Good Schools For All
Voice of San Diego
Subscribe
A podcast about education. Every episode, Voice of San Diego's Scott Lewis and Will Huntsberry bring you a new story about schools and the system that makes them work (or not). This season, we’ll have stories about a scam that cost California millions of dollars, what happens when a school stops feeling safe and the future of early education. Subscribe now to get every episode. We’re back from summer vacation Sept. 25th.
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
Jan 10, 2020
S2 Ep 7 - Breaking Down Barriers for Homeless Youth
The San Ysidro School District in Southern California has reported as much as one-third of its students are homeless — the highest concentration in its region. In 2019, the district kicked a homeless student out of school over a paperwork issue. Voice of San Diego reporter Lisa Halverstadt got a tip and followed the story.
This is our last episode of the season! Thanks for listening. You can keep up with other Voice of San Diego podcasts at vosd.org/pod
Follow us on your favorite social media platform @voiceofsandiego
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Dec 12, 2019
S2 Ep 6 - School Safety in the Age of Gun Violence
The mindset around school shootings is changing. They were once so horrific to comprehend that they seemed like freak occurrences – not events that would happen regularly. In this new normal, schools and students must ask difficult questions: Not if a next school shooting will occur, but when and where.
This week, we hear from students, a parent and a VOSD reporter on how things are changing in the age of gun violence, what's working in local schools — and what's not.
vosd.org/learningcurve
vosd.org/schoolspod
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Dec 6, 2019
Teaser - In the Age of Gun Violence
We're working on our next episode about school safety in the age of gun violence. It'll drop next week and you still have a chance to help us make it.
If you have experienced a shooting incident, taken part in a school shooter drill, or have a related story to share, here's how you can do that:
Email producer Nate John at nate@vosd.org
Leave a voicemail at our podcast line, 619-354-1085
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Nov 21, 2019
S2 Ep 5 - How To Choose A School in 10 Days
One parent found out that she could choose a different school for her child just two weeks before the deadline. This week, we hear how she scrambled to make the best decision for her family in time.
You can follow all of our school stories at vosd.org/learningcurve.
Talk to us onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Nov 7, 2019
S2 Ep 4 - A Charter School Empire
We break down the story behind an alleged charter scam that cost California $80 million. In this episode of Good Schools for All, Will Huntsberry sits down with host Scott Lewis to unveil the culture and mechanics behind A3 Education.
You can follow all of our school stories at vosd.org/learningcurve.
Talk to us onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Oct 24, 2019
S2 Ep 3 - How Predatory Teachers Stay in the Classroom
Voice of San Diego has been investigating sexual misconduct in schools for two years now. It all started with one teacher at one school in La Jolla. Kayla Jimenez and Ashly McGlone, who've been reporting the series, sit down with Will Huntsberry to talk about the case that kicked things off.
You can follow all of our school stories at vosd.org/learningcurve.
Talk to us onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Oct 9, 2019
S2 Ep 2 - Universal Pre-K Is Still Far From a Reality
Pre-K is more important than ever. But access to it remains elusive for many parents. In this episode, Will Huntsberry visits a preschool and its parent organization to try to get some answers about the future of universal pre-K.
You can follow all of our school stories at vosd.org/learningcurve.
Talk to us onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Sep 25, 2019
S2 Ep 1 - The Problems Plaguing Porter
This year, Will Huntsberry revealed some serious problems plaguing an elementary school in San Diego's South Bay. We take a close look at the school after it was put on a list of California's lowest-performing schools.
You can follow all of our school stories at vosd.org/learningcurve.
Talk to us onTwitter, Facebook and Instagram.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Sep 17, 2019
Season 2 Trailer
We're back! In this new season of Good Schools For All, Voice of San Diego's Scott Lewis and Will Huntsberry dig in to the biggest stories our team has uncovered in the last year.
Plus, we're accepting your ideas for new episodes. Tell us your story — or what you want to hear — at vosd.org/goodschools
New episodes start Sept. 25. Subscribe now.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Sep 13, 2018
A Back-to-School Crash Course
Schools are back in session.
Good Schools for All hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn introduce Voice of San Diego’s new education reporter Will Huntsberry, and the trio unpacks the latest education news you might have missed over summer break.
Huntsberry discusses the misuse of Associated Student Body funds in San Diego Unified schools, new developments in the district’s 2016 graduation rate controversy and offers his take on what makes education reporting in San Diego unique.
The crew also discuss teacher misconduct and the slow-moving state system that allowed two Poway Unified teachers to continue working in education even after being forced out of schools for having romantic relationships with students. What's Working
Immediate Access: It's a new program at San Diego State University that allows students to access course material, such as e-textbooks, for free by the first day of school. If students decide to stay in the class for the rest of the semester, they can buy the material at a reduced price. SDSU officials estimate the new program could save students close to $2 million. Number of the Week
10 percent: That's the percentage of educators who rent out their homes on Airbnb. In San Diego alone, educators reportedly made $2.7 million using Airbnb.
Got thoughts, opinions or experiences with this? Call 619-354-1085 and leave your name, neighborhood and story so we can play the voicemail on future episodes.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Jul 19, 2018
Districts Struggle to Stay Afloat Despite Increased State Funding
At first glance, California schools seem to be doing well.
The state plans to steadily increase education funding through 2022, giving school districts with higher numbers of low-income students, English-learners, foster youth and homeless children more money and control over how to spend it.
But despite the cushion of financial support, school districts across the state, including San Diego Unified, are preparing to make big budget cuts to stay afloat.
Jason Willis and Kelsey Krausen, education researchers at WestEd, say the rising cost of pensions, declining enrollment and increased special education costs are some of the reasons why school districts are being forced to cut back. They joined the Good Schools for All podcast to discuss their recent study.
“While the state of California has made significant strides over the last four or five years to make investments in K-12 education … it's making it more and more difficult for school districts to continue to stay focused on…
playlist_add
Jun 21, 2018
The After-School Care Gap
After-school programs are crucial for many families. From the time school gets out around 2 or 3 p.m. to the time most parents get off work at 5 or 6 p.m., after-school program providers offer kids expanded academics and enrichment activities like arts or physical education.
But while the need is clear, many state and federally funded after-school programs are struggling to survive. Almost all of the quality after-hours programs in the county are have long waitlists, and not every family can access them.
On the latest Good Schools for All podcast, Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn talk with Brad Lupien, CEO of after-school program provider arc, and the San Diego County Office of Education's Daymon Beach about the importance of such programs and the issues impacting them.
Also on the podcast: an update on local school board election results and a quick look back at Cindy Marten’s five years as San Diego Unified’s superintendent. What’s Working
Proposition 49: Prop. 49 is a California…
playlist_add
May 25, 2018
Good Schools for All: Serving San Diego’s Most Vulnerable Youth
The San Diego County Office of Education has its hands in lots of things. But one of its biggest tasks is making sure the regions's most vulnerable students don't slip through the cracks.
On the latest podcast, hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn talk to Paul Gothold, the new superintendent of the San Diego County Office of Education, about efforts to get underserved students the tools they need to succeed.
Also the podcast, Lewis and Kohn discuss San Diego Unified's recent decision to move forward with deleting all emails older than a year and the upcoming Board of Education races. Number of the Week
15 percent: That's the percentage of public schoolchildren in San Diego who attended charter schools this school year. That's an increase from 12 percent in the 2014-2015 school year. What's Working
Superintendent Paul Gothold: He's only held his post for a year and has already started to repair broken trust between the county office and school districts across San Diego.
See omnystu…
playlist_add
May 10, 2018
A Lincoln High Success Story
Lincoln High is a struggling school.
A string of administrative problems and increasing violence between students at Lincoln continues to prompt many families to send their kids to schools outside their neighborhood.
But Karly Van Holten saw something she liked about Lincoln. Despite having other high school options, she told her mom she wanted to stay in her neighborhood and go to Lincoln.
"Everything about Lincoln screams community," she said. "I learned how to be in a community and how to be one with others rather than just being a high school student."
The Lincoln High senior has excelled at the school. She's been accepted to more than 30 colleges.
Van Holten joins Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn to talk about her experience at Lincoln High and how it shaped her for success.
Also on the podcast, Gina Gianzero, executive of Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership, joins Lewis and Kohn to talk about how the nonprofit is helping kids in southeastern San Diego stay in the educati…
playlist_add
Apr 27, 2018
'I Found a Way to Keep Reporting'
Voice of San Diego education reporter Mario Koran is leaving his post.
His reporting on San Diego schools over the past five years has pulled back the curtain on several policies and practices that affect local families.
