Striving Toward Equitable Communities
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At East Side, perhaps now more than ever, we need to strive toward Equitable Communities as we pivot toward distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. But what does this mean? It means that we are continuing to strengthen our understanding, actions, and policies in order to continue
building capacity among all staff members to ensure that equity and inclusion are essential principles of our school system.
It is incumbent on each and every one of us as employees of East Side to be committed to these principles, from myself as superintendent, to our teachers, PCIS, attendance clerks, directors, maintenance and operation, and so forth. It takes all of us to achieve success for our students! As coined by philosopher Aristotle, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, which aptly describes us as a team joined together in this monumental effort.
Every month, we will be recognizing our employees in order to showcase the people behind our student success! Below are examples of our employees creating Equitable Communities at East Side Union High School District.
Thank you for all that you do!
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Chris D. Funk
Superintendent
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Stefanie Blanco
James Lick High School
PD Coordinator & Social Science Teacher
People Behind ESUHSD's Success:
- How many years have you worked at James Lick High School? 14 years.
- What do you like most about your job? The impact that educators have on our community can change and empower generations. Education can inspire and ignite our community. The connections that we make with our students are for a lifetime, and most of all that all of us can share our culture, language, experiences, and make our students be proud of who they are and where they came from: THE EAST SIDE!
- How do you know you have made a difference? With the implementation of Project Based Learning at James Lick High School, it positively changed the relationship dynamic with our students, it has strengthened our student connection through communication, collaboration, agency and growth mindset. Being engaged with our students long after they graduate, seeing our students at college, and giving back to our community, shows that we are a James Lick family and are making a difference.
- What is something that people may not know about you? I really enjoy fighting for social justice and ending systemic racism. La lucha sigue.
Kudos from the Principal:
"Throughout the year, and especially during school closure, Ms. Blanco has demonstrated such incredible dedication, leadership, and meaningful works as she coordinated all professional development activities and opportunities for the JLHS staff. She also made sure to participate in every committee, school event, campaign, and initiative that the school offered showing her unwavering commitment to supporting the school community in everything she has done. Even with all of this, her students have always been her #1 priority as she always did everything she could to help them all be successful in their learning and goals." - Principal Marco Menendez
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Sadie Baiza
Andrew P. Hill High School
Math Teacher and Department Co-Chair
People Behind ESUHSD's Success:
- How many years have you worked at Andrew Hill High School? 5 years.
- What do you like most about your job? Collaborating with both students and staff. Working as a team and exploring new ideas makes every day a different experience and opportunity to grow.
- How do you know you have made a difference? When students no longer fear making a mistake.
- What is something that people may not know about you? I was the first person in my family to graduate high school.
Kudos from the Principal:
"Sadie has been trying something new every year as she searches for ways to engage students. We know that a number of students are disengaged from math before entering high school. For the last 5 years, she has focused on engaging our short-term English Learners in sheltered math classes. Sadie took the risk at the start of the year to begin "flipping the classroom" that allowed for more 1-on-1 in-class opportunities. Students in her class are starting to "try" things without fear that they are wrong. She has also taken the leadership role of sharing with her department and being part of the PD committee." - Principal Jose H. Hernandez
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Maria "Mersay" Mattos
Santa Teresa High School
Support Services Technician
People Behind ESUHSD's Success:
- How many years have you worked at Santa Teresa High School? 7 months (but graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 2003).
- What do you like most about your job? One of the best parts of my job is being part of a great team of collaborators, consisting of teachers, administrators and staff. The camaraderie within the staff makes each and every day something to look forward to. Knowing that we are all working together to make a difference in the lives of students makes you keep giving your all.
- How do you know you have made a difference? During the 2020 SAT test, there was one student in particular who lacked the self-esteem to want to sit through the entire session and complete the test. I was able to get down to the student's level and encouraged here to do her best and not to worry about anyone else. The student pulled through and completed the SAT test. At the end of the day, I spoke to the student and told her I was proud of her. The smile on her face let me know that in this moment, I had made a difference. These moments happen sporadically and seeing the students' reactions and gratitude brighten up my day.
- What is something that people may not know about you? Some things that few people know about me are that I like archery, camping, soccer, and can decorate artistic cakes. Also, I LOVE technology and have been the official tech troubleshooter of my family since I was 13.
Kudos from the Principal:
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Ms. Mattos is truly a "jack of all trades, and master of all". Her talents span tech savviness, guru status with various software, large-scale coordination, an eye for design and updating the aesthetics of office spaces, and helping others to stay calm-cool-collected. She is truly a team player and will constantly surprise you with solutions she can find to challenges that would initially stump any team. Her optimism and "can do" attitude through the COVID-19 Closures has been absolutely, positively, contagious. Ms. Mattos was also the driving force of our Virtual Graduation as our tech expert!
." -
Principal Dr. Vivian Rhone-Lay
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Zuly Reyes
Evergreen Valley High School
Parent & Community Involvement Specialist
People Behind ESUHSD's Success:
- How many years have you worked for ESUHSD? 9 years (1 year at EVHS).
- What do you like most about your job? What I like most is bridging gaps between our district/school policies and our community, thus translating our work on campus into services that directly impact their daily life.
- How do you know you have made a difference? I know I've made a difference when the students/families can apply the tools I've given them into other areas of their life with confidence.
- What is something that people may not know about you? I was born and raised in Mexico City until the age of 15 when I moved to San Jose. This is the only city I have lived in in the U.S. and is the birthplace of my two boys, ages 13 and 9.
Kudos from the Principal:
"Ms. Reyes does outstanding work in our Parent Center at EVHS. She is welcoming and friendly to all students and parents and helps make EVHS feel like a home for all. Ms. Reyes has formed deep connections with students in our Latino Student Union and Black Student Union, helping them organize successful events and working together to amplify their voices in the community. I know that when Ms. Reyes is in the office, parents will always be greeted with a smiling face and a wealth of compassion. We are so happy to have her at EVHS." - Principal Kyle Kleckner
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Neha Billing
Santa Teresa High School
Counseling Technician
People Behind ESUHSD's Success:
- How many years have you worked for ESUHSD/Santa Teresa High School? 4 years.
- What do you like most about your job? My job comes with a wide range of challenges. Everyday is something different and I get to be a larger part of the Santa Teresa community. I get to have varying roles and work with all staff and the students.
- How do you know you have made a difference? I know that I have made a difference when I see students succeeding. While working in the classroom, seeing that students have improved in their academics and are proud of what they have accomplished. Also building positive relations with everyone in the community, staff, parents and students when they feel like they can come to me when they need help.
- What is something that people may not know about you? I was voted nicest person by my class in middle school.
Kudos from the Principal:
“Ms. Billing is an absolute "ray of sunshine"! She is one of the first people you see when you enter our front office and her customer service skills are second to none. Anyone who comes into our office is greeted with a smile and an enthusiastic willingness to ensure that our visitors' requests are fulfilled. She is an Infinite Campus and Google Suites Pro, and is our go-to person for all things requiring efficient coordination. During the COVID-19 Closures, Ms. Billing wore several hats and her adaptability enabled us to be highly responsive to the needs of our school community." - Principal Dr. Vivian Rhone-Lay
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Help us celebrate our staff and students on our ESUHSD Twitter page.
If you have positive stories about teachers, staff, students and exciting events at your site, we'd like to know about it. Email Linda Ornelas at [email protected].
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