Schooled Radio Santa Barbara: Recent Episodes
Chryss Yost and George Yatchisin
Schooled Radio is education news from Santa Barbara County. Hosted by George Yatchisin and Chryss Yost from the Gevirtz School at UCSB.
Indiana Jones has nothing on Professor Gerardo Aldana, who served as a consultant and earned a role in the super-hero blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Adventure! Intrigue! NDAs! What a glamorous way for Schooled Radio to end the year.
Gerardo Aldana is professor of Chicana/o Studies at UC Santa Barbara. He is the author of Calculating Brilliance: an intellectual history of Mayan astronomy at Chich'en Itza, and The Apotheosis of Janaab Pakal: Science, History and Religion at Classic Maya Palenque, among other books and articles. Professor Aldana's academic intervention has been to introduce a history-of-science-based approach to the study of Ancient Mayan astronomy. Following methods developed to study modern and ancient sciences, he investigates astronomical records relative to their historical, political, religious, and economic contexts in addition to reconstructing their internal logic and quantitative utility.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs carries an enormous variety of responsibilities: almost everything that is not academics, research, HR, or facilities falls under its umbrella. Today's guest, Dr. Margaret Klawunn, talks about her path to being the head of Student Affairs at UC Santa Barbara and what keeps her inspired.
Dr. Margaret Klawunn has served as the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at UCSB since 2015. In this role, she oversees approximately 30 departments that provide academic support, health and wellness services, and co-curricular programming for graduate and undergraduate students. Dr. Klawunn is currently the chair of the UC council for Student Affairs and is also a member of the UC Academic Planning Council. Prior to joining UCSB, Dr. Klawunn was the Vice President for Campus Life at Brown University. Over 19 years at Brown, she taught in Gender Studies and had a range of positions in academic advising and campus life. She has a Ph.D in American Literature from Rutgers University.
Our guest for this episode is a familiar voice on Schooled Radio: Dean Jeffrey Milem! While we've previously focused on his role as Dean of the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, in this episode we talk about his primary focus as a researcher, which is equity in higher education. With new cases before the Supreme Court, we talk with Jeff about what's at stake.
Dr. Jeffrey Milem’s research focuses on the ways in which colleges and universities can be organized to enhance equity, access, and success for all students. With his colleagues Mitchell Chang and Anthony Antonio, he co-authored Making Diversity Work on Campus: A Research Based Perspective, published by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, which translates research demonstrating the educational benefits of diversity to develop a “roadmap” for college leaders of the conditions that must be in place if they are to maximize the opportunities for teaching and learning that racial diversity provides. Milem contributed to two of the three books that Justice Sandra Day O’Connor cited in her majority opinion in Grutter v. Bollinger as being influential in helping to document the university’s claim regarding the educational benefits of diversity. He also worked closely on amicus briefs for both iterations of the Fisher v. Texas case.
As a widely recognized expert in the area of racial dynamics in higher education, Dr. Jeffrey Milem has been commissioned to do research by numerous groups including, the Harvard Civil Rights Project and the American Educational Research Association’s Panel on Racial Dynamics in Higher Education. He also worked with the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Education and the American Council on Education to present a series of technical assistance workshops on affirmative action and college admissions. Professor Milem has given speeches and/or provided consultation on racial dynamics to different national education organizations as well as various public and private higher education institutions across the country.
Nurse! Nurse!Our guest this episode is here to answer the call. Dr. Carol Velas is the Founding Director of Westmont’s new Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program. The new program, housed in Westmont College's satellite building in downtown Santa Barbara, has an inaugural cohort of two dozen students.
While new to Santa Barbara, Dr. Velas has had extensive experience in state licensing and accreditation throughout California, Arizona, and Nevada. Dr. Velas has been in nursing education for more than 20 years at the associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral levels in public and private institutions. Dr. Velas earned a Master of Nursing from CSU Dominguez Hills and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy from CSU Northridge. Her nursing experience includes care in oncology, medical/surgical, labor and delivery, post-partum, newborn nursery and pediatric nursing. As an administrator, Dr. Velas has directed a women’s unit, managed a cancer program, developed hospital staff, and served as both an assistant nursing program director and nursing program director.
Bits of Music You May Notice: Yo La Tengo, "Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo," David Sylvian, "Silver Moon," David Byrne and Brian Eno, "My Big Nurse."
This episode first aired on KCSB-FM 91.9 on December 8, 2022.
Dr. Natalie Holdren is the Education Specialist Credential Coordinator at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at UCSB. She is a member of the TASH Board of Directors, an organization dedicated to promoting the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of life through policy, advocacy, and the dissemination of research. She is also Past-President of the California chapter. In addition, she serves as a consultant for several educational institutions on projects relating to special education, professional development, inclusion, post-secondary support and neurodiversity. She has developed vocational training and self-advocacy courses for students with disabilities at Santa Barbara City College funded by the Adult Education Block Grant. Dr. Holdren has served as a mentor for Georgetown University's Leadership Academy for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Networks Supporting Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Her orientation towards issues of equity has become the basis for her work on training pre-service educators on culturally responsive family-professional partnership. She has just completed work on the 8th edition of Families and Professionals: Trusting Partnerships in General and Special Education, a textbook published by Pearson.
In this episode, we talk to the Executive Director of one of the organizations we are especially thankful for: the Santa Barbara Education Foundation. Executive Director Pedro Paz is an advocate for, and a proud graduate of, Santa Barbara schools, all the way through!
