Northern California Educational Leadership Consortium

January 2022 Newsletter

NorCal Educator's Digest

January 2022

Responsive Leadership From a Coordinating Agency: The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence

The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) is a state agency that functions as a strategic thought partner working alongside educators to listen, identify goals and needs, promote innovative thinking, and jointly solve problems.  CCEE does not carry out compliance or accountability functions. As part of the California State System of Support, CCEE collaborates with state agencies, county offices of education (COE), and other partners to address the most pressing needs of local educational agencies. To ensure local impact there are seven Geographic Leads across California that promote regional collaboration and integration as various statewide education initiatives are implemented. 

With a new Executive Director, Matt Navo, CCEE has created a new identity as a partner within the Statewide System of Support with the mission to "deliver on the promise of educational equity and justice for each and every student through inclusive partnerships, continuous improvement, and capacity building of educational systems,” CCEE is committed to:

  • Strengthen socially just and inclusive education systems
  • Cultivate trusting, authentic relationships that sustain compassionate learning systems
  • Prioritize the well-being of students, families, educators, communities, and our team
  • Ground its work in curiosity and model continuous improvement
  • Nurture creativity and innovation to foster growth, learning, and adaptation.

 The pandemic solidified CCEE’s demonstrated ability to rapidly respond to the needs of LEAs.  This responsiveness is continuing as district needs evolve. CCEE partners with experts, agencies, and COEs throughout the state to provide webinars, trainings, and resources across a full range of topics.  CCEE has three Centers that implement these supports: 

  1. The Center for Statewide Innovation, Instruction, and Impact (I3)
  2. The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Leading (TLLC)
  3. The Center for Transformative Systems for Educational Equity (TSEE)

Learn more about each Center, its goals, and initiatives. (Google Slide)

One of CCEE’s easy-to-access and useful benefits is a plethora of free high-quality resources. See a web search page within CCEE(opens in new window) that can help you find the resources you need. Stay connected with new offerings by signing up(opens in new window)to receive newsletter updates from CCEE. CCEE is an excellent partner, particularly to rural North State communities, as they fill a capacity gap our smaller counties and LEAs often have.

If you have questions about CCEE’s efforts, technical assistance, or resources, contact James McKenna.



Whole-Child Design Series - North State Cohort

As we persevere through the pandemic and all of the disruption and stress it has caused, there is a lot of talk about focusing on the “whole-child.” But what does this mean in practice? What do educators need to do differently? What are the implications for schools and districts?

Turnaround for Children – in partnership with the Butte County Office of Education and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence – invites you to find the answers through a free four-session series on Whole-Child Design. The series will introduce practical tools, structures and systems for a whole-child approach that is grounded in the science of learning and development and rooted in equity. Participants will have time to explore how these resources fit within their own classroom, school, or district context.

What:

The set of free resources includes four 90-minute workshops covering the following content:

  • The Science of Learning and Development
  • Developmental Relationships
  • Supportive Environments
  • Integrated Knowledge, Skill and Mindset Development
  • Two hours of free consulting support per district team

When:

Thursday afternoons, 3:15 to 4:45 PM

  • February 17, 2022
  • March 3, 2022
  • March 17, 2022
  • March 31, 2022

Who:

This series is appropriate for educators in many roles - teachers, principals, student support staff, expanded learning providers, district administrators, etc.

Priority for this series will be given to people participating in school and district teams from Northern CA. Teams might include representatives from curriculum and instruction, student support services, expanded learning, school leadership and/or teaching.

Register Here.(opens in new window)

View content topics for each session. (PDF)

Questions? Contact Katie Brackenridge.



Visual Arts in Connection with History-Social Science Lesson Study

When the arts become a vehicle for learning classroom content, the whole child is involved. Join this abbreviated lesson study for middle and high school teachers in April and May.

 View flyer and register (PDF).



California Community Schools Partnership Grants

Three 2-hour workshops introduce learning opportunities for small and rural schools offered by California’s $2.8 billion investment in community schools. Workshops are being held live via Zoom.

View flyer and register. (PDF)



Stories of Well-Being, Connection, and Equity

Across the country, teachers and leaders value well-being, connection, and equity, but how do you provide these for students, staff, and families? WestEd has created an audio gallery. Each audiocast shares a story from an American public school or district, describing its innovative, evidence-based approach to this work.

Listen to WestEd Audiocasts.



Attention: STSP & PIP Teachers

"Got Credential?"

The NorCal TeachUP grant is aimed at supporting anyone with a Short-Term Staff Permit (STSP) or Provisional Internship Permit (PIP) in earning their teaching credential. This pilot program provides new and accessible distance-learning opportunities at community colleges in the NorCal partnership area. Eligible candidates for the project may receive up to $3,000 including stipends or support for tuition and state-required testing fees. CSU, Chico is hosting an information session via Zoom on Tuesday, February 1.

View Info. Session flyer and Register. (PDF)

View Fall 2022 Credential Application Workshop Date(s). (PDF)



Rural School Collaborative 2021-22 Celia B. Godsil Grants in Place Fellow

Andy Felt, principal at Southern Trinity High School, Mad River, CA, and a NorCal ELC participant, was selected as a Fellow and will receive funding to work with his students on his place-based project, “Hiking Historic Homesteads.” 

Read more on Fellow, Andy Felt(opens in new window).



NorCal ELC Webinar Series

We’ve sponsored a series of webinars that focus on increasing equity in education and social and emotional learning. The upcoming webinar will be held live cast on Zoom.

NorCal Equity Community of Practice

With Lily Chang - Coordinator of Continuous Improvement, BCOE

  • Thursday, March 24, 2022, @ 3:30-5 PM (Session 3 of 4)

Achieving equity in education is necessary to improve the outcomes for students and staff, especially those who have been historically marginalized. It’s imperative that educators come together to prioritize equity as it relates to race and culture, address systemic racism, forms of oppression and exclusion, and identify unfair practices and policies that contribute to inequitable outcomes. Participants will deepen their learning and awareness, share resources and tools, collaborate and network in order to move to action. 

Future Session Date(s):

  • Session 4 will be held live cast on May 19, 2022 

Register here. (PDF)



Helping Children Feel Safe, Understood, and Supported

Author of the popular guide to social & emotional learning offers tips for educators—and parents!—in these trying times. 

Read more(opens in new window).