CVHEC BOARD NEWS: Dr. Rafe E. Trickey named Taft College president
The West Kern Community College District (WKCCD) Board of Trustees has selected Dr. Rafe Edward Trickey, Jr. to become the next superintendent/president of Taft College.
He will replace Superintendent/President Brock McMurray who is retiring after 23-plus years with the district. McMurray has served as superintendent/president since July 2022.
Dr. Rafe E. Trickey, Jr.
The board intends to approve an employment agreement at the next regular meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 10, 2024, with a start date to follow on June 3, 2024 when he will also become a member of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors made up of the heads of 28 institutions of higher education in the nine-county region.
The selection was made following a nationwide search, coordinated by Community College Search Services, that produced a strong pool of well-qualified applicants for the position.
A diverse search committee of campus and community members narrowed the list of applicants down to five finalists who presented at public forums on March 21 and interviewed with the Board of Trustees on March 22.
Taft College Board President Billy White stated, “On behalf of the Taft College Board of Trustees, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Rafe Edward Trickey, Jr. as our next Taft College superintendent/president. Dr. Trickey brings certain depth and breadth of experience and knowledge to the college in a time of transition and great opportunity.
We sincerely thank the search committee and Taft community members for their valuable time and input during this process. Please join the Taft College Board of Trustees in congratulating Dr. Trickey on his new role!”
About Dr. Trickey
Dr. Rafe Edward Trickey, Jr. currently serves as president and chief executive officer of the North San Diego County Promise, a San Diego County inclusive collective-impact partnership that is united by a shared vision of all youth and adults reaching their fullest potential in grade school, college, career and life. The North San Diego County Promise strategically and efficiently aligns programs, services and resources to improve the social, emotional, academic and life success of service community members. The North San Diego County Promise’s intentionally collaborative, equity-focused, and data-informed work is concentrated on inclusionary systems change and ensuring marginalized communities have equitable access to educational, economic, and life opportunities.
Dr. Trickey is an experienced, empowering, courageous, visionary, equity-minded, and success-focused leader, who has enjoyed an extensive career in education, public-benefit corporations, and public service. He maintains that creating success pathways, empowering people, and expanding equitable access are very important. For over four decades, he has championed the maxim that when some among us are not succeeding, none of us is really succeeding. He has served as President of Comanche Nation College, an open-access, community/tribal college in Oklahoma, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Sisseton Wahpeton College, an open-access, community/tribal college in South Dakota, as Vice President of Student Services and Vice President of Planning and Institutional Development at the College of the Marshall Islands, an open-access, public community college in the Marshall Islands, as Executive Director of Development and External Relations at Citrus College, a California Community College, as President and Chief Executive Officer of the California-wide CHP 11-99 Foundation, and as City Treasurer in the City of Oceanside, California. Among multiple community member success supporting volunteer leadership tenures, Dr. Trickey has served as a Housing Commissioner in the City of Oceanside, as a Co-chair of the Alliance for Regional Solutions’ Racial Justice Committee, as Board of Directors Treasurer with Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence, as a Leadership Mentor and Advisor with Operation HOPE-North County, and as Board of Directors Treasurer with the Oceanside Promise.
Over the course of his leadership career, Dr. Trickey has cultivated a robust record specializing in student success, innovation, and mobilizing resources to improve educational outcomes and life opportunities. During his leadership tenures, the institutions he has served have secured new resources and realized measurable improvements in service population success. He maintains particular research and service commitments on utilizing a collective impact framework to guide collaboration focused on systems change, promoting and mentoring more women into top leadership positions (including superintendent positions, chancellorships, presidencies, executive directorships and public office), and the impacts evaluator attitudes, the role congruity biases many people consciously and unconsciously maintain, and evaluation practices have on perceptions of leader efficacy and leader success and persistence. Dr. Trickey is also committed to closing opportunity gaps for students and creating and delivering success-support pathways to individuals experiencing housing and food insecurity, as well as developing and implementing programs that uplift indigenous and other underrepresented and disproportionately impacted students.
Dr. Trickey was the first in his family line to attend and graduate college. He holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership degree from the University of California, San Diego, a Master of Science in Education degree from the University of Southern California, a Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia University in the City of New York, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an Associate of Arts degree in Behavioral and Social Sciences from Modesto Junior College, a Certificate in Fund Raising with a Specialization in the Institutional Development Process from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a California Community College Instructor Credential in Government, valid for life.
Upon accepting his new position, Dr. Trickey shared, “As a product of the Great Central Valley and a California Community College alumnus, I’m beyond delighted to begin service as Taft College’s next Superintendent/President!
I’m very eager to start engaging with colleagues and building impactful and enduring relationships with local businesses, industry, and school districts throughout Taft College’s expansive service community. I’m committed to work collaboratively for the benefit of the entire West Side, assure Taft College continues to provide state-of-the-art educational opportunities and world-class career training services, and maintain Taft College’s place as the jewel in the crown of this region.
I’m also energized about working with the dedicated members of the West Kern Community College District Board of Trustees and Taft College’s amazing faculty, staff, and fellow administrators to create success pathways, empower people, and expand equitable access. Doing so is important to me, because I believe we’re all in this together; when some among us are not succeeding, none of us is really succeeding.”
To learn more about the West Kern CCD and Taft College go to https://www.taftcollege.edu/.
About Taft College
Established in 1922, Taft College is one of the oldest California Community Colleges. