Its going to be a community conversation. Why is the suspension rate for Black and Latinx students so high in Richmond? There are also massive inequalities in income levels among families in the district and the different communities it encompasses. What she really loves doing is to teach those technology skills to students who are visually impaired. WCCUSD's new Superintendent Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst's first official day was May 17. Kenneth Chris Hurst Sr., Ed.D | Superintendent | West Contra Costa Unified School District | (510) 231-1101 CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic mail transmission may contain privileged. So anything that involves her is what I like to be involved in. Shomik Mukherjee covers Oakland, with a focus on local politics, developments and activism. We kind of moved every two years. This is in addition to sending a letter of demands to the superintendent and being present for public comment at the school board meeting. Kenneth Chris Hurst was chosen as the next superintendent of West Contra Costa Unified. Some students may define their success as going into a career field of their choice, or some may define success, another different way. He also boosted the districts linked learning programs, which integrate academics with real-world work experiences. And I loved it so much that I became a math teacher. Cmon, folks lets stop expecting out of the box miracles in the face of head in the sand funding. He went on to become associate superintendent of educational services at Oceanside Unified, where he oversaw the start of the Oceanside Promise a program with a nonprofit arm intended to ensure. He also implemented Othellos K-12 pathway, the Districts Social-Emotional Learning Standards. Kenneth Hurst - Superintendent - West Contra Costa Unified School So there has to be a big investment in preschool to make sure that we close that early literacy gap. I always share the story of my experience as an African American adolescent; I never saw in the curriculum anyone who looked like me or resembled me, Hurst said. New superintendent for West Contra Costa Unified has concrete ideas for Categorical Instructional Support Services (CISS), Early Learning Pre-K to Adult Educational Operations, Office of African American Student Achievement (OAASA), Teacher Support and Assistance Program (TSAP), Community Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC), Research, Assessment, Accountability & Data (RAAD), West Contra Costa Unified School District, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). Want to improve the achievement gap? Ive been in the San Diego area the longest, I was there for 35 years, so we kind of call Southern California our home. One of the things we do know is, were able to reduce class sizes so our teachers can really have smaller class sizes and be able to check in with students more frequently. 12/31/2022 7:59 PM. Then you dont see students walk into the classroom, where they disengaged. I think that even our system of education is not as high-performing as some other countries as well. I had a couple of few role models in my life. So if there is some trauma thats happening with a child at the home that our teachers know precisely the steps to take to get help or to refer to that child. Should Richmond shelter unhoused people in hotels during severe weather. The board of trustees approved a three-year contract that begins May 17 for. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. I just loved it, from low-entry mathematics to high-level calculus. I think we took the time we needed, Phillips said. With my wife. Its about sitting down with teachers, support staff, with parents, district office personnel and all stakeholders to have this conversation about what the data is telling us, Hurst said. Thinking outside the box will simply never outweigh the fact that WCCUSD has 9% less purchasing power than its demographic peers elsewhere in California. Superintendent Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Sr. is WCCUSD's 10th permanent superintendent. I think its really dependent upon our students I think its individual success and individually defined. Were not going to let anyone hosannah you in and crucify you out, Smith-Folds told Hurst at the meeting, said, alluding to an often typical pattern of welcoming incoming superintendents as a savior for all the districts problems, before disillusionment sets in, and they are forced out. Dr. Hurst also tripled the number of children enrolled in preschool and increased the percent of preschool students prepared for kindergarten from 30 percent to more than 98 percent. We love to exercise. El Cerrito students play at West Contra Costa Unified's Korematsu Middle School during recess before the Covid-19 pandemic. Chris Hurst is a Superintendent of Education - Ajax at Durham Catholic District School Board based in Oshawa, Ontario. And ultimately, our parents and our communities, they want to see their children succeed. And if we can build capacity with the leaders so that they are expert observers of instruction, especially culturally responsive teaching, then they can better support the teachers and build their capacity. I think also, you will see a teacher that may not be culturally proficient or culturally responsive or not exercising culturally responsive teaching, and they have this bias, say for instance about a Black student or about a Latinx student, and then that translates to that teacher issuing out discipline when they