He’s tackled everything from school discipline, graduation rates, administrative scandals, bilingual education and more.
Koran sits down with hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn to look back at some of his most impactful work and the hurdles he had to overcome to report those stories.
Koran said one of the biggest challenges education reporters face is access to students and faculty. Having a good idea of what happens inside classrooms isn’t just essential to knowing how a community can improve their schools, but it keeps those in power accountable.
When local school districts start denying reporters access, transparency fades.
After Koran unveiled a series of scandals involving former board trustee Marne Foster, the San Diego Unified School District began sh…
playlist_add
Apr 6, 2018
Good Schools for All: Reaching Out to Disconnected Kids
Adulting can be hard.
Many kids have difficulties navigating the transition from high school to the "real world." Lots get stuck in limbo.
There's a snappy new term for these 16-to-24-year-olds who don’t attend school or have a job — "opportunity youth." On April 12, the San Diego Workforce Partnership is hosting a summit to talk about why there's an estimated 41,000 young people in San Diego county who aren't in school or working. The hope is to come up with solutions about how to make a dent in that number.
On this week’s Good Schools for All podcast, Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn, who works for the Workforce Partnership, talk with Jahir Castelo and Ana Lomeli, two members of the Workforce Partnership's Opportunity Youth Leadership Council.
Castelo and Lomeli discuss their personal struggles transitioning into independent adults. Both are DACA recipients, or Dreamers, who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents, a status they said adds an extra layer of di…
playlist_add
Mar 21, 2018
The Raging Demand for More Computer Science Education
Tech jobs abound.
Our education system isn't churning out enough students with computer science training to meet the voracious demand for high-skilled tech workers. But schools in San Diego are trying to catch up.
Locally, only 10 percent of San Diego County high schools offered computer science courses as recently as 2011. This year, closer to 40 percent of high schools here have computer science curriculum.
Behind that jump in numbers are educators like Art Lopez, a computer science teacher at Sweetwater High School and a curriculum specialist for the Sweetwater Union High School District.
In the podcast, hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn talk to Lopez about local and state efforts to get computer science education to more — and more diverse — students.
Seven years ago, a student asked Lopez why La Jolla High had computer science courses and Sweetwater High didn't. Meanwhile, the number of jobs requiring tech skills was exploding.
“We wanted to change that landscape," he s…
playlist_add
Feb 22, 2018
A Parent’s Guide to Public Schools
Finding the right school for your kids just got a little easier. Voice of San Diego has launched an inaugural issue of A Parent’s Guide to Public Schools.
On the podcast, hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn talk about the guide and arm parents with the information they need to find a good school.
Last year, we released a map of San Diego County schools with crucial data about each. Our print guide features an easy-to-read version of that map and builds on the data by including explainers about topics like charter schools and transitional kindergarten, a roundup of the region's most innovative schools, a list of the key questions to ask when looking at schools and more.
Look for A Parent’s Guide to Public Schools at your local library or download a copy in English or Spanish.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Feb 1, 2018
Poway Unified's New Leader
The Poway Unified School District is one of the highest regarded school districts in the state. Its schools are good and its students are high-performing.
But the district's sterling reputation has a few big dings. Poway Unified's leadership has been under a cloud of suspicion since 2011 when Voice of San Diego broke a story about a strange bond that allowed the district to immediately borrow $150 million, but then required it to pay back $1 billion by 2035.
That financial scandal shook the school and resulted in lots of negative attention from the media and the families inside the district. California lawmakers changed laws preventing other districts to do what Poway did, and the San Diego County Grand Jury scrutinized the deal.
But former Poway Unified superintendent John Collins downplayed the whole issue and kept his job. But in 2016, he was fired amid another financial scandal. This time, Collins was charged with five felony charges for allegedly misusing public money, vacatio…
playlist_add
Jan 18, 2018
The Future of Teachers Unions
It's a particularly important time for unions.
Locally the San Diego Education Association, the teachers union at the San Diego Unified School District, does not have a contract. It is working on contract negotiations with the district right now.
They may support a measure to raise taxes and bring more money into the district while also pushing for wage increases. They're also working with the county on a new evaluation system for teachers that they may consider putting into those negotiations in the future.
And nationally, there's a huge Supreme Court decision coming that could end forced union fees for government workers. It would have a major impact on teachers unions and politics at all levels.
