County Superintendent of Schools Al Mijares answers Parenting OC’s questions about what families can expect for this fall’s return to campus.
Parenting OC: What do you want all OC families to know about starting school this fall?
Al Mijares: In many ways, I believe the last year and a half has made us stronger and in some ways more connected in that we are united in this shared experience.
Together, we have come to understand both the extraordinary potential of interactive technologies and their limitations. Conversely, the pandemic has reinforced the true value of face-to-face interaction, especially in the classroom, and it has given us a deeper appreciation for school campuses as neighborhood lighthouses that bring children, families and communities together.
If nothing else, we’ve been taught how unpredictable and fragile this life can be. Yet by working together, sharing best practices and embracing kindness and patience, I believe we can rise to meet any challenge and put our students in the best possible position to thrive in school and in life.
POC: Is there a larger effort of some type on the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) level to help school districts coordinate their plans for fall?
AM: Along with directly serving the county’s most vulnerable student populations, OCDE supports local school districts with an array of academic and operational services, including everything from professional development and targeted assistance to payroll services, high-speed Internet access and security, and legal and fiscal guidance.
Locally elected school boards and superintendents continue to approve and implement their own plans based on the guidance of state and local public health agencies and the needs of their communities. But, in our capacity, we are working to support them every step of the way. This includes engaging in regular meetings with local superintendents to share information and best practices across Orange County’s 29 school systems. These meetings have also been essential to make sure we are all on the same page with the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Care Agency.
POC: Do you see the new school year as a time for playing a bit of catch-up from last year? Or is it more of a reboot, a fresh start?
AM: In any school year — even one that overlaps with a pandemic — each year builds on the next. So I think the goal for every campus is to evaluate the needs of each student and to put in place a unique set of learning objectives that builds on strengths and addresses challenges, utilizing what we know about the importance of social-emotional learning.
We will rightly be judged by our ability to bridge learning gaps caused by pandemic-era disruptions, but the reality is students who are distressed or otherwise dysregulated have a more difficult time accessing the parts of the brain where learning occurs, and many of our students have faced sickness, isolation, income insecurity and, in some cases, homelessness or the loss of a loved one. It is imperative that that our schools and districts have an infrastructure of social-emotional support in place, and OCDE is equipped to help build it.
POC: How has the OCDE partnership with the OC Health Care Agency to vaccinate employees worked out?
AM: I believe this has been one of the great success stories of the pandemic. From the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, we have been in constant communication with our partners at the OC Health Care Agency, which has prioritized the health and safety of students, school employees and school communities.
When it came time to offer voluntary vaccinations for school employees, OCDE collaborated with the HCA and local school districts to establish education-specific PODs — short for points of dispensing — at multiple campuses across the county. The first school POD opened at La Quinta High School in the Garden Grove Unified School District in February 2021. By May, OCDE and a team of school nurses had administered more than 21,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to school employees.
POC: Mental health has become a prominent societal issue now and you’ve talked about that focus in education as well. How have these efforts evolved for the new school year?
AM: In partnership with our local districts, our teams at OCDE have made it a top priority to support the mental and physical health and well-being of returning students. In practical terms, much of our work centers on providing robust training and technical assistance aligned with California’s Multi-Tiered System of Support.
MTSS predates the pandemic but feels like it was made for this moment. It can be thought of as a school-wide commitment to a set of proven strategies that address academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs. Essentially, staff members collaborate to provide a baseline of support for all students, additional assistance for some and targeted interventions for those with the greatest needs. Since 2016, OCDE has led the statewide implementation of MTSS based on the maxim “All Means All.” It’s become our flagship framework for the simple reason that it’s effective in all educational applications, including programs that boost literacy.
POC: Have the shootings that have taken place across the country become another relevant topic that is being addressed from a local education perspective?
AM: This is and will always be a relevant topic because the pursuit of safer schools is a race without a finish line.
OCDE offers trainings and workshops throughout the year covering a range of topics including active-shooter behavioral indicators, school safety plans, earthquake preparedness, behavioral threat assessments and resilience strategies. Our department also works closely with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and other local law enforcement agencies to discuss everything from cyberbullying to securing school facilities. Additionally, OCDE and the Sheriff’s Department team up each summer to host the Safe Schools Conference. This three-day event brings together hundreds of educators and law enforcement representatives from throughout the state to discuss issues and trends related to campus violence, bullying, social media, human trafficking, gangs and substance abuse.
In the case of critical incidents impacting schools, OCDE’s Crisis Response Network is ready to deploy psychologists, nurses, social workers and other personnel to support students and staff during and after emergencies. This team also provides training to schools, youth service providers, parents and students.
I would add that OCDE continues to promote positive school climates and anti-bullying through such initiatives as Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports — often referred to as PBIS — and our One Billion Acts of Kindness campaign.
POC: Are there any new resources available to OC public school families as they return for a new school year?
AM: Definitely. Our staff has developed a number of resources and trainings for school employees and families who have experienced pandemic-related trauma. And with funding from the Orange County Health Care Agency through Proposition 63 — also known as the Mental Health Services Act — OCDE has hired seven regional mental health coordinators, creating a countywide network to strengthen mental health procedures and protocols. All of this is based on the simple concept that healthy communities lead to improved outcomes for students.
Another OCDE-led program empowers student leaders to serve as school-based champions of mental health. The Student Advocates for Mental Health initiative, also funded through Proposition 63, trains young people to raise mental health awareness and reduce stigmas at their schools through peer-influencer campaigns, workshops, activities and an annual video contest. To date, 36 schools are participating from 18 school districts.
Meanwhile, OCDE has partnered with CHOC to pilot a number of school-based “WellSpace” centers that will encourage students to take a break from life’s daily stressors in supervised settings that are safe, calm and inclusive. Two centers have already opened this year, and plans are underway for additional sites throughout the county. Each campus WellSpace has been thoughtfully designed with comfortable furniture and a soothing, natural aesthetic, allowing students to re-center and reset for 10 to 15 minutes based on a teacher’s referral or by request.
I would add that OCDE, CHOC and the non-profit Western Youth Services have worked to develop a website that includes self-paced trainings, apps and other mental health resources for students. The RESET Toolbox, which can be found at www.resettoolbox.com, was created to engage and support young people as they cope with social isolation, toxic stress, economic hardship and other adverse experiences.
POC: Are there lessons learned that OCDE and educators are using from the pandemic and distance learning to improve things for fall?
AM: Certainly the use of educational technology has made a quantum leap over the past 15-plus months. Nothing beats classroom instruction, and we have grappled with the obvious challenges of distance learning, which can amplify disparities. But educators have found and shared best practices for building personal connections and engaging students in meaningful lessons using different modes of interaction. They have also discovered that teleconferencing can be an effective way to connect with busy parents who might have difficulty visiting a school campus during traditional work hours. Parent engagement is a huge contributor to student achievement, and this is a benefit that I believe will continue long after the pandemic.
POC: Do you think there will be an adjustment period for kids (and parents) returning to school?
AM: An overwhelming majority of school districts in Orange County resumed in-person instruction this past year, but many students will be returning to school campuses for the first time since March 2020. I think there will certainly be an adjustment period for them, but I also have full confidence in the ability of our teachers and staff to connect with students and to build those social and emotional competencies that we know correlate with academic engagement and performance.
By Jessica Peralta
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