Pedro Paz was born and raised in Santa Barbara County where he attended Dos Pueblos High School and Santa Barbara City College. Pedro has a Ph.D. and M.A. from UC Santa Barbara in Education with an emphasis in Language, Culture and Literacy. He is passionate about serving his community and giving back to causes that contribute to the diversity and vibrant nature of the community he was born in. He has worked for several prominent local organizations and for eleven years he worked for the County of Santa Barbara. In addition, he has served as a Trustee for the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education, having been elected to the board in 2012 and ending his term in 2016. Currently he works for the Santa Barbara Education Foundation as the Executive Director, and continues to serve the community as member of the Santa Barbara City College Foundation Board of Directors.
As an advisor and an advocate, Professor Glenn Beltz has had a enormous impact on the experience of many of UCSB's mechanical engineering students. He is nearing his 30th year as a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at USCB. For the last 18 years, he has served the College of Engineering as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, sharing his passion for education.
Glenn Beltz received a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science at Carnegie Mellon in 1988. He received a Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences in 1992 from the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University, where he specialized in solid mechanics. At UCSB, he teaches courses in design, statics, the strength of materials, and advanced solid mechanics. His research has focused on solid mechanics as it applied to materials problems, particularly ceramic-based composite materials, as well as on the mechanics and physics of crystalline defects (e.g., remediation of dislocations in gallium nitride and other optoelectronic materials). Professor Beltz has a deep commitment to undergraduate education and a true love of undergraduate teaching. He directs the Office of Undergraduate Studies in the College of Engineering, which serves five degree programs in the College of Engineering at UCSB. The unit's responsibilities include recruitment of undergraduate students, accreditation, and most importantly, providing advising and other academic support to current undergraduate students.
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jill Sharkey, Associate Dean for Research and Outreach in the Gevirtz School of Education at UC Santa Barbara, faculty in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School, and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Her research centers on promoting student engagement for children--primarily those who have experienced a variety of personal, family, and community risks--and she's working hard to connect with local students and their families. All while teaching UCSB students how to be advocates, as well.
Recently recognized by the Santa Barbara County Board of Education as 2022's Distinguished New Educator, Elsy Mora is a second year Math Teacher at La Colina Junior High School. Her personal journey creates a special connection with many of her students. She commutes to Santa Barbara from Lompoc, where she grew up after migrating from Mexico.
Elsy went on to attend UC Davis as a Gates Millennium Scholar, where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Chicana/o Studies. She then got her Master's Degree and Single Subject Teaching Credential in Mathematics at UC Santa Barbara’s Teacher Education Program as a PEAC Community Fellow. She loves being a teacher "because she gets to be so much more than that for her students."
When UCSB students organize to demand action from the university, you're likely to find Professor Ralph Armbruster Sandoval standing beside them. As an academic and an activist, his engagement outside of the classroom help him to connect with students inside the classroom.
Ralph Armbruster Sandoval is a Professor in the Chicana and Chicano Studies Department. He joined the Department in 1998, 4 years after a hunger strike led by Chicanx/Latinx students that resulted in his hiring and the establishment of the first-ever Chicana/o Studies doctoral program in the United States. Professor Armbruster Sandoval examined the UCSB hunger strike and other university hunger strikes in the 1990s in his book, Starving for Justice: Hunger Strikes, Spectacular Speech, and the Struggle for Dignity. He has served on the Board of Directors of Just Communities, Casa de la Raza and been involved in many social justice organizations. He is married and has two children who attend Dos Pueblos High School.
Our guest this episode is Dr. Erika Felix, professor of Clinical Psychology at UCSB and a licensed psychologist specializing in trauma treatment for children and families. She recently spent a year in Washington, D.C. as an American Psychological Association Congressional Fellow working on disability policy across the lifespan in Senator Casey’s office in the U.S. Senate. Education is everywhere!
Dr. Felix’s research has focused on the risk and protective factors affecting children’s long term mental health following collectively-experienced traumas such as natural disasters, mass shootings, and terrorism and this work has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute of Justice, and the National Science Foundation.
Her research has covered the impact of hurricanes in Puerto Rico, wildfires in California, floods in Texas, terror attacks in DC and NY, a mass shooting in CA, and media exposure to mass violence. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals and covered by various news outlets. Dr. Felix trains counseling, clinical, and school psychologists on preventive interventions and trauma treatment for children and has developed a disaster mental health class for undergraduates at UCSB.
Launching our seventh season (and third year!) of Schooled Radio, we are honored to have as our guest Dr. Niki Sandoval, a graduate of the Gevirtz School and an advocate for education and community.
Dr. Niki Sandoval currently serves as the Senior Strategic Development Manager in the Strategic Resource Planning and Implementation team at WestEd, which offers support through capacity-building, facilitation of professional learning networks, policy implementation strategies, and analysis of financial data, including data on the effective use of resources. She brings rich expertise to her work with state, regional, and local education agencies in aligning their education policies, strategies, and accountability practices to achieve more equitable outcomes for students.
Prior to joining WestEd, Sandoval was the Education Director for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians for more than 10 years. She worked in partnership with tribal government leaders to refine education policies and strategic educational investments, including school readiness, educational attainment, and career transitions.
Dr. Michael Furlong, is a UCSB Professor Emeritus who has worked with a coalition of national researchers on an eight-step plan that would dramatically reduce the number of deaths due to gun violence in the United States.
Michael Furlong is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of School Psychology and holds the 2021-2022 Edward A. Dickson Emeritus Professorship at UCSB. He collaborates with colleagues on Project Covitality that supports schools’ efforts to foster all students’ social-emotional development and complete mental health. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the American Educational Research Association. Between 2008-2015 he was the Editor of the Journal of School Violence and he is the co-editor of the Handbook of Positive Psychology in the Schools.