On the podcast, Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn lead a roundtable discussion about the future of teachers' unions. What are the role of unions? What is the best way to evaluate teachers? Are administrators and unions necessarily adversarial? What goes on during contract negotiations and barga…
playlist_add
Oct 18, 2017
A Guide to San Diego Schools
Parents who want to choose the best schools for their kids often get overwhelmed wading through test scores and other metrics.
That struggle becomes especially real when San Diego Unified’s school choice window opens every year. From Oct. 3 through Nov. 13, families can choose to send their kids to a school outside their neighborhood.
To ease the process, Voice of San Diego, along with the San Diego Workforce Partnership and UC San Diego Extension Center, put together an interactive map that helps parents compare and research local schools. It includes crucial data on each school's performance, and filters through the ones that offer special programs like dual-language immersion.
On the podcast, hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn go through the ins and outs of our schools map and explain the school choice process.
“We’ve put together a lot of different data sets that are out there available to parents and the general public, but don’t show up in the same place,” Khon said.…
playlist_add
Jun 26, 2017
The Untold Story Behind the Sweetwater Schools Scandal
“The culture of the district was basically based on retaliation, intimidation. Those are the two words that I can think of,” said former Sweetwater school board member Bertha Lopez.
Exactly six years have passed since Sweetwater schools superintendent Jesus Gandara was terminated at 2 a.m. on June 21, 2011 following seven hours of closed door meetings.
A raucous crowd of 500 people gathered in a high school gymnasium the evening before to attend the Sweetwater Union High School District board meeting, many to demand better from their school district leaders. Some hoped Gandara’s departure would close a dark chapter in the district’s history dominated by stories of malfeasance.
But what was supposed to be the end was only the beginning of the end for leaders of California’s largest secondary public school district, which spans from the city of San Diego to the U.S.-Mexico border.
An investigation of Gandara’s activities, as well as the Sweetwater school board and contrac…
playlist_add
Jun 23, 2017
Helping Students Get Unstuck
Entering the real world is difficult for many young adults, but for some that transition often leaves them stuck in limbo.
The term "opportunity youth" is now being used to describe the growing number of 16- to 24-year-olds who don't attend school or have a job.
A few institutions in the region have started noticing the problem of disconnected youth and new programs serving the population are in the works. San Diego Continuing Education, a school that provides adults with different job and education alternatives, is one of the organizations testing out a few different solutions.
On this week’s podcast, cohosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn sit down with Carlos Cortez, president of San Diego Continuing Education, to talk about how the school is helping guide students who struggle with the transition into the so-called real world.
"Many [students] have so many gaps in their educational development that it really requires simultaneously providing foundational skills and support, while…
playlist_add
May 1, 2017
What Works Best for English-Learners
There's no one comprehensive strategy behind educating English-learners in California. Instead, it's a mishmash of programs, many of which leave students struggling to learn English for years.
This week, cohosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn discuss what research is showing to be the best ways to educate English-learners.
Author and education expert Ruby Takanishi joins the show to talk about a recent report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine that examined the most effective ways to educate English-learners.
Takanishi said that even though more and more educators and researchers are promoting multilingualism at schools, school districts in several states are still lagging in providing adequate resources for students who don't speak English.
"It is very clear that (English-language learners) in all states throughout the country are really at the bottom of the charts," she said. "They have widest achievement disparities among different groups, including raci…
playlist_add
Mar 16, 2017
How Cajon Valley Is Killing it
The Cajon Valley Union School District has nailed personalized learning.
The approach gives more control to students and lets them build on their own strengths with the help of technology tools and a flexible curriculum.
This week, hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn talked to David Miyashiro, superintendent of Cajon Valley, about how the district is working to meet individual students' needs.
Miyashiro also discussed his district's refugee demographic. He said roughly 900 refugee children entered the Cajon Valley District last year.
"The newcomers to our district and the diversity of our community really add to the experience of every student and every person in our city," he said. "I think the strength in diversity has made us stronger, has allowed us to open our eyes to bigger things that just standardized test scores and I think we're better because of it."
Lewis and Kohn also dug in to the layoffs happening at the San Diego Unified School District.
About 1,500 district employee…
playlist_add
Feb 23, 2017
Credit-Recovery Charters In, DeVos Out
The controversies surrounding Betsy DeVos' strong support for school choice hit home just as she took office as secretary of education.
When Diane Ravitch, an education researcher, suggested that DeVos visit successful school districts like San Diego Unified, local teachers unions were furious to find out that the invitation was actually extended on behalf of the district's board of trustees. Outcry from local teachers eventually caused that invitation to be rescinded.
In this week's podcast, co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn talk more about DeVos and concerns about funneling education funds from traditional public schools into private schools and charter schools.
Voice of San Diego's education reporter Mario Koran also joins the podcast to explain how San Diego Unified's impressive 92 percent student graduation rate brings up concerns about the district's connections to credit-recovery charter schools.
"If a kid is coming up to graduation time and they're not on track to gradua…
playlist_add
Feb 1, 2017
Breaking Down Betsy DeVos
Hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn discuss Betsy DeVos and what her nomination as Secretary of Education could mean for in California. In the second half, Lewis and Kohn speak with Miles Durfee, Managing Regional Director of the California Charter Schools Association.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Jan 19, 2017
What Does It Mean to Graduate?
Hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn speak with Dr. Sandy Husk, CEO of the college preparatory program AVID, Jill Anderson, Principal of O'Farrell Charter's Middle School Academy and Chuy Gomez, an AVID student at O'Farrell.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Dec 8, 2016
Lincoln High and the Challenge of School Turnarounds
A special episode of Good Schools For All.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Nov 3, 2016
How Children's Brains Learn to Learn
Effective learning strategies can vary from child to child — but youth brain studies reveal new clues that can help educators improve students' academic achievement.
On this week’s podcast, Timothy Brown, assistant professor of neurosciences at UCSD's School of Medicine, joined co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn to talk about youth brain development, the impact of childhood trauma and technology's role in brain studies. Brown said increased collaboration between neuroscientists and educators can lead to information breakthroughs.
"If you can capture some of these problems early, you might be able to develop programs that help kids," Brown said. "With certain targeted training programs that just focus on these lower-level sound discrimination tests, it has been shown some kids get better. They become better readers, they become better speakers."
Lewis and Kohn also play a speech by Patricia Kuhl, professor and co-director at the University of Washington's Institute for Learning…
playlist_add
Oct 20, 2016
The Schools Issues on Your Ballot
It's almost Election Day, and thousands of students are counting on voters to make good decisions.
On this week’s podcast, co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn discuss state and local ballot measures connected to education. Locally, Measure I, for instance, allows voters to help choose the fate of San Diego High School, which is located on dedicated parkland.
"If you don't care that San Diego High School is there, and you don't care about this broader principal about whether we should be able to change the charter to hand over parkland, then just vote for it," Lewis said. If Measure I is voted down, however, the school will have to move by 2024 and the land where the school sits now will return to Balboa Park.
Meanwhile, Proposition 58, a statewide measure, focuses on bilingual education. If it passes, it'll restore flexibility to school districts so they can choose the most effective approach to teaching English-learners.
Lewis and Kohn also discuss San Diego Unified trustee ca…
playlist_add
Sep 22, 2016
When to Consider Special Ed
When it comes to giving students with disabilities the best education possible, early intervention and early detection are crucial – but not all families are equipped to access the resources they need.
On this week’s podcast, Shana Cohen, assistant professor of education studies at UC San Diego, joined co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn to talk about how children from different cultures sometimes receive varied levels of services for developmental disabilities.
"A lot of times, it's an issue of advocacy," Cohen said. "So a lot of white middle-class families, they know where to go to get the services that their child needs. A lot of Latino families or African-Americans families might not know where to go."
There's also an information gap when it comes to looking out for symptoms of developmental disability, Cohen said.
Seth Schwartz, an attorney who works with families of children with disabilities, also joined the podcast, and Lewis and Kohn discuss a study by the National Cen…
playlist_add
Sep 8, 2016
Out With the Old Test, in With the New
A couple years ago, the state got rid of the California Standards Tests and opted for a new way to check in on student progress.
On this week’s podcast, Steve Green, senior director for assessment, accountability and evaluation at the San Diego County Office of Education, joined co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn to talk about the Smarter Balanced Assessment System, the state's new standardized testing system. The test aligns with Common Core Standards and is more rigorous than the older California Standards Tests, Green said.
"The standards we had before and the way we were assessing was through multiple choice," he said. "The new assessment really does get at critical thinking and application. There are open-ended items where students have to write a response in. There's the performance task, which is very sophisticated. That's where students are truly demonstrating what they know and are able to do."
Since implementing the new assessment standards, San Diego County increased s…
playlist_add
Sep 1, 2016
'Your ZIP Code Is Not Your Destiny'
High school graduation rates are up – but students' access to quality courses still varies from school to school.
Last school year, the San Diego Unified School District touted a 92 percent high school graduation rate – an increase despite the district's new, tougher graduation requirements. The new standards mean students must successfully complete the same high school courses required for admission into California State University and University of California schools.
But it seems not all students in the district receive equal support to succeed within and beyond the new standards.
On this week’s podcast, Andrea Guerrero, executive director at Alliance San Diego, a social justice organization, joined co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn to talk about education inequity across San Diego Unified and how her organization pushes the district to raise expectations for more students.
"Your ZIP code is not your destiny and we needed the school district to understand that," she said…
playlist_add
Aug 25, 2016
Where Are the New Teachers?
We need a lot more teachers.
Fewer folks want to be teachers, even as the demand increases. In San Diego County, about 32 percent of teachers are 50 years old or older. As more teachers retire, we have to replace them.
On this week’s podcast, Heather Lattimer, associate professor at the University of San Diego's School of Leadership and Education Sciences, joined host Laura Kohn to talk about ways to recruit students into the teaching profession.
Lattimer said the education field is in a battle to attract students – despite financial concerns and stigma surrounding the career choice.
"The larger issue that I hear over and over is, 'Why do you want to become a teacher?' I hear that from students," she said. "I also hear it from students' parents. Often the students that we encounter who are interested in teacher education and becoming teachers have to combat their parents who are concerned that, 'Hey, this isn't going to be something where you'll be able to A, earn the money, bu…
playlist_add
Aug 11, 2016
Getting Superintendents and Students to Stick Around
Superintendents don't stick around for long.
A 2014 analysis by EdSource, a nonprofit advocating for public school improvement, found that two-thirds of superintendents at California's largest public school districts served three years or less.
Increasingly, though, it's up to these newbie superintendents to persuade more students and their families to stick around at traditional schools, and resist the urge to transfer to one of the growing number of charter schools in the state.
On this week’s podcast, Luis Ibarra, superintendent of Escondido Union School District, joined host Scott Lewis to talk about competition between traditional and charter schools. The Escondido Union School District serves about 17,000 students, down from previous years. Ibarra is in his second year as superintendent.
"We're starting to look at, 'What are we doing systemically throughout our district to make [traditional schools] more appealing, reach our students more and make education innovative and c…
playlist_add
Jul 28, 2016
Marrying College Prep and Career Prep
Thanks to a funding surge, more California schools are launching career academies, or programs that combine academic and technical skills.
On this week’s podcast, Rob Atterby of ConnectEd joined co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn to talk about “linked learning,” a strategy to prepare students for both college and career.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Jul 21, 2016
Plugging the School-to-Prison Pipeline
There's a link between school discipline policies and students who enter the justice system. Folks call it the school-to-prison pipeline.
Mid-City Community Advocacy Network, or Mid-City CAN, is a City Heights-based organization that advocates for restorative justice, a new approach to school discipline that hopes to disrupt that flow.
On this week’s podcast, Diana Ross, executive director of Mid-City CAN, joined co-hosts Laura Kohn and Mario Koran, who sat in for Scott Lewis, to talk about the organization's efforts to keep more students in school.
"The kids who continue to get expelled and suspended are still majority kids of color. ... There's a huge disparity," Ross said.
She said San Diego Unified School District recently announced its plan for a districtwide rollout of a restorative justice program.
Kohn and Koran also discuss a speech about school discipline that Nancy Hanks, chief of elementary schools in Madison, Wis., gave to Teach for America alumni.
Got thoughts, op…
playlist_add
Jul 14, 2016
Putting Teens to Work
Fewer young Americans are working summer jobs than in decades past, and fewer of those jobs are going to the teens who need them most.
San Diego Workforce Partnership is a nonprofit organization that funds and operates youth employment programs.
On this week’s podcast, Andy Hall, vice president and chief program officer at San Diego Workforce Partnership, joined co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn to talk about the nonprofit's approach to assisting youth seeking employment skills and experience.
Hall said San Diego has "53,000 16- to 24-year-olds who are not connected to either education or employment."
Lewis and Kohn also talk about schools' role to prepare youth for careers.
