses to create equitable solutions and amplify student voices. - Leadership Development: Supporting students to organize and lead initiatives that address critical issues on their campuses and beyond. If we truly want to strengthen democracy, higher education must ensure students have the tools to lead. What steps can we take together to expand these efforts? Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/ey5z8WiS #HigherEducation #CivicEngagement #StudentLeadership #BasicNeeds

Did you know Tom Hanks got his start in the community college system? Happy Community College Month! Here's a snapshot of why I believe YOUR community college is the cornerstone of learning and opportunity: ⇨ Accessibility: They open academic doors for nearly half of the U.S. undergraduate population, democratizing higher education. ⇨ Affordability: Their lower tuition fees break down financial barriers, making dreams attainable for many. ⇨ Economic Catalysts: They fuel regional economies with skilled workers by aligning programs with local industry needs. ⇨ Lifelong Learning: They offer a sanctuary for continuous growth, from degree programs to personal enrichment courses. With that playful Tom Hanks signature smirk, 🥂 Let's raise a glass, or a textbook, whichever you have handy, to the unsung heroes of higher education. 🙌🏼 #edleadership #edleader #highered #higheredleadership #teamdevelopment #cancelaverage #leadership #leadershipdevelopment

If you are in upper administration making decisions about student success, this article is worth the read. Give your colleagues who have professional practice knowledge a "seat at the table." While this term is a bit overused, many times, student success professionals may get a seat at the table, but their professional practice knowledge is not taken seriously and applied integrally into student success and retention initiatives.