Today's guest is Joanna Hendrix, the 2023 Teacher of the Year! (Recognized by the Santa Barbara County Education Office and the county Board of Education.) She is a teacher of the deaf serving preschool, transitional kindergarten, & kindergarten deaf and hard of hearing students from the Santa Maria and Orcutt area. Her classroom is housed on the campus of Ralph Dunlap Elementary School. Her goal is to ensure students obtain the necessary language and academic readiness skills to transition into kindergarten ready to learn and to partner with and empower parents in making informed educational choices.
For the past 21 years, Joanna Hendrix has been employed by the Santa Barbara County Education Office as a teacher of the deaf. She received her B.A. in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a Deaf Education emphasis and M.A. in Deaf Education from California State University, Fresno, along with a multiple subject credential and an educational specialist credential. Hendrix teaches students with a range of hearing ability, language development, and literacy skills. Her students are culturally and linguistically diverse. The languages spoken in their homes consist of American Sign Language, English, Spanish, and Mixtec. Many arrive to her classroom with insufficient early language exposure, resulting in absent or weak language foundations.
In this episode, we talk to our first threepeat guest, Dr. Jeffrey Milem, the Jules Zimmer Dean's Chair of the Gevirtz School of Education at UC Santa Barbara, about the mysteries of tenure. Faculty tenure is a dream to some who feel it protects academic freedom, a scapegoat for those who feel it cushions professors from reality, and the truth is likely somewhere in between.
Dr. Jeffrey Milem is Professor and Jules Zimmer Dean’s Chair at UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School of Education. Dr. Milem came to UCSB in 2016. Before that he was the Ernest W. McFarland Distinguished Professor in Leadership for Educational Policy and Reform in the College of Education at the University of Arizona. Much of his research and academic career has focused on issues of access, social justice, and racial equity in higher education.
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and Sea Center are like two amazing cabinets of curiosities. This episode's guest is Jenna Hamilton-Rolle, Director of Education for the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and Sea Center, whose sense of wonder is comes through in her enthusiasm for teaching about the natural world.
In this episode, we talk with one of our heroes: Diane C. Fujino, a professor of Asian American Studies at UC Santa Barbara. Her inspirational work examines Japanese and Asian American activist history within an Asian American Radical Tradition and shaped by Black Power and Third World decolonization. Her new book, Contemporary Asian American Activism: Building Movements for Liberation, examines Japanese American activism in the early Cold War.
In this episode, we talk with Mary Franitza, a grad student at the Gevirtz School about her work, which includes supporting other graduate students in education as the President of the Graduate Student Association in Education (GSAE), where she advocates for stronger connections between cohorts and greater transparency from the university.
Robotics just seems to get cooler and cooler. In this episode, we talk to two grad students from UCSB's Hawkes Lab, doing work on the cutting-edge of robotics engineering: Charles Xiao and Matt Devlin.
Charles Xiao is a mechanical engineering PhD candidate, also in the Hawkes’ Lab, and is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. He comes from the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia and completed his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His research lies at the intersection of robotics and energy. He studies how to improve the efficiency of soft robots and the design of mechanical heat switches. In addition to research, he regularly mentors students from middle schoolers to undergraduates.
Matt Devlin is a third-year Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UCSB. Under the direction of Dr. Elliot Hawkes, Matt focuses on shape-changing soft robots. His most recently published work was on a small, remote-controlled robot, called SPHR, that is able to expand itself to lift heavy objects and crawl over obstacles. Imagine a robot that could drive under your couch, and then inflate to change its shape and lift it! Before UCSB, Matt worked at L'Oreal as a rapid prototyping scientist doing makeup research using robotics and automation.
In this episode, we get to talk about two of our favorite things: school and writing! Our guest **Sameer Pandya** is an Associate Professor at UCSB and the author of the novel *Members Only*, in which a fictional lecturer at a fictional university struggles with some very real issues. In addition to being a novelist, **Sameer Pandya** is a finalist for the California Book Award and an NPR Best Books of 2020, and the story collection The Blind Writer, longlisted for the PEN/Open Book Award. His cultural criticism has appeared in a range of publications, including the Atlantic, Salon, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN. The recipient of the PEN/Civitella Fellowship, he is an Associate Professor of Asian American Studies at UC Santa Barbara.
In this episode, we wade into new waters with graduate students Mae Rennick and Phoebe Racine.
Mae Rennick is a second year PhD student at UCSB in the department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology. She is a member of the FRAY-lick (Froehlich) Lab where she studies the role of aquaculture—or marine farming— in developing sustainable long-term food security systems and initiatives, and more broadly how to make these systems more equitable and accessible. Through her work, Mae continues to prioritize the involvement of underrepresented identities in science through activism, outreach and her roles in education, first as a science instructor at the Ocean Institute, later as a Kindergarten teacher at Hollister Elementary School, and in her current position as a graduate student.
Phoebe Racine studies the social and spatial implications of aquaculture and fisheries markets. As a PhD Candidate at UCSB’s Bren School, her current projects include mapping seaweed aquaculture’s potential to mitigate nutrient pollution and surveying California consumers to understand diversity of seafood species consumption. Prior to UCSB, she worked at World Wildlife Fund to increase the uptake of aquaculture certification and transparency in seafood supply chains.
Carpinteria native Jamie Persoon is the principal of Canalino Elementary School in Carpinteria. Among other initiatives, she's the lead for the Dual Language Immersion program there. We talk to her about what that means, how it works, and who benefits during this episode.