Got thoughts, opinions or experiences with this? Call 619-354-1085 and leave your name, neighborhood and story so we can play the voicemail on future episodes. Number of the Week
21.6 percent: That was San Diego’s youth employment rate in 2014. What’s Working
McKinley Elementary School is a model fo…
playlist_add
Jun 23, 2016
Assessing Teachers
Teacher evaluations are crucial, but also controversial.
The Poway Unified School District, though, has a new approach to its teacher evaluations.
On this week's podcast, Candy Smiley, president of Poway Federation of Teachers, and Michele Manos, a teacher and leader of the district's teacher evaluation system, joined co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn to explain Poway's evaluation programs.
One part of the program, for example, pairs teachers with their peers.
"We wanted our focus on professional learning for teachers. How do we make teachers get the best opportunities for their students by improving their practice? That's really what our whole program is based on. It's a growth model, it's a strength-based approach, taking a look at multiple measures," Manos said.
Lewis and Kohn talked about the latest in teacher evaluations and what could change on the state level as well.
Got thoughts, opinions or experiences with this? Call 619-354-1085 and leave your name, neighborhood and…
playlist_add
Jun 9, 2016
The Families That Can't Afford Summer
The Sweetwater Union High School District is the largest secondary school district in the state. A few years ago, the district decided to move its schools onto the same calendar system.
On this week’s podcast, Karen Janney, superintendent of the Sweetwater Union High School District, joins co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn to talk about how she helped develop the district’s common calendar and the impact the change has had on families.
“Before 2007, we had families on up to three different schedules. So they could be at an elementary school district on one calendar, at a middle school on another calendar and at a high school on another calendar,” Janney said. “It just wasn’t good for families.”
Families faced challenges with calendar misalignments such as planning for varied bus schedules, attempting to transfer students to schools to make up credits and trying to plan summer vacations.
“A lot of time the older siblings take care of the younger siblings and if the…
playlist_add
Jun 2, 2016
Disadvantaged Families Embrace School Choice
The Barrio Logan College Institute is an after-school program that serves low-income disadvantaged students from across the county and prepares them to go to college. One way the organization says it transforms students’ lives is by educating and empowering parents to exercise school choice.
On this week’s podcast, Barrio Logan College Institute Executive Director Jose Cruz joined co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn to talk about school choice and how to create a so-called college-going culture.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
May 26, 2016
Every Kid Needs Something Different
Every kid learns at his or her own pace. They each need something different when it comes to education. Personalized learning has emerged as a response to kids' individualized needs and their varied pace of learning. It's a radically different educational approach that's been gaining steam lately thanks to technology that allows teachers to better track students and provide them with personalized educational experiences.
On this week's podcast, co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn talk to someone who’s putting the personalized learning approach into practice.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
May 19, 2016
Meet County Board of Education Candidates
Normally, the County Board of Education race isn’t one that makes it into headlines. But this year, four of the five spots on the board are up for grabs. And things are heating up.
The folks elected to the County Board of Education wield some power. They do things like approve the San Diego Office of Education‘s annual budget, select and choose the very powerful county superintendent. The board also serves as the appeals board for charter schools that have been denied the right to open by a district in San Diego County.
In this week’s podcast, co-hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn tried to put on a debate between District 1 incumbent Gregg Robinson and his challenger, Mark Powell. District 1 represents most of the city of San Diego on the board. Only Robinson accepted the opportunity to debate. But Lewis and Kohn got Powell on the phone after to ask why he wouldn’t face off with Robinson.
One hot topic in the race is charter schools and whether the candidates would support mor…
playlist_add
May 5, 2016
Speaking Up for English-Learners
Damian checked a little box when he registered his son Ethan for kindergarten. It indicated that the family predominantly spoke Spanish at home.
At the time, Damian had no idea his son would be classified as an English-learner, and that the designation would follow his son around, having a profound impact on his education.
It's been difficult, Damian said, to get the school district to recognize that, although his son still speaks Spanish at home, he's a smart kid who's excelling in many ways.
"That's my major concern is that I can't describe my kid to this bureaucracy in the right way," he said.
This week, hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn take a new approach to the podcast by weaving Damian and Ethan's story into the larger question of how our city, state and country is educating English-learners.
