Since 2019, the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) has gathered students, family and community members, educators, researchers, and partners to forge meaningful connections across culturally and linguistically diverse communities, share best practices for community engagement, and support one another during challenging times—all while peer leading and learning to accomplish these goals. The stories highlighted below offer lessons and models for other schools and districts looking to engage their communities more deeply and effectively.
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This issue of Voices from the Field introduces the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD), one of five CEI: Cohort I districts, and highlights the experiences, voices, and stories of the Superintendent, a Parent Ambassador, a Family and Community Engagement Specialist, a Title I Coordinator, the Director of Special Programs and the Director of Community Schools & Family and Community Engagement. Through its participation in CEI, CVUSD is addressing its Problem of Practice: Strengthen District systems (FACES) to continue to reach all families, especially disengaged families, to address academic and non-academic needs. [check wording]
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Scroll down to learn more about the Anaheim Union High School District
and hear their Voices from the Field stories...
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Anaheim Union High School District Voices from the Field...
[videos and times to be inserted once they are approved by the review committee. Also, requesting feedback re: order of videos]
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Introduction by
Steven Sterling Mitchell
Assistant Director,
Community Engagement and System of Support,
California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (2:39)
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Michael Matsuda
Superintendent (3:45)
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Esther Franco
Parent Ambassador (4:32)
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María Trujillo
Family and Community Engagement Specialist
Savannah High School (4:48)
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Joe Carmona
Director of Special Programs (4:48)
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Rick Parmenter
Title I Coordinator
Savannah High School (11:31)
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Carlos Hernández
Director of Community Schools
& Family and Community Engagement (4:48)
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More information about the Anaheim Union High School District... |
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The Anaheim Union High School District has a student population of approximately 30,000, making it one of the largest school districts in the state. The district covers 46 square miles and stretches across the cities of Anaheim, Cypress, Buena Park, La Palma, and Stanton in Orange County, California. Their students speak 49 different home languages.
[I've contacted Carlos to see if we can get photos related to community schools, community partnerships, etc. All photos received to-date relate to parent and family engagement.]
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For the last five years, the AUHSD has taken a more fruitful approach to its education model by integrating and aligning its teaching and learning so that students and educators can better develop their academic, career, social, and emotional skills to succeed as workers, citizens, and life-long learners. The "through-line" to this integrated approach is consistently cultivating and supporting student voice, identity, and purpose. These skills—often called civic skills—help catalyze young people's engagement in school, foster positive student relationships with peers and adults, and bring purpose and meaning to students' academic and career learning. By centering student voice and purpose within career and academic preparation, the learning process becomes unified, and community assets from traditionally different arenas can complement student learning and achievement |
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AUHSD is building a bridge to the future so that students can achieve their unique potential based on their passions and talents. They called it the "Unlimited You." Together, with their higher education, business, and non-profit partners, they are creating and implementing a new type of educational experience, one where education becomes relevant, meaningful, and moves beyond standardized tests to ensure students have skills and emotional well-being to handle and navigate an increasingly uncertain and unstable world. They are creating an educational experience that nurtures and unleashes the unlimited potential of their students. |
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AUHSD Demographics:
- 7th-12th grades
- 29,183 students
- 20 schools
- Serves five cities in Orange County
- 70% Qualify for free & reduced-price lunch
- 12% students with disabilities
- 14% foster and homeless students
- 22% English learners
- 54 languages spoken
- 8 world languages offered
- Most spoken: English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Arabic, & Korean
- Spanish DLI at 4 sites
- Vietnamese DLI at Dale JH & Magnolia HS
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Family and Community Engagement at AUHSD:
AUHSD has a robust Family and Community Engagement Department that provides support at each school site via Family and Community Engagement Specialists (FACES), Community Liaisons, and Community School Coordinators. AUHSD is excited to have recently been awarded an Implementation Grant of 23.3 million dollars through the California Community Schools Partnership Program to expand from the currently existing two schools to 13 schools in the district. Community Schools in AUHSD are a safe place at the heart of a community where students, staff, and families are connected and work together to expand opportunities and address the whole child's needs so that all students can thrive and realize their unlimited potential.
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Questions about
Anaheim UHSD's Journey?
Contact Kenny Perez, Director of Family and Community Engagement: perez_k@auhsd.us
[Doublechecking that he is still the contact.]
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What is CEI?
The Community Engagement Initiative is a five-year effort intended to strengthen the System of Support by building the capacity of school districts to authentically engage one another. This includes identifying effective models of community engagement, developing metrics to evaluate those models, having difficult conversations, building trusting relationships, and participating in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) development process.
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Follow us on social media:
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Visit CEI Lead Agencies:
California Collaborative for Educational Excellence: ccee-ca.org
California Association for Bilingual Education: gocabe.org
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