Jamie attended Cate School for high school, and earned her bachelor’s degree in English at UCSB in 1998. She got her teaching credential and master’s degree in education from the Teacher Education program at UCSB in 1999. Jamie returned to Canalino School in Carpinteria to teach first grade in 1999. Over the years, she has taught kindergarten, first, second, fourth, and fifth grades in Carpinteria Unified School District. She earned her administrative credential in 2010, and became the Principal of Canalino School in 2013, where she remains today. She was awarded the Crystal Apple Administrator of the Year from the Santa Barbara County Education Office, and in 2016 was granted Educator of the Year from the Anti-Defamation League. Jamie has served as an administrator coach for Santa Barbara County Education Office administrator candidates. Jamie also serves as Elementary Curriculum Coordinator for Carpinteria Unified School District. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from California Lutheran University.
In this episode, we talk to Virginia Alvarez, a Board Member for the Santa Barbara Unified School District. As a school board member, Virginia is focused on collaboration, equity, academic achievement, transparency, accountability, fiscal responsibility, and environmental stewardship. She wants to nurture a strong partnership between the board, teachers, classified and administrative staff, parents, and students, which translates to a strong community. She aspires to work together, build bridges and focus on commonalities to do what is best for all students. We talk to her about her own experiences and hopes for the district.
Virginia Alvarez personifies the promise of public education. She is a bilingual product of Santa Barbara Unified School District, and elected SBUSD board member since December 2020. She attended McKinley Elementary, La Cumbre Junior High and San Marcos High School. With years of experience in all aspects of running schools and districts, including school finance, and public employment. She currently works at Montecito Union School District as the Chief Business Official and Human Resources Administrator. Virginia holds a Master’s Degree in Education and School Business Leadership.
Our guest for this episode is Scott Simon, Director of the The Research Experience & Education Facility, better known as The REEF. The REEF is UCSB’s teaching aquarium. Scott is also the Marine Science Institute Education & Outreach Program Manager. At the REEF he leads a team that uses current, cutting edge research to improve science literacy and inspire responsible Ocean stewardship. Born in Santa Barbara and a lifelong lover of the Santa Barbara channel, Simon has an Associates degree in Biological Sciences from SBCC; a Bachelor’s of Science in Ecology & Evolution from UCSB; and a Master’s of Science in Marine Science from UCSB.
In this episode of Schooled Radio, we dish with Mitchell Sjerven, a faculty member at the School of Culinary Arts at Santa Barbara City College, where he teaches restaurant ownership. Santa Barbara loves its food scene (we're huge fans of Sjerven's own restaurant, bouchon)—but running a successful eatery is anything but easy.
In this episode, Schooled Radio talks with Dr. Andrew Maul, an Associate Professor in the Department of Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Andrew’s work focuses on the conceptual and historical foundations of research methodology in the human sciences, and in particular on the theory and practice of measurement. There's more to it than you'd expect!
In this episode, we talk with Principal Veronica Binkley, who has been the lead at Harding University Partnership School since 2014.
Principal Binkley's past teaching positions have been in early childhood with most of her teaching years spent in kindergarten in both the Oxnard School District and also in Bellingham, Washington. She has a passion for teaching reading and a deep respect for the power that reading can have on a student's academic trajectory.
Today’s guest is Aaron E. de Santiago Jones, Director of the UC Santa Barbara Educational Opportunity Program. Aaron has a long history at UCSB, starting as an undergraduate, when he majored in Black Studies and Political Science and also involved himself deeply in student and community activism and campus politics. Just a brief glimpse at the highlights of those years include working as a Peer Mentor for the Educational Opportunity Program that he now directs and serving as Associated Student President and AS External Vice President for State-wide Affairs.
In this episode, we talk to Dr. Veronica Fematt, new Assistant Director of UCSB's McNair Program, about how to increase the number of first- generation, low-income and/or underrepresented students in doctoral programs, and ultimately, to diversify the faculty in colleges and universities across the country.
At Schooled Radio, we are big believers in personal growth as a critical part of education. We do better when we know better, in theory, but the path between the idea of personal change and the practical path to growth seems to be elusive. How do you get there? We turned to Sarah Warman, a life coach and friend, for her suggestions.
After a career spent creating meaningful and memorable events for corporations, Sarah Warman realized the most spectacular event any individual can craft is their own life. She created Purpose Party for One with this intention in mind. Her no b.s. coaching method focuses on authenticity and alignment, and tackling the challenges that arise when designing a life that you love. She believes the best thing you can be is you. Everyone is invited to the Purpose Party, and she can show you how to get there. Find her on Instagram here.
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Alison Cerezo, the faculty advisor for the Healing Space, a specialty clinic at UCSB that began in fall 2020 in direct response to the killing of George Floyd and other police violence against Black Americans and with the impetus of the Black Lives Matter movement.
In this episode, we speak with Ashley Jenkins, Executive Director of the SYV Children's Museum being developed in Buellton, CA. A passionate lover of the outdoors, she can often be found looking at bugs or climbing trees with her three rambunctious boys. With over 20 years experience in outdoor education, Ashley and the entire SYV Children's Museum team are seeking to bridge the gap of access to outdoor space and create an incredible place where all children can come and play in nature.
This episode was first broadcast on 91.9 KCSB-FM on December 9, 2021.
For this special episode of Schooled Radio, we reached out to our community to hear their stories of gratitude for the teachers who made a difference in their lives. Thanks to Ann Close, Chris Thierfelder, Michelle Howard, Miriam Thompson, Don Lubach Cie Gumucio, Patrick Melroy, Heidi Zetzer, Sarah Warman, Ken Saxon for sharing their most meaningful lessons.
In this episode, Schooled Radio talks with the 2022 Santa Barbara County Education Office teacher of the year, Alisyn Blanton! Known as “Mrs. B” by her students, her classroom is affectionately referred to as “The Hive” and she works to develop a strong sense of community and family among them.
“Alisyn is a gifted educator who shares her love of learning throughout her classroom and school community. She is committed to educational excellence and demonstrates her passion, skill, and dedication with energy and fervor,” said Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susan Salcido. “Teachers like Alisyn inspire students to learn, grow, achieve, and succeed.”
Lompoc Unified School District Superintendent Trevor McDonald said, “Alisyn’s dedication and grit is a rarity. Her students are better for it. Alisyn is able to bring out the best in others. Her zeal for teaching and learning is infectious. Alisyn is committed to student improvement, making school what we all dream of.”
“Alisyn creates an engaging classroom culture that not only accepts and celebrates differences but does so while holding high expectations for all of her students and honoring the ideal that ALL kids can learn,” said Becky Sausker, Principal of Miguelito Elementary School. “Her ingenuity and willingness to learn helped her adapt that same classroom culture to the remote universe.”
Born and raised in Santa Barbara County, she has now been teaching in the Lompoc Unified School District for 18 years. Following in the footsteps of her grandmother and great grandmother, she has taught elementary school in grades varying from kindergarten through 5th grade.
Bits of music you may notice: Yo La Tengo, "Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo," Mick Karn featuring David Sylvian, "Buoy," Luna, "This Time Around."
This episode first aired on 91.9 KCSB-FM on November 18, 2021.
Schooled Radio is honored to have Senator Monique Limón as our guest for this episode. She is a passionate advocate for education, as well as being a graduate of the Santa Barbara Unified School District prior to attending UC Berkeley, and Columbia. She was elected to the Senate in November 2020 and represents the 19th Senate district that includes all of Santa Barbara County and over half of Ventura County.
Born and raised in the 19th district, Monique has worked continuously to serve her community as an educator, leader, and an advocate for causes advancing the quality of life in her community. Before the State Senate, Monique served as the Assemblymember for District 37th. Serving four years in the State Assembly, Monique Chaired the Banking and Finance Committee and was the Vice-Chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus.
For Monique, education has always been a priority. A UC Berkeley graduate with a Masters degree from Columbia University, Monique served two terms on the Santa Barbara Unified School Board and as Assistant Director for the McNair Scholars Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara prior to serving in the Senate. Monique has worked with countless local students at Santa Barbara City College and UCSB as an advisor and mentor to help them achieve their professional and academic goals through higher education.
Bit of music you may notice: Yo La Tengo, "Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo," Archers of Loaf, "Step into the Light," The Politicians featuring McKinley Jackson, "Free Your Mind."
This episode first aired on 91.9 KCSB-FM on November 11, 2021.
In this episode we talked with Dawson Kelly the student board member on the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education. As a student board member, Kelly will be an advisory voting member of the board on all matters (except those subject to closed session), participating in discussion, and offer ing a preferential vote on some agenda items. With a preferential vote, the student's vote is recorded in the board meeting minutes, but does not affect the final outcome of a voting item.
Dawson is a junior at San Marcos high school. He also attended Peabody Charter Elementary School and La Colina Junior High School. Kelly has served as a member of the Mental Wellness Connection Council since 2018 where he advocates for mental health education and resources for young people. He is a member of Santa Barbara’s Youth Making Change, Youth and Government, Boys Teen Charity, President of Orkeeswa Youth Board, CAYEN Advocacy Team and member of San Marcos ASB since his freshman year.
Bit of music you may notice: Yo La Tengo, "Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo," XTC, "Procession Towards Learning Land," Bill Nelson, "Contemplation."
This episode first aired on 91.9 KCSB-FM on November 4, 2021.
A successful plan for psychological care or intervention for a client — whether a grade-school student acting out or a senior-aged person fearing mental decline — requires an accurate initial assessment. Under the leadership of Dr. Miriam Thompson, the new Mind and Behavior Assessment Clinic at UCSB's Hosford Clinic trains professionals to look closer.
Dr. Miriam Thompson is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology and is the Director of Mind and Behavior Assessment Clinic (MBAC). She is a licensed psychologist, a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, and a Spanish speaker. Following her doctoral training at the University of Arizona, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Neurodevelopmental Assessment of Young Children at the Brenner Center at William James College. After that, she completed a second postdoctoral fellowship at the Boston Juvenile Court Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Thompson is committed to training graduate students in the ethical administration of assessments and helping them to write reports and interpret assessment results through a social justice lens.
Bits of music you may notice: Yo La Tengo, "Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo," Peter Gabriel, "My Head Sounds Like That (Royksopp Remix)," Trampled by Turtles, "Where Is My Mind."
This episode first aired on 91.9 KCSB-FM on October 21, 2021.
In this episode, Schooled Radio talks with White Buffalo Land Trust about how people learn how to use land.Jesse Smith, Director of Land Stewardship, and Ann Close, Director of Education and Research, joined us to talk about their work ranging from Santa Barbara Middle School outreach to sustainability seminars for ranchers.
Jesse Smith, Director of Land Stewardship, is guiding the development of our flagship farm as well as working with our team, contractors, and partners to grow the land under our management and the impact in our community. His passion and expertise in agricultural system design and community engagement are a cornerstone of our strategy to achieve a systemic paradigm shift towards a regenerative food economy and ecology.
Ann Close, Director of Education and Research, comes to the WBLT team with decades of experience developing programs in research, education and outreach for a wide variety of audiences. With a background in oceanography, a deep passion for the environment, and a fierce commitment to making science accessible to all, Ann looks forward to using scientific research to help better understand and quantify our practices and to creating engaging programs that will provide everyone the opportunity to become involved in our critical mission.
Bits of music you may notice: Yo La Tengo, "Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo," Built to Spill, "Planting Seeds," Yung Wu, "Modern Farmer."
This episode first aired on 91.9 KCSB-FM on October 28, 2021.
There is a rich world of opportunity for learning at school outside the classroom. In this episode, we talk with educator Devon Azzam about school gardens, NatureScapes, and rethinking asphalt at Harding University Partnership School.
Devon Azzam currently works as Assistant Director of Outreach for the Gevirtz School where she connects educators, researchers and environmental education organizations. After earning her teaching credential and MEd at UCSB in 2001, she taught 2nd grade for ten years, and worked another ten years developing and implementing school garden programs in Southern California. She feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to return to Santa Barbara in 2019, where she is able to continue her passion by supporting efforts to get more kids outside and connecting with nature.
A few of the resources mentioned in the interview:
- Children and Nature Network (Richard Louv)
- Green Schoolyards (Sharon Gamson Danks)
- Nature Explore (partnering with SBUSD for nature playscape design and outdoor classroom PD for teachers)
For our first episode of our second year of Schooled Radio, we speak with Dr. Shane R. Jimerson about two exciting additions to the Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology program at UCSB's Gevirtz School of Education, including Project TEAMS and a new Master's program.
Dr. Shane R. Jimerson is a professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. Dr. Jimerson is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and recognized by The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress as a Board-Certified Expert and Diplomat. Jimerson has an extensive scholarly record, having served as an Editor, Senior Editor, and Associate Editor of multiple academic journals from School Psychology Review to the International Science for the School Psychology.
Throughout his career he has also served as editor of numerous handbooks that are frequently used in school psychology training programs. In addition, his research and scholarship has been featured in many graduate school programs. His research interests include school violence and safety, reading education, safety education, educational psychology, and numerous other fields. To name just one of his many awards, Jimerson was the recipient of the 2020 Trainers of School Psychologists Outstanding Trainer Award.
Bits of music you may notice: Yo La Tengo, "Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo," Eric Bauchmann & Jon Rauhouse, "Lilliwaup," Mates of State, "These Days."
This episode was first broadcast on KCSB-FM 91.9 on Thursday, October 7, 2021.
For the season finale of Schooled Radio, we interviewed the Doering family: a university technology specialist, a 3rd-grade teacher, a first-year high school student, and a graduating senior ready to begin university life. In this episode, we hear their perspectives on the challenges of the past year and how they responded individually, as well as collectively.
Even during a year of extraordinary challenges, the Gevirtz School at UCSB has been researching, documenting, and innovating. The Fast & Curious (virtual) event happening at the SB Public Library is a showcase for what's been happening. We also talk with Dean Milem about lessons from a challenging year and the work to be done.
Dr. Jeffrey Milem is Professor and Jules Zimmer Dean’s Chair at UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School of Education. Dr. Milem came to UCSB in 2016. Before that he was the Ernest W. McFarland Distinguished Professor in Leadership for Educational Policy and Reform in the College of Education at the University of Arizona. Much of his research and academic career has focused on issues of access, social justice, and racial equity in higher education.
This week Schooled Radio talks to Dr. Adanari Zarate about her research on the educational experiences of students of color, sociocultural linguistics, and why ethnic studies is so important.
Dr. Zarate has a PhD in Chicana and Chicano Studies from UC Santa Barbara, an MA in Social and Cultural Analysis of Education from Cal State Long Beach, and a BS in Child and Adolescent Development from Cal State Fullerton. She has worked in educational settings for over 10 years, primarily focusing on high school and higher education students. Her research expertise is in Critical Pedagogy, Educational Experiences of Students of Color, and Sociocultural Linguistics. Dr. Zarate is currently the Associate Director for the ÉXITO program at UC Santa Barbara.
Ismael Paredes Ulloais an advisor in Santa Barbara City College’s (SBCC) Extended Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS) Department and coordinates the Running Start Summer Bridge Program. Schooled Radio talked to him about how his own experiences help him to support others. Ismael is a Santa Barbara native born to immigrant parents from Jalisco, Mexico. The 2nd of 3 children, he is a proud alum of UCSB (BA in History) and Antioch University (MA in Education), Santa Barbara. Growing up as a low-income and first-generation youth has fueled a passion for working with local youth of similar backgrounds.
Ismael has been involved in mentoring and teaching for most of his life. His career path includes job training and placement for youth with barriers to employment throughout the county of Santa Barbara as an employee for the Department of Social Services and as the Project Director of the Santa Barbara California Student Opportunity & Access Program (Cal-SOAP), helping 1st-generation and low-income students realize their dream of a post-secondary education. Ismael also sits on the First 5 Santa Barbara County Commission and the boards of CALM and Future Leaders of America (FLA). He formerly served as a trustee for the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD).
Education is filled with passionate professionals who have ideas about what works best when it comes to teaching. How do we measure the success (or lack thereof) of new programs? How do we know if educational programs are working as intended? In this episode, Schooled Radio talks to Associate ProfessorDr. Tarek Azzam to find out.
Join us for the second part of our two-part interview with Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year, Frank Koroshec. His enthusiasm is contagious!
