California School News Radio

Upland Unified School District Chief Academic Officer Dr. Shinay Bowman discusses Pathways Prep Academy, a Middle College Charter High School set to debut in August 2026 in Upland Unified, how her vision for the school was inspired by the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, how Pathways Prep students played a role in hiring the faculty, and her experience growing up as a foster child.

Upland Unified School District Program Specialist Dr. Sean Delgado and Upland High School junior Geovanni Roybal discuss the District’s CTE programs, why it is important for students to have college and career options, collaborating with CTE directors from other school districts, Upland High’s auto tech pathway, and how Roybal has overcame physical disabilities to become the first Upland High stud...

South Hills High School head cheer and STUNT teacher Cynthia Fuentes is joined by South Hills seniors and cheer co-captains Nadia Gonzalez and Reylene Torres, and South Hills cheer parent Deeanne Duran to discuss the South Hills cheer and STUNT team, building a championship culture, developing camaraderie, honing leadership skills, choreographing new routines, navigating league and tournament cont...

Arroyo High School senior Emily Lin and El Monte Union Director of Nutrition Services Suzy Sayre discuss Lin’s advocacy for plant-based meals and beverages throughout the District, including the recently-approved Dietary Inclusion Council, a student-led advisory board that will work with Nutrition Services to develop vegetarian and vegan meals, Lin’s trip to Washington D.C. to advocate for the Who...

Ramona Middle School theater director Colin Campbell is joined by Ramona Drama Society Leadership members and eighth-graders Marlo P and Jayliana K, and Ramona Drama Society Parent Board President Jacqueline Pineda to discuss the Bonita Unified middle school’s thriving theater program, which includes live musical performances, improv comedy nights, student plays, and their Spring field trip to New...

California Early Childhood Special Education Network (CalECSE) co-executive directors Scott Turner and Melanie Hertig are joined by California Department of Education Early Childhood Support Education Administrator Christi Krause to discuss CalECSE’s Parent Videos: A Family’s Journey from Early Start to School series, designed to help families prepare for the transition from Early Start services t...

Wayne Ruble Middle School computer science teacher Zahra Razi discusses the challenges of teaching AI to middle schoolers in Fontana Unified School District, integrating AI across all curriculum, AI literacy, starting an in-class mentorship program that encourages students to become leaders, and the importance of media literacy and ethics.

Jurupa Hills High School theatre director James Griffin, Jurupa Hills High drama teacher Nathan Cabrera, and Jurupa Hills High senior Matthew Lopez discuss the Players of the Palace, Jurupa Hills’ 15-year anniversary production of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” what drew them into the Fontana Unified program, how theatre and stagecraft help students in college and career, participating in the Cali...

Covina-Valley Unified School District Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Program Coordinator Christine Sadler and Educational Audiologist Carolyn Collins discuss the district’s DHH program, which serves students ages 0-22 from Claremont to Baldwin Park in the East San Gabriel Valley SELPA region, the various hearing disorders seen throughout the district, the range of services that the district provid...

Whittier Union High School District School Psychologist Stephanie Murray and Student Well-Being Liaison Tanya Gavino de Flores discuss the District’s student well-being program, what inspired them to choose their respective professions, partnering with local colleges to bring in grad students to work as interns, creating districtwide suicide prevention protocols, why it’s important to talk to youn...

Fontana High School principal Joe Malatesta, AVID co-coordinator Kevin Escobar and AVID teacher Mario Echeverria discuss the school’s award-winning AVID program, the importance of being an AVID Showcase and National Demonstration School, FOHI’s AVID-inspired, Golden Bell Award-winning College Application Day, how AVID culture has spread throughout the campus, and how AVID changed the lives of FOHI...

Bonita Unified CTE Coordinator Vanessa Tilford and Covina-Valley Unified CTE Coordinator and AVID District Director Harmonie Redding discuss their processes for bring career technical education programs to their districts, the benefits of collaborating and sharing information, how data and assessments help students find career paths, working with local employers to develop programs, and the import...

