California School News Radio

Rio Hondo College forensics coordinator Grant Tovmasian and speech instructor Patricia Hughes discuss the school’s Speech and Debate Team, which has a transfer rate of more than 90% for students moving on to a four-year university, with students entering such schools as UC Berkeley, UCLA, USC and Concordia.    

Summit High School career technical education teachers Bruce Tuttle and Marco Torres discuss the Fontana Unified school’s mechatronics class, ethical hacking pathway and CTE students who have advanced to the SkillsUSA national finals in June.    

Rio Hondo College biotech professor Robert Bethel discusses the school’s Fermentation Technology course, which explores the science behind brewing beer with the goal of training the next generation of microbrewers.    

Buena Park School District Career Technical Education Coordinator Shelley Andros discusses encouraging students to pursue STEM careers as coders, engineers, and horticulturists, developing a drone program for middle school students, sustainable agriculture, and inclusivity in education.

Canyon Crest Elementary School Principal Dr. Kelly Wilbert joined with fifth-grade student Noah Walker and his mother Candis Walker to discuss a fundraising drive initiated by Noah that raised over $650 to pay for gift cards given to families in need during the Fontana Unified school’s weekly meal distribution.    

Sierra Vista High School NAMI Club adviser Melanie Graf and Kaiser Permanente EOP psychiatric social worker Ruth Padilla-King discuss the Intergenerational Pilot Project, a Baldwin Park Unified internship program where students provide comfort and open lines of communication with older adults through weekly phone calls.

Lynwood Unified Director of Equity Services Patricia Brent-Sanco discusses the academic benefits of allowing students to find their own voice, the importance of parent engagement, what part equity plays in the reopening of schools, and how the District has assisted families hit hard by the pandemic.

Chaparral High School Principal Christine Black discusses the Bonita Unified school’s designation as a 2021 Model Continuation School, the importance of providing social-emotional learning to its students, preparing students for college and career, and Chaparral’s annual Thanksgiving Olympics and holiday meal.

Eduardo Valencia, a counselor for Redwood and Primrose elementary schools in the Fontana Unified School District, discusses an outreach effort that provided teddy bears and care packages to every Redwood student, and the importance of school districts providing social-emotional support to students and families.

Whittier High School economics teacher Kele Perkins and Santa Fe High School English teacher Annette Snow discuss the 2021 LACOE Academic Decathlon, where the Whittier and Santa Fe teams finished first and second in Division III, and the challenges of preparing for an online tournament.

California High School Assistant Principal Shana Jones and Counselor Rosanne Atilano discuss Cal Cares, the Whittier Union school’s program to support the socio-emotional well-being of its students through the distribution of care packages filled with positive messaging, school supplies and mental health resources.

El Monte Union High School District Director of Curriculum and Instruction Hillary Wolfe discusses the District’s commitment to college dual enrollment, new partnerships with Pasadena City College and Los Angeles Trade Tech College, and the future of career technical education.  

A.B. Miller High School AP computer science teacher Jay Windley and Summit High School STEM coordinator Jaime Perez discuss Fontana Unified’s Advanced Placement program, equity in education, and the importance of females and other underrepresented groups enrolling in AP computer science courses.

Monrovia High School CTE teacher Anthony Carlson and senior Charlie Heatherly discuss the student-created gaming app Red Dungeon, the school’s game development team Forge Interactive, the importance of inclusivity in game design, and the opportunities for students in the burgeoning game development field.

Sierra Vista High School Choral Director Suzanne Brookey and Sierra Vista Class of 2010 alumni and piano accompanist Kevin Phan discuss the challenges in putting together a virtual holiday choir performance, how students managed to record their parts at home, and the tradition of music at Baldwin Park Unified.

Whittier High School senior Ashley Perdomo discusses coming to the United States from El Salvador at 10 years old after her parents were granted political asylum, finding a second home at Whittier High, becoming an academic mentor, creating her own Instagram page for young women and following in the footsteps of her mother.

Lynwood High School art teacher Luis Vega joins Class of 2007 graduate and Doña Ana Community College history professor Dr. Daniel Santana to discuss the Lynwood High art program, how art education prepares students for a range of career opportunities, and the importance of former students returning to school to share their success stories.

Almond Elementary School principal Tim McCaffrey and library specialist Kayla Markoff discuss the Fontana Unified school’s commitment to literacy, the Almond mobile library, which brings books directly to the community, and the school’s Reading Revolution competition, which inspires students to become lifelong readers. 

Redwood Elementary School principal Eduardo Gomez and Teacher on Special Assignment Isela Ortega discuss the Fontana Unified school’s Spanish dual-language immersion program, the benefits of using a 90/10 Spanish/English model for incoming kindergarten students and importance of parent participation and leadership.

Lynwood High School senior Alexa Escamilla and Firebaugh High School senior Richard Reynoso discuss Lynwood Unified’s after-school tutoring program, which provides one-on-one tutoring assistance to elementary, middle and high school students, the challenges of distance learning for students and their post-secondary education plans.