Shattering Inequities Podcast

Turning a low‑performing urban elementary school into a consistent high flyer isn’t about hero teachers or silver‑bullet programs—it’s about clarity, consistency, and culture. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Robin Avelar La Salle welcomes (Lee Arsenian, Veteran Educator, Hoover Street Elementary) as she pulls back the curtain on the Hoover Street Elementary playbook: a shared floor of expectati...

What happens when an adult refuses to let a stereotype stand? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Robin Avelar La Salle welcomes Dr. Victor Rios (University of California, Santa Barbara) to explore the moments that define a career—and sometimes a child’s future. From being misread as a “bad kid” and filmed being arrested for the PBS Frontline documentary School Colors, to becoming a nationally reco...

The Diamond In the Rough: The Mojave Story | Dr. Katherine Aguirre | Shattering Inequities Podcast What does it really take to turn around a school district where students face poverty, isolation, and limited access to resources? In this episode of Shattering Inequities, Dr. Robin Avelar La Salle speaks with Dr. Katherine Aguirre, Superintendent of Mojave Unified School District, about leading bol...

What if alternative and continuation schools weren’t “less than,” but gateways to college access for all students? In this episode of Shattering Inequities, Dr. Robin Avelar La Salle sits down with Ilsa Garza Gonzalez, Superintendent of the Fallbrook Union High School District, to explore how bold leadership and systemic redesign can dismantle long-standing inequities in education. Ilsa shares how...

🎙️ Building Your Saturation Zone | Shattering Inequities Podcast In this episode of the Shattering Inequities Podcast, host Dr. Robin Avelar La Salle is joined by superintendents Antonio Garcia (Santa Maria Joint Union High School District) and Dr. Darren McDuffie (Santa Maria Bonita School District) for a powerful, research-grounded conversation on how systems—not students—create achievement gaps...

🎙️ Find Your Drill Team – CALSA | Shattering Inequities Podcast What does it really take to shatter inequities in education? In this episode of the Shattering Inequities Podcast, host Dr. Robin Avelar La Salle sits down with Ofelia Ceja-Lariviere, Executive Director of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA), for a powerful conversation about leadership, ide...

In this debut episode of the Shattering Inequities Podcast, host Dr. Robin Avelar La Salle introduces listeners to the podcast’s mission: uncovering bold, research-driven strategies that actively dismantle educational inequities and expand opportunity for every student. This episode features two accomplished school board leaders — Suzan Solomon and Lisette Mendez Garcia — who share their personal...

The Whittier Story Continued In this episode of the Shattering Inequities Podcast, host Dr. Robin Avelar LaSalle interviews Dr. Monica Oviedo, a prominent educational leader in California. The discussion focuses on effective strategies to close achievement gaps for historically underperforming students. Dr. Oviedo shares her journey from growing up in a predominantly white community to leading tra...

Former superintendent Sandy Thorstenson shares her transformative journey from a student in regular classes to becoming an educator who proved that demographics do not determine destiny. In this powerful episode, Sandy reveals how she led Whittier Union High School District from underperformance to the 75th percentile statewide, closing achievement gaps from 35% to 9% over 14 years through systema...

Two women whose stories sit on opposite sides of the K–12 system—a former administrator and a first-generation college graduate—reveal the quiet forces that shape who gets access to a “premium education,” and who gets overlooked. Sarita, a veteran educator who transformed struggling schools, shares the moment she discovered how a broken system can derail a student’s entire future—and what it took...

Mathematics education serves as the ultimate gatekeeper for student success. Yet systemic inequities continue to block historically underserved students from accessing premium math instruction. In this powerful episode, Dr. Robin Avelar-La Salle sits down with two exceptional educator-leaders, Omar Zuñiga and Lisa Ceja, who have dedicated their careers to dismantling barriers in mathematics educat...

Join Dr. Robin Avelar-La Salle as she sits down with educational transformation champion Dr. Paul Gothold to explore how one leader dismantled systemic inequities and achieved remarkable results for historically underserved students. From his unexpected journey into education working with probation and expelled children to leading groundbreaking reforms in Lynwood Unified and San Diego County, Dr....

Welcome to the Shattering Inequities podcast, where bold, research-driven strategies are transforming education for every student—especially those historically left behind. Hosted by Dr. Robin Avelar-LaSalle, founder and president of Orenda Education, this podcast is more than inspiration—it's an action research project. With over four decades of experience disrupting systems that create unev...

Shattering Inequities Podcast: Empowering Educators with Real-World Leadership Insights Welcome to the Shattering Inequities Podcast, a dynamic and inspiring audio journey designed for educators, administrators, and education influencers who are passionate about driving meaningful change in the education system. This podcast brings you real-life stories, actionable strategies, and thought-provokin...