Lynwood Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Patrick Gittisriboongul and Asst. Superintendent of Educational Services Dr. Maribel Martinez discuss their new roles in the district as top administrators, implementing a 100-day plan, the four pillars that make up the District’s strategic plan, their focus on mental wellness and commitment to students and families, and the personal journeys they...

Manzanita Elementary School Principal Amanda Vanessa Noriega discusses the Covina-Valley Unified school’s Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, its designation as a National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) 2025 Top Schools Award winner, administering DLI programs across the United States, growing up as an English learner, what training and education is needed to teach a DLI class,...

Live Oak Elementary School Resource Specialist and Fontana Unified School District 2024-25 Teacher of the Year Michelle Vazquez discusses developing Individualized Education Programs (IEP) for students with a wide range of disabilities, preparing students to transition to middle school and encouraging them to advocate for themselves, talking with parents about the need for services, collaborating...

Mountain View High School Principal Jose Relson Bañas left a small farm village in the Philippines more than 20 years ago, traveling to Southern California to teach mathematics. The El Monte Union administrator retraces the steps of his journey, from the Philippines to Compton to El Monte, and discusses the metaphorical oceans he had to cross to be successful, those of fear, doubt, and insecurity....

It’s a Season 7 clip show! California School News Radio hosts Kevin Ausmus and Drew Schlosberg share clips from top scholars and Class of 2025 graduates, including scholarship winners and Ivy League-bound students Carmen Ung (El Monte Union High School District), and Oswaldo Garcia (Whittier Union High School District); Silver Surfer service club president Emily Moore (Bonita Unified School Distri...

Sunnyvale Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Gudiel R. Crosthwaite discusses his 15 years as an administrator at Lynwood Unified School District, including the last eight years as superintendent, his favorite teachers growing up, what inspired him to become an educator, how his students taught him how to be vulnerable, his “Dream Team” executive cabinet, the benefits of college-level dual...

Rosemead High School Class of 2025 Graduate Carmen Ung discusses winning QuestBridge National Match and Edison International scholarships, the night her father brought home the laptop computer that changed her life, her passion for helping others in her community, getting involved in leadership through the “Leader in Me” program, how running cross-country eases her academic stress, and her plans t...

Santa Fe High School senior Oswaldo Garcia discusses being accepted to Dartmouth College as a QuestBridge National Match Scholar, his love for romance languages, how the college prep elective AVID helped prepare him for the college admission and scholarship process, his ambition to think big and take risks, his favorite Disney characters, his favorite moment from high school, and the influence of...

California High School Spanish teacher and Interact Club advisor Oyuki Espinoza is joined by two Cal High Class of 2016 alumna, Alondra Saldivar and Cecilia Villanueva, to discuss the school’s Interact Club Mentorship Program, which provides current Cal High students the opportunity to receive college and career advice while serving as community volunteers. Saldivar and Villanueva also discuss the...

San Dimas High School seniors Jazmine Cardenas and Marlie Walker discuss their plans for higher education, serving as social work interns at the San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center, what it takes to create and run a successful high school club, their passion for volunteering and advocacy, what they learned in journalism class, and their favorite memories from high school. 

United States Representative and California 31st District Congressman Gil Cisneros discusses his passion for public education, growing up in Southern California, his philanthropic efforts with the Gilbert & Jacki Cisneros Foundation and George Washington University’s Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute, his years in the United States Armed Forces, returning to Washington D.C. as an elected...

Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) Social Emotional Learning Director Dr. Mai Xi Lee, SCOE Associate Superintendent of Integrated Support Systems Brent Malicote, and San Diego County Office of Education Program Specialist Dr. Belle Tan discuss advocating for social emotional learning in California schools through the CalHOPE Student Support program, the effectiveness of regional Communit...

Covina High School math teachers and Interact Club advisors Jason Saleh and Sheri Prado join Covina High School senior and Interact Club president Gianna Herrera to discuss Colt Outfitters, a student-run thrift store which offers affordable access to clothing and school supplies and is staffed by students in Covina High’s Life Skills Education Advancement Program (LEAP). Colt Outfitters recently w...