Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, who will take over as the first permanent African American superintendent of West Contra Costa Unified School District within a few weeks, has his sights set on closing longstanding achievement gaps between Black, Latino and white students at the 30,000-student district. She is visually impaired, she is blind. 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. CAAASA is pleased that school boards are continuing to recognize the benefits of having a racially diverse administration by selecting persons of color to lead the district.. Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Superintendent Jamela Smith-Folds, Trustee Area 1 Demetrio Gonzalez Hoy, Trustee Area 4 Otheree Christian, Trustee Area 2 Leslie Reckler, Trustee Area 5 Mister Phillips, Trustee Area 3 Thomas Leung, Student Trustee Navi Emiliano, Student Trustee Hurst has also used a train the trainer approach to professional development. Improvement in a very few aligned professional practices will go a long way in improving student academic achievement. Superintendent Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Sr. is the 10th permanent superintendent in West Contra Costa Unified School District History. Hurst said theres a correlation between students not being in class due to suspensions and expulsion and their academic performance. What she really loves doing is to teach those technology skills to students who are visually impaired. Dr. Hurst joins WCCUSD after spending the past five years as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington. Because of the professors or because of the teachers. Best to relabel it the Professional Practices Gap. Hurst is apparently just another neoliberal, protecting the wealthy by betraying his students and their families, when he asserts that his "out of the Read More. 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). Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account. Join to connect . If it needed to be longer, it would have been. Improvement in a very few aligned professional practices will go a long way in improving student academic achievement. After a nearly six-month search, the West Contra Costa Unified School District has hired a new superintendent. He needs to acknowledge or review the abuse of the lowest performing students not given lunches, substitutes and other such things I witnessed myself. Dr. Hurst has served as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington, since 2016. More than half of the districts students are Latino, 14% are Black, 10% are white, and 8% are Asian. I enjoyed it. I think thats a big concern. 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. Actually, I have an overall safety concern from COVID, and then the Delta variant as well. El Cerrito students play at West Contra Costa Unified's Korematsu Middle School during recess before the Covid-19 pandemic. Hurst also led the districts transition to distance learning at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and to a hybrid model this school year in which students get part of their instruction via distance learning, and some in-person. 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. So its going to look different for every single student. Dr. 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 Rights Reserved. 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. I have an unwavering commitment and dedication to supporting a culture of inclusion and equity throughout the district and community, and what excites me is that we have a board and learning community interested in educational equity for all students., Fight your California speeding ticket and win, Recover Stolen/Missing Crypto/Funds/Assets. Michael Littleton Richmond Promise Board Chair, Former Senior Vice President of Finance, Gu Energy Labs. So when our students came back in January, what I saw was a disconnect, like our students werent talking a lot, they werent engaging a lot. Shomik Mukherjee covers Oakland, with a focus on local politics, developments and activism. 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. Anyone reading articles, research and more, both academic and not, knows this. Your access to this page has been blocked. This is not a warm-body job.. There needs to be people like myself that are willing to invest in challenging the system. He also boosted the districts linked learning programs, which integrate academics with real-world work experiences. So its my job to really unlock that potential in students Thats what I want to be for students, that person. I was a drill instructor and I was a communications instructor as well. I really believe in developing skills on a continuum, because I know that skills are transferable. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. That can involve, for example, a few teachers participating in a training session on restorative practices; they then teach their colleagues what they learned. Employee Information Salary History Employer Information Employer Thames Valley District School Board Employees with the same employer Position Information For interview and speaking requests for Dr. Hurst, please contact Communications at communications@wccusd.net. 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. So I have a number of priorities but I would certainly say my top priority is improving student learning and student achievement. Thats probably the biggest piece for me as far as priorities, is really working with our students. Chief Business Official: Robert McEntire Interim Associate Superintendent / Chief Business Officer (510) 231-1170 robert.mcentire@wccusd.net. File photo Finalists for superintendent are: Dr. Kenneth (Chris) Hurst, superintendent, Othello School District, Othello, WA Hurst said he was drawn to West Contra Costa for a similar reason he was drawn to Othello: wanting to improve educational systems to ensure student success. 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. He also holds an Associate of Arts degree from National University, San Diego. 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.. He needs to acknowledge or review the abuse of the lowest performing students not given lunches, substitutes and other such things I witnessed myself. He Read More. Please check your entries and try again. I think Ive already talked to you about the soft start and checking with our students about their social social emotional learning needs. Theres this assessment that comes out on an annual basis, its called the program of International Student Assessment, and it has rankings in English language arts, math and science, and were close to the bottom out of 35 industrial nations. They focus a lot on design thinking, a process which is out of Stanford as well, which is a problem-solving approach. Here are our challenges, they are real, and we need to have a strategy, have a plan as to how to address those challenges.. Then you have whats called the summer slide, so they get even further behind because of the three months that theyre off during the summer. Thinking outside the box will simply never outweigh the fact that WCCUSD has 9% less purchasing power than its demographic peers elsewhere in California. The board for the West Contra Costa Unified School District unanimously selected Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Sr., Wednesday as the District's next superintendent. Chris is always trying to improve himself and looking for the good in others. Superintendent West Contra Costa Unified School District View Chris' full profile . So theres a lot of studies based on it, especially out of Stanford, and I was reading one a couple of months ago that actually addresses how teachers will bring in biases and implicit biases into the classroom. But what we see also across the United States and in Richmond is that, generally speaking, our teaching force is made up 70% of white women. In Oceanside, he implemented some of the same strategies he adopted at the small schools in San Diego, he said. So its almost like if we do this, we can do this and we can better support our students. The district plans to reopen campuses for hybrid instruction on Mondayafter more than a year of distance learning. To read more, click the Meet Dr. Hurst headline. Its really a framework Im using and its called Central Office Transformation Toolkit and its out of the University of Washington. 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. 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. Contact. I think that even our system of education is not as high-performing as some other countries as well. The West Contra Costa Unified School Districts Board of Trustees named Othello School District Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Chris Hurst, Sr. as the Districts next superintendent. Chris Hurst (D) officially conceded to Jason Ballard (R) Wednesday morning in the race for the House of Delegates' 12th District. Before his career in education, Dr. Hurst served 12 years in the Marines. I think its really dependent upon our students I think its individual success and individually defined. Board of Trustees Hires Districts First Permanent African American Superintendent. Superintendent Superintendent Dr. Pete Perez, Superintendent email Pete Perez Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Marissa Garza Click here to email Marissa ext. Is it really a tribute to Supt. That doesnt happen. Quitman ISD 600 N Winnsboro Street Quitman, TX 75783 Phone: 903-763-5000 FAX: 903-763-2710 Email: masonc@quitmanisd.net We hired a leader who will lead WCCUSD teachers, administrators, and staff with a united vision, transparency, and accountability. This is kind of a lengthy response, but what I will say, first we have to build a healthy system, which means looking at our organization and how we are structured. The staff at Richmond High School are backing student demands and uplifting them to engage the whole community. He also implemented Othellos K-12 pathway, the Districts Social-Emotional Learning Standards. Linsi Crain Public Affairs Manager, Chevron Richmond Refinery. 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. So professional learning is going to be a very big key here in Richmond and across the United States. One unfortunate issue he has to face is for funding was the union's driven zealous raising of salaries that hurt the district. Dr. Dr. Hurst earned his Doctorate in Education, K-12 Leadership (Magna Cum Laude), at the University of Southern California in 2011, and his Master of Arts Degree in Educational Administration (Magna Cum Laude) in 2008, and his Bachelor of Science, a degree in Mathematics in 1997 at California State University, San Marcos. One unfortunate issue he has to face is for funding was the unions driven zealous raising of salaries that hurt the district. Chris Hurst is an Associate Superintendent at Oceanside Unified School District based in Oceanside, California. 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. He wants to hear from everyone at the district to see what strategies they can come up with together. And their whole theory of action is, if we can really transform the central office, like people that work up here with me, and if we put the right people in place to have the right tools, then we could better go down to the school sites and support them and build capacity with the leaders. Then you dont see students walk into the classroom, where they disengaged. If your browser is out of date, try updating it. 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. Doctorate in Education in K-12 Leadership, at the University of Southern California in 2011. Watching superintendents fail in LCFF-funded districts in high-cost counties has become routine. We request that commenters consistently use the same login name. Questions, comments, or suggestions? So it really boils down to our teaching force and really preparing them to be culturally responsive to our students. We went back to Germany. 