A real-life rock star, Mr. Koroshec is currently an 11th and 12th grade English instructor at San Marcos High School. He founded the San Marcos Writing Center, which hosts an annual poetry slam and writing contest. He also founded the Resource Family Assistance Student Support Team (RFAST) to provide relief and community for foster families throughout Santa Barbara County. As well as being the 2021 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year, he is a California Teacher of the Year finalist.
Bits of music you might notice: Yo La Tengo, "Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo"; The Autumns, "Apple"; Bill Nelson, "The Bride of Christ in Autumn."
The first part of this interview was first broadcast on KCSB-FM 91.9 in Santa Barbara on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Part two was first broadcast on KCSB-FM 91.9 in Santa Barbara on Tuesday, April 27, 2021.
This week's guest had so much going on that we decided to have a two-part interview! Our very enthusiastic guest this episode is Frank Koroshec, the 2021 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year. A real-life rock star, Mr. Koroshec is currently an 11th and 12th grade English instructor at San Marcos High School. He founded the San Marcos Writing Center, which hosts an annual poetry slam and writing contest. He also founded the Resource Family Assistance Student Support Team (RFAST) to provide relief and community for foster families throughout Santa Barbara County. As well as being the 2021 Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year, he is a California Teacher of the Year finalist.
April 13, 2021, Santa Barbara will celebrate poetry by inaugurating our city's 9th Poet Laureate, Emma Trelles!
The newest Santa Barbara Poet Laureate is not only a brilliant writer; she is also an educator, teaching composition and creative writing at Santa Barbara City College. Emma is the author of Tropicalia (University of Notre Dame Press), winner of the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize and a finalist for Foreword Indies poetry book of the year. She is working on another book of poems, Courage and the Clock. She is also a CantoMundo fellow and the recipient of an Individual Artist grant from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, and curates the Mission Poetry Series. Beginning April 2021, she will serve as the Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara. For more, visit emmatrelles.com.
We kick of the 3rd season of Schooled Radio by talking to Diana Arya, an associate professor in UCSB's Department of Education and Faculty Director of the McEnroe Reading Clinic. Arya’s research interests focus on the literacy practices and processes within K-12 science classrooms and professional scientific communities. Through her investigations of text-based (data, simulations, co-constructions, etc.) and inquiry-based activities in third grade, middle school, high school, and professional contexts, she explores what counts as science and scientific discourse across these learning communities. As such, Diana’s research is focused on language in use within the intersections of school science curricula, the varied genres of scientific texts, classroom interactions, and how disciplinary knowledge is constructed within the context of the discursive practices of scientists across disciplines.
Learn more about her work at the Community Based Literacies (CBL) website. CBL is an interdisciplinary, multicultural, and multilingual community of university students, staff, and faculty who position themselves as co-thinkers, co-researchers, co-designers, and co-creators with local youth and educators.
CBL programs invite members to explore, envision, and collaborate on a variety of literacy-driven topics and issues, particularly those relevant to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) within the context of environmental sustainability. The philosophy of CBL pedagogy foregrounds collaboration, support, and emotional connections among all members. As such, CBL has no hierarchy and actively stretches the boundaries of traditional notions of learning that integrates critical sociocultural issues for equity and social justice.
Arya received their Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, Society and Culture (LLSC) from the University of California, Berkeley, and holds M.A. degrees in education-related subjects from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (literacy and special education) and the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana (applied linguistics).
The ground floor of the Gevirtz School of Education at UCSB houses two thriving clinics which support the school's Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology program. We talk with Dr. Heidi Zetzer to learn more about these programs. We find out what positive psychology looks like and how students are learning to help others to heal and thrive.
On this episode of Schooled Radio, we speak with Laura Capps, who is currently serving her second term on the Santa Barbara School Board. We talked with her about the challenges and opportunities facing the SBUSD and how the Board supports our schools.
Laura runs a coalition to help provide low-income meals to children in the summer, as well as her own public affairs practice providing services in communications, government affairs, strategic planning and project management. She is the co-founder of WorkingHero.org, a political action committee supporting candidates who are committed to ending poverty.
Junior high is an infamously challenging time, for students and teachers alike. Or is it? We got stuck in the middle with Jesse Wooten from Santa Barbara Middle School and realized that maybe what we had needed all along was a really, really long bike ride.
You may want to explore Santa Barbara Middle School's YouTube Channel, too.
Jesse Wooten is in his 15th year at Santa Barbara Middle School. He is Dean of the 9th Grade, teaches 9th Grade English, 6th Grade Ancient Civilizations, Chess, Ukulele, and coaches the SBMS Surf Team.
If you listen to Schooled Radio, you may share our passion for libraries. In this episode, Des Alaniz, Evolving Workforce Resident Librarian at UCSB, gives us an update on what's happening now at the university library.
Des Alaniz is an archivist, zinester, librarian and educator who lives in Santa Barbara, CA. As the Evolving Workforce Resident Librarian, they develop classes and lessons on research skills and justice, are co-curator of the forthcoming Call to Action exhibit, and co-curator for the circulating Social Justice Zine Collection.
Let's talk about sex ed: who teaches what, and when, and how. This episode, we talk with Jenny Sperling, whose research included revisiting health class: going back to high school and—most importantly—listening to students to find out what they wish they were learning. Why is it so hard to create a good sex ed curriculum? And has sex ed during remote education gotten...better?