could have done something else. School board trustee Jamela Smith-Folds also expressed enthusiasm Wednesday about hiring Hurst and assured him that the responsibility of turning the district around wont fall solely on him. Hurst is apparently just another neoliberal, protecting the wealthy by betraying his students and their families, when he asserts that his out of the box ideas (in fact, common buzzwords for years now) can change change educational outcomes without addressing wealth inequality. He also implemented Othellos K-12 pathway, the Districts Social-Emotional Learning Standards. I think its not just Richmond, I think its an issue across the United States and mostly found in large urban school districts, you see a high rate of suspensions. The board for the West Contra Costa Unified School District unanimously selected Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Sr., Wednesday as the District's next superintendent. West Contra Costa Unified enrolled about 28,000 students last school year, according to U.S. Department of Education data. Shes an amazing person and shes the wisest person that I know. His approach to collaborative leadership and knowledge of teaching strategies, as well as community involvement, are just what we need here in West Contra Costa.. All rights reserved. Dr. Hurst may think that his SoCal experience will help him. total compensation and benefits last year, reopen campuses for hybrid instruction on Monday, Harriette Cole: My friend's mom didn't recognize me at my job, and she was very rude. Hurst is the districts 10th leader and its first non-interim African American superintendent. The Board voted 5-0 at Wednesday nights board meeting on a three-year contract for Dr. Hurst that begins May 17. But in addition inequitable funding of districts, the bigger issue is that a _familys_ income is the biggest factor in a childs educational success. Before leading the Othello School District, Dr. Hurst served as Associate Superintendent of Educational Services in Oceanside Unified School District, a 19,000 student district 35 minutes northwest of San Diego. Superintendent: Dr. Kenneth C. Hurst Superintendent (510) 231-1101 chris.hurst@wccusd.net. One of the things Ill share with you is based on our research. They are Adam Clark of Mt. Of course the masking. He also facilitated instructional rounds for the Oceanside high school network and the LCAP development. Are there strategies you used in the Othello, Washington, district that you hope to implement here? Our kids need to see positive influences that resemble their cultures, their ethnic background and ethnic makeup.. I think that really important that our kids see role models. Questions, comments, or suggestions? Hurst should identify a few professional practices such as Explicit Instruction or Formative Assessment with Descriptive Feedback and develop a plan to implement, monitor, and hold everyone accountable for the execution of these aligned practices at very high performance levels. Join to connect . He also facilitated instructional rounds for the Oceanside high school network and the LCAP development. Quitman ISD 600 N Winnsboro Street Quitman, TX 75783 Phone: 903-763-5000 FAX: 903-763-2710 Email: masonc@quitmanisd.net Because Im so busy, anytime that I can spend with my wife I do that. At Oceanside High School, Dr. Hurst led double-digit growth in the schools academic growth performance. I'm excited about this partnership.. At Oceanside High School, Dr. Hurst led double-digit growth in the schools academic growth performance. Wccusd School Board Selects Dr. Kenneth Chris Hurst As Next Superintendent As the incoming superintendent, I am eager to work within our learning community to confront and address issues of systemic racism, implicit bias, and ensuring growth mindset at every level of the organization, Dr. Hurst said. Richmond Confidential is an online news service produced by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism for, and about, the people of Richmond, California. In the 2019-20 school year at West Contra Costa Unified, about 56% of its students were Latino, 31% were English learners, and 66% qualified for free and reduced-price lunch. Im not sure if youre familiar with the High Tech High School System, mainly in the San Diego area, but they do whats called learn by doing. But Im also a big proponent in culturally relevant teaching as well. Agreed. AnnMarie Baines Founder & Executive Director, The Practice Space. Dr. Hurst also served as an administrator in the San Diego Unified and Poway Unified school districts. He needs to review what happened with those vacancies, like the Janitor, or clerk I reported that were hidden from the databases in the subsystem as permanent employees in the same position for years and not posting vacancies, having unequal numbers of subs whom could be temporary contracts if there are equal number of employees out. Dr. Hurst succeeds Matthew Duffy, who announced in November that he would not seek an extension to his contract. Board of Trustees Hires Districts First Permanent African American Superintendent. In Oceanside, Dr. Hurst collaborated with ConnectEd California, implementing Linked Learning to establish K-12 industry-aligned pathways to prepare students to succeed in college and career. All comments are moderated for civility, relevance and other considerations. This is not a warm-body job.. We love to walk. Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account. Were not going to let anyone hosannah you in and crucify you out, Smith-Folds told Hurst at the meeting, said, alluding to an often typical pattern of welcoming incoming superintendents as a savior for all the districts problems, before disillusionment sets in, and they are forced out. new leader of the West Contra Costa Unified School District, not serving our Latinx kids and our Black kids well, Richmond expands job opportunities year-round for city youth, Smoky Chevron flare alarms residents, spews sulfur dioxide into air, Richmonds Black population declining: You cant really locate a solid African American community. We love to go to movies. Why are students starting their own businesses right out of high school? I think for me, overarching, were going to be working on what we call a graduate profile, which is what we want our students to know and be able to do when they graduate. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! WCCUSD1108 Bissell AvenueRichmond, CA 94801, Room 100Phone: (510) 231-1101Fax: (510) 236-6784, Dr. Kenneth Chris Hurst,SuperintendentEmail:chris.hurst@wccusd.net, Rosa Cornejo, Executive SecretaryEmail:RCornejo@wccusd.net, Genesis Munoz, Senior Confidential SecretaryEmail: genesis.munoz@wccusd.net. You cant just change the organizational structure and expect change to happen. Hurst succeeds outgoing Superintendent Matthew Duffy, who announced last year he would not seek re-appointment when his contract ended after the current school year. Meet Dr. Hurst WCCUSD's Board of Education hired Dr. Hurst on April 14, 2021, making him the first permanent African American superintendent. The research says that kids should be reading at least 20 minutes per day or parents should be reading to their kids 20 minutes per day. Vancouver Public Schools has. Yeah, I did address this a little bit. Like many large urban California districts, West Contra Costa Unified has experienced considerable budget woes in recent years. Not having position control forms on these people, and many other intentional policy and procedural actions in HR that ultimately masks the budget. What happens is when kids arent being read to, theyre not reading, they come into kindergarten already behind. West Contra Costa Unified - School Directory Details (CA Dept of Education) Bay Area students chosen as semifinalists in the prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholars Program who made the cut? So how do we check in with them during the school day? The Bay Area is a "liberal" place with perhaps the worst economic inequality in the country, and until that changes, WCCUSD will have the same outcomes. Two-thirds of the students qualify for free and reduced price meals. What are your top priorities for the school district in the coming year? "This morning, I tried to reach Delegate-elect Jason Ballard to congratulate him on last night's results and I hope we have the chance to talk soon. In Othello, Dr. Hurst led a District with a student population that is 91 percent Latinx, 32 percent English Language Learners, and 75 percent free and reduced-price lunch through the transition to Distance Learning at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and from Distance Learning to a hybrid model this year. Phillips declined to comment on what set Hurst apart from other applicants, citing a closed-session deliberation, but he did praise the hiring process as yielding a desirable outcome. I have a lot of rich experiences, so I cant say that I grew up in one single place. Please check your entries and try again. Dr. Hurst joins WCCUSD after spending the past five years as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington where he significantly increased graduation rates and decreased chronic absenteeism rates for students. West Contra Costa Unified superintendent hired, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), H-1B: Feds want criminal charges over application fraud for Silicon Valleys favorite visa. Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots. In Othello, Dr. Hurst led a District with a student population that is 91 percent Latinx, 32 percent English Language Learners, and 75 percent free and reduced-price lunch through the transition to Distance Learning at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and from Distance Learning to a hybrid model this year. of Schools, Tony Thurmond, to do likewise. We went back to Germany. Dr. Our goal is to produce professional and engaging journalism that is useful for the citizens of the city.Please send news tips to richconstaff@gmail.com. Best to relabel it the Professional Practices Gap. Its about giving back, and giving ourselves to the community of West Contra Costa, Hurst said of he and his wife. In a release, a district spokesman detailed Hursts accomplishments at Othello School District in Othello, Washington, including implementing social-emotional learning standards, which train students to manage their emotions and relationships. Educational Equity-Title IX / Office of the Ombudsperson Home Page My long-term goal is to really transform our system so that we are ensuring that a high number of our students are prepared for college and career. EditorsNote: As a special project, EdSource is tracking developments in theOaklandUnified and West Contra Costa Unified School Districts as a way to illustrate some of the challenges facing other urban districts in California. The West Contra Costa Unified School District's Board of Trustees named Othello School District Superintendent Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Sr. as the