In November, voters will weigh the California Multilingual Education Act. The measure would essentially gut Proposition 227, the controversial statue that banned bilingual education in…
playlist_add
Apr 28, 2016
When Kindergarten Slaps You in the Face
The move from play-based preschools to increasingly rigorous kindergarten classrooms is rough, for both kids and parents.
A Good Schools for All listener, Sally Cox, called in to share her story about a particularly jarring transition from preschool to kindergarten. She said she thought her son was well-prepared, but kids in his kindergarten class were expected to be reading by October, and her son quickly fell behind.
“I think the alignment issues between expectations in kindergarten and how children are prepared in preschool really need to be dealt with,” Cox said.
Hosts Scott Lewis and Laura Kohn dig into the big transition problem, which is worsening thanks to a ratcheting up of academic expectations for kindergarteners. Transitional kindergarten, or TK, a public-school program offered to kids born between Sept. 2 and Dec. 2 as the first step of a two-year kindergarten class, has been one attempt at closing the early education achievement gap.
TK is great for the small numb…
playlist_add
Apr 21, 2016
How Startups Aim to Shake Up Schools
Education technology is exploding. This week in San Diego some of the major players in technology companies, their investors and education leaders gathered in San Diego for the ASU GSV Summit to talk about disrupting classrooms. We grabbed one of the attendees on his way to the talks.
Tom Vander Ark, CEO of Getting Smart, an organization that advocates for innovations in learning, joins the podcast to talk about how technology is increasingly entering and improving the educational system.
He said the dubbed EdTech movement is finally ready for real, widespread implementation in schools across the world.
"That revolution started 20 years ago but we're finally beginning to understand how to incorporate all these new tools into schools," he said. "Both in K-12 and higher ed."
An example is the adaptive learning approach, he said, which uses computers or tablets and game-like software that, with just a few initial questions, understands a student's reading or math level then adjusts an…
playlist_add
Apr 7, 2016
Neighborhood Schools, Do You Stay or Do You Go?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
playlist_add
Mar 31, 2016
Common Core Myths
You might not have any idea what the California State Board of Education does. I didn't.
That is, until we talked to Trish Boyd Williams, a member of the board.
Williams lives in San Diego and has a major role on the board and she explained it to me for the latest episode of Good Schools for All.
It was that board, of course, that is the reason Common Core was adopted in California so we took the opportunity to break down how it's going and how the board determines its standards. My co-host Laura Kohn was screaming at the TV during a recent Republican presidential debate as they went on about Common Core. Take a listen to hear what she says they got wrong.
Williams said it's having a major impact in the state.
"What’s different about the Common Core state standards in English, Language Arts and Math over the previous standards in English and Math is that it shifts the focus. There’s less memorization of isolated facts, and there is more focus on bigger ideas, and on discussion…
playlist_add
Mar 24, 2016
'Most Likely to Succeed,' the Movie and Filmmaker Challenging Traditional School
I've always sensed a disconnect between school and life. For my own life, I came to understand it as a kind of convergence of lines — school is one of the lines, and if you follow it long enough and well enough, it will eventually converge with life and propel you forward.
In his film "Most Likely to Succeed," Greg Whiteley approaches the disconnect differently. As he tries to demonstrate in the film, the school line not only doesn't converge with the life line but is harmfully off track. Standardized tests and the so-called Prussian Method of education, where each subject — reading, math, social studies and science — is taught separately and aimed at building a base level of knowledge for everyone.
The movie centers on San Diego's High Tech High and its project-based teaching approach.
Whiteley is the filmmaker behind the critically acclaimed documentary "Mitt," an inside look with exclusive access to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. It turns out Whiteley and his wife and…
playlist_add
Mar 15, 2016
Start from the Beginning: The Early Childhood Challenge
Studies have shown that the first five years are the time that will define a child’s ability to constantly learn throughout the rest of their life. When children learn a lot and frequently at an early age, it lays down patterns in their brain that will continue to be repeated throughout their life, allowing them to learn more and more. This is why that time of life is so important.
Professor Heckman recently published results that at-risk children who don’t get high quality early childhood experiences are 25% more likely to drop out of school, 40% more likely to become teen parents, and 60% less likely to attend college.
Not only is this time pivotal in a child’s life, but the average cost of education between ages 0-5 is actually nearly the same as the amount spent on a child’s college education. But at that age, parents have had a lot more time to save for the expense, whereas parents of preschool-aged children are often caught off guard by the expense.
San Diego, and Cali…
playlist_add