Despite a year without field trips, the number and variety of educational programs hosted by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art has managed to grow during these strange times, thanks to the creativity of today's guest,Patsy Hicks, and inspiration from the artists surrounding her. Ms. Hicks has worked at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art for the past 26 years, serving as Teen Programs Coordinator, Manager of Academic Programs, and Assistant Director of Education before taking on her current position as Director of Education in 2008. Her work in Museum Education and for the community has been recognized by theIndependent who named her a Local Hero in 2011. Ms. Hicks was given the honor of Woman of the Year by the Junior league of Santa Barbara in 2014 for her work with literacy development and English Language learners. In 2016 she was selected as one of the Women of Influence honored by Girls Inc.
Don Lubach, who earned a Ph.D. in Education from UCSB’s Givertz Graduate School of Education has served as a local educator for more than 30 years. He has taught courses at UCSB, SBCC, Antioch, and Pacifica Graduate Institute.
As an Associate Ombuds, Don is available to listen confidentially to members of the UCSB community serving as a “trusted navigator” as they face various challenges and opportunities. Full disclosure, we are members of the Don Lubach Fan Club, and we hope his contagious enthusiasm comes through in this interview.
Our guest for this episode is Dr. Rebeca Mireles-Rios, an assistant professor in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and the Director of the Center for Publicly Engaged Scholarship. Her research focuses on finding community-based solutions to promoting mentorship opportunities for students and educational equity. We talk with her about two programs expanding connections between UCSB and the community: EXITO and the Center for Publicly Engaged Scholarship.
This episode first aired on January 19, 2021, the day between the national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the inauguration of President Joe Biden and our first woman vice president, Kamala Harris. In honor of the holiday, we begin this episode with a portion of a speech made by Dr. King in Los Angeles on October 27, 1964, about the importance of voting, originally aired on KTLA (from the UCLA Film & Television Archive), and conclude with singing recorded prior to King's speech.
We talk with Dr. Jeremy Edwards, who recently completed his degree at UCSB's Gevirtz School. His research focuses on understanding the experience of Black students at the University of California, Santa Barbara. How well is UCSB doing in its efforts to recruit and retain Black students?
Dr. Edwards is a recent PhD graduate from the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education (GGSE) with an emphasis in Culture and Development. His work centers on the Black experience in areas of higher education. Through a critical race lens, his work examines higher education practices and policies that impact Black student experiences as well as identify relationships between Black students and university spaces. His work contributes to the ongoing fight towards more inclusivity within course curriculum and instruction, university administration and staff units, and campus networks that directly support students on their academic and career pathways.
Schooled Radio talks with winemaker Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wines about teaching people (and their palates) how to "appreciate" wine (and what does that really mean); how he has adapted tastings during COVID; his own journey as a winemaker; and how his role has expanded to include educating community leaders about the importance of wine in Santa Barbara County.
Our talented friend David Starkey literally wrote the book on creative writing, and describes how distance learning may have helped students become more reflective readers. We talk to him about the ways writing can help students become more thoughtful readers, the philosophies that shape his bestselling textbooks, and how to join him in Rome for a semester abroad.
In the first part of our two-part interview, we talk to Wendy Sims-Moten in her role as Executive Director of First 5 Santa Barbara. Research shows that the first five years of a child's development are critically important. Learn how First 5 supports these young learners and their parents in this episode. Be sure to listen next week as our guest returns to talk about her important work on the Santa Barbara Unified School Board.
In this episode of Schooled Radio, we continue our conversation with Wendy Sims-Moten, who was recently re-elected to the Santa Barbara Unified School District School Board. She talks about the role of the Board, the difference between equality and equity (including a reference to the cartoon above), and the challenges of remote instruction.
Santa Barbara is a city surrounded by natural beauty, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, yet students here can still struggle to connect with their environment. Wilderness Youth Project is dedicated to helping students find their place in the natural world, learning confidence and a sense of community. We talk with Program Director Sharon Tollefson and Lead Program Staff Mario Mendez to learn how WYP is adapting their programs in the COVID era. We also talk with Cattie Yost, a WYP alum now living in Brooklyn.
Have you ever had those interactions with people when you suddenly felt you were living in two completely different realities? With political polarization at an all-time high, this seems to happen more and more often, even between family members. How do we bridge these divides?
Our guest this episode is Dr. Tania Israel, a professor in counseling, clinical, and school psychology at the Gevirtz School at UCSB. Her new book, Beyond Your Bubble, is a how-to guide for communicating, even when you may not see eye-to-eye.
CAW! CAW! It's the Community Arts Workshop on Schooled Radio. We speak to Managing Director Casey Caldwell and instructor Patrick Melroy about what it means to teach creativity and to challenges that can help communities challenge habitual thinking.
**BONUS:** We also talked to Casey about the Pianos on State Street program and how it is being adapted for 2020.
In this episode, we talk with **Cie Gumucio**, Santa Barbara coordinator for **California Poets in the Schools**(aka CalPoets), about creativity, language, and connecting in unexpected ways.
Teaching during remote education is challenging for everyone. What does it look like for our youngest students? How do you keep the littlest littles on track for academic success? We spoke with Erin Cavazos, a preschool teacher at Harding University Partnership school, who shares her creative spirit, some suggestions for parents, and a magic mirror that we're wishing we had, too.
Our guest for this episode is Dr. Jeffrey Milem, Professor and Jules Zimmer Dean’s Chair at UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School of Education. Dr. Milem came to UCSB in 2016. Before that he was the Ernest W. McFarland Distinguished Professor in Leadership for Educational Policy and Reform in the College of Education at the University of Arizona. Much of his research and academic career has focused on issues of access, social justice, and racial equity in higher education.