District's next superintendent. I have a number of concerns. She is visually impaired, she is blind. One of the things that I like about him is hes not coming here to learn how to be a superintendent, Phillips said. West Contra Costa Unified hires new superintendent So its my job to really unlock that potential in students Thats what I want to be for students, that person. Dr. As Superintendent of the 4,500 student District located about 3 hours southeast of Seattle, Dr. Hurst increased graduation rates by 16 percent from 71 percent to 87 percent and reduced absences by 33 percent. He refused to let it end in Game 7, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. After a nearly six-month search, the West Contra Costa Unified School District has hired a new superintendent. Im a big proponent on ethnic studies, so youre going to see that happening in our district. Dr. Hurst becomes WCCUSDs 10th permanent superintendent and its first permanent African American superintendent. And how do our teachers address and work with those differences as well? The Board voted 5-0 at Wednesday night's board meeting on a three-year contract for Dr. Hurst that begins May 17. I think thats a big concern. Comments from the same user posted under multiple aliases may be deleted. (The school) became a college-going community, and the beginning of a journey for me: where I could see how you can implement effective strategies in a struggling community and really change the outcomes for students and their lives, Hurst said. We think thats important to check in with the families. I was born in Germany. West Contra Costa Unified school board members unanimously approve a three-year superintendent contract for Kenneth Chris Hurst, shown with his wife Crystal in the center of the bottom row. Sylvester Greenwood and Dr. Cynthia LeBlanc each served one-year terms as interim . The state has such a large influx of revenue this year due overwhelmingly to very high taxes paid in Contra Costa and the Bay Area that it may have to give some back. When the federal firehose of Covid spending suddenly stops next year, do Legislators Hicks and Skinner really want Dr. Hurst to be the latest superintendent of color to fall, in the face of economic realities? WCCUSD selects Dr. Kenneth Chris Hurst, Sr. as new superintendent He wants to hear from everyone at the district to see what strategies they can come up with together. So sometimes when you walk into classrooms and even college classrooms, students are disengaged. c***@oside.us. He said his drawn to central Washington in part because of the beautiful countryside his parents had lived in Yakima, and he and his wife always dreamed of living there. Hurst became superintendent of the 4,500-student Othello School District in central Washington in 2016. We had the opportunity to serve the WCCUSD community in the highest way by hiring a new superintendent, Board Clerk Jamela Smith-Folds said. What is your biggest concern heading into the school year? Last Update. Read More . Hurst also assumes the post in the middle of the pandemic, with the task of guiding the districts return to full-time, in-person instruction in the fall amid pressure from a group of parents. His military service includes Maintenance Supervisor at Camp Pendleton (19911993), Combat Duty (Desert Storm), Saudi Arabia (19901991), Communications Instructor/Supervisor at Camp Pendleton (19881990), Drill Instructor, San Diego (19861988), and Communications Specialist at Camp Pendleton (19821986). I have seen him on the phone, while emailing someone and texting yet another about a different issue, Stevenson said via email. Vancouver Public Schools superintendent candidates, from left, Dr. Karen Cheser, Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Dr. Hector Rico and Dr. Jeff Snell (Provided photos) Educators, students and. Ive been looking over the trend data over the past several years and Ive seen that, especially our Black students and our Latinx students have struggled in especially mathematics and English language arts, but also a number of suspensions, expulsions; we have a high chronic absenteeism rate. Among the strategies that he points to are restorative justice alternatives to traditional school discipline, promoting rigorous, engaging and culturally relevant curriculum as well as project-based learning, and aligning curriculum with career pathways and industry occupational sectors. West Contra Costa Unified has had two African American interim superintendents in the past. He also holds an Associate of Arts degree from National University, San Diego. Dr. Hurst joins WCCUSD after spending the past five years as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington. But she actually is very efficient in technology. He will succeed Matthew Duffy, who announced in November that he would be leaving the district at the end of the school year after five years in his post. WCCUSD Board of Education Meetings | Richmond, CA - Official Website And its not been happening, especially with our Black and our Latinx students, so thats a big concern as well. Dr. Hurst joins WCCUSD after spending the past five years as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington where he significantly increased graduation rates and decreased chronic absenteeism rates for students. Best to relabel it the Professional Practices Gap. Sylvester Greenwood and Dr. Cynthia LeBlanc each served one-year terms as interim superintendents. Kenneth Chris Hurst Sr. is the new leader of the West Contra Costa Unified