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. Why are students starting their own businesses right out of high school? How do we create spaces that allow us to really develop those relationships with adults and students and students to students as well.? I wanted to go to a military school. Thats really what our parents and community is worried about, they want to know that the kids are coming back to a safe environment. He also implemented Othellos K-12 pathway, the Districts Social-Emotional Learning Standards. Chris Hurst's Phone Number and Email Last Update. of Schools, Tony Thurmond, to do likewise. He became assistant principal in Poway Unified just north of San Diego, where he helped open Westview High School in 2002. During his five years at Othello, graduation rates increased from 71% to 87%, and absences declined by 33%, He also implemented the districts social-emotional learning standards. To get more reports like this one, click here to sign up for EdSources no-cost daily email on latest developments in education. She wasnt always blind. Contact. He said he was also drawn by the district and school boards passion for equity and mission statement to bring students a quality education so that they can better their community while being global citizens. Its about accumulating these skills so I can use these skills to make the United States or the globe a better place, and to really tackle pressing economic issues and global issues like COVID. 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. Thousand of students compete in Tech Challenge in San Jose, Will higher pay lure more teachers? He started his educational career in Poway Unified as a math and computer programming and computer science teacher. 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. I have seen him on the phone, while emailing someone and texting yet another about a different issue, Stevenson said via email. Duffy saw the district through a difficult financial stretch. Like many large urban California districts, West Contra Costa Unified has experienced considerable budget woes in recent years. The districts board of trustees voted 5-0 Wednesday to hire Hurst. And how do our teachers address and work with those differences as well? Agreed. 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. Welcome, Dr. Hurst. Thats the kind of role model I want to be. My dad was in the Army for 30 years and I was in the Marine Corps for 11 years and I loved it. But Hurst doesnt just want to throw things at people, he said in an interview with EdSource. We have to look at our training for our principals, because our principals have responsibility of going into the classrooms and being able to identify what are the elements of culturally responsive teaching, what does great teaching look like, and ensuring that theyre providing really good authentic feedback to those teachers as well, thats going to build their capacity. Currently, only four of the states 30 largest school districts have Black superintendents. Hurst is the districts 10th leader and its first non-interim African American superintendent. Our goal is to produce professional and engaging journalism that is useful for the citizens of the city. They showed me how to be a leader in school, a great teacher is 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. I just loved it, from low-entry mathematics to high-level calculus. All rights reserved. Sylvester Greenwood and Dr. Cynthia LeBlanc each served one-year terms as interim . Previously, Chris was an Assistant Principal at Camino High School. Only the JLAC, County COE, or school district can ask for a FCMAT investigation not individuals nor CDE. 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. Comments from the same user posted under multiple aliases may be deleted. 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. 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. They want to come to school because attendance matters as well, and that plays into graduation rate. But WCCUSD spent just $450 (3%) more per student than Oceanside did last year yet (a) Oceanside has only 61% disadvantaged vs 71% in WCCUSD, and (b) San Diego County is just a hair over the statewide average cost of living. He is committed to promoting restorative practices and social-emotional learning that will change students behavior without taking them out of class. While serving as the Associate Superintendent of Educational Services, he supervised the Oceanside Promises implementation to ensure all Oceanside students graduated ready for college and career and established the Oceanside Promise Foundation, a 501(c)(3). In 2004, Bersin divided the three schools into 14 smaller 500-student academies, funded in part by millions of dollars in grants, mostly from the Gates foundation. Everything that Im sharing with you ties to like the graduation rate. We hired 20 counselors, additional counselors, so the case loads were at 750 per counselor but now weve reduced that down to 350. Well involve students also into this conversation because we want to hear from them about what they want to have when they graduate. I know that Ive never had that growing up as a Black male. Graduation rate is a systemic issue and it really goes to building this whole healthy system. I believe that the new Superintendent will bring a nurturing environment to WCCUSD students with a focus on leadership, empowerment, and direction to the WCCUSD, Board Trustee Otheree Christian said. 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. 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. There are some other pieces that are priorities for me but I would say those are the top two priorities. But I will share with you, also, that that is a systemic issue and that it cant just be that. Its going to take a community effort, to take all of us working together as one for a shared vision.. 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 my whole concept is making sure that we get curriculum in front of our kids, that [we get] role models for our kids that look like them. Are there strategies you used in the Othello, Washington, district that you hope to implement here?

Purebred Kelpie Pups For Sale Qld, Monique Wilson As Kim In Miss Saigon, Northport Municipal Court Pay Ticket, Articles C