School District,replacing Matthew Duffy, who led WCCUSD for five years. WCCUSD At a Glance / WCCUSD At a Glance She has a lot of Braille technology in our home, so she has devices that read books to her, that can download a book from this software. Graduation rate is a systemic issue and it really goes to building this whole healthy system. Chris Hurst - Superintendent - West Contra Costa Unified School And how do we get them to understand that students are bringing in differences? So right now were looking at support even at the central office level to make sure that we have the right support in place so we can better support principals and school sites, so that principals can better support the teachers and the teachers can better support the students. Superintendent Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Sr. is WCCUSD's 10th permanent superintendent. Chris Hurst -- Los Angeles, California, United States 1 connection. That is not to say unions are bad, quite the contrary they just need to focus more on helping protect employees, especially the most vulnerable not raising salaries. The small academy Hurst oversaw was geared toward students interested in careers in medicine, with a pathway for graduates to go directly into nursing assistant jobs. Privacy Policy So really, my concept is that we get to the point where were planning individual learning plans for our students, starting from pre-K going through the 12th grade. Duffy saw the district through a difficult financial stretch. Hurst said he assisted in Bersins effort to transform three schools whose students were lagging significantly in test scores and other measures San Diego, Kearny and Crawford high schools. Something went wrong. Richmond Confidential assumes no liability for comments posted to the site and no endorsement is implied; commenters are solely responsible for their own content. Do you have any plan to address any trauma that may have occurred in the household during the pandemic? Ive been to Japan, Ive been to Okinawa, Ive been to South Korea, a lot of different places. Its really a framework Im using and its called Central Office Transformation Toolkit and its out of the University of Washington. Since I was in desperate need of a car due to the nature of my new job, I resorted to making online research on how I could restore my credit to a minimum of 650 to enable me to qualify, after a few months of searching, I bumped into a blog and found positive reviews about, I am excited to get to work in West Contra Costa Unified and about working together to provide a world-class educational experience for students that prepares them to be globally competent and allows them to compete and participate in our diverse and global society, Hurst said. Previously, Chris was an Assistant Principal at Camino High School. Hursts belief in the application of research-based practices and his experience in systems thinking will add structure to our organization, yet enable our entrepreneurial spirit, Board Trustee Leslie Reckler said. Californias Community Colleges: At a Crossroads, Adjuncts gig economy at CA community colleges, College And Covid: Freshman Year Disrupted, Education during Covid: California families struggle to learn, Tainted Taps: Lead puts California Students at Risk, Full Circle: California Schools Work To Transform Discipline, Californias Homeless Students: Undercounted, Underfunded And Growing, Eyes on the Early Years Newsletter Archive, California Association for African American Superintendents and Administrators, funded in part by millions of dollars in grants, mostly from the Gates foundation, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Click here for EdSource's Comments Policy. Thurmonds leadership? So its going to look different for every single student. Were able to hire more counselors as well. If it needed to be longer, it would have been. 2/22/2023 4:33 PM. Dr. Hurst also served as an administrator in the San Diego Unified and Poway Unified school districts. He is committed to promoting restorative practices and social-emotional learning that will change students behavior without taking them out of class. The. Jerry Dunn, 99th Medical Group superintendent, and Chief Master Sgt. The systemic inequities that Ive seen in different districts that Ive been in Ive been in high-performing districts and low-performing communities as well it reminds me of my experience kind of growing up being a disenfranchised youth. His military service includes Maintenance Supervisor at Camp Pendleton (19911993), Combat Duty (Desert Storm), Saudi Arabia (19901991), Communications Instructor/Supervisor at Camp Pendleton (19881990), Drill Instructor, San Diego (19861988), and Communications Specialist at Camp Pendleton (19821986). So some students may define success as being able to get into Stanford or USC or Berkeley or UCSD or something like that, and that they have that list of goals. Students will return to campuses for instructional hubs for several hours a day. The Bay Area is a liberal place with perhaps the worst economic inequality in the country, and until that changes, WCCUSD will have the same outcomes. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, 60, who served as a superintendent at a school district in Washington state, will be West Contra Costa Unified's first permanent Black superintendent.
Tjx Employee Benefits,
Lacrosse Goalie Coaches Near Me,
Jocott Brands Standard Skin,
U Verse Channel Guide,
What Happened To Siobhan Cattigan,
Articles C
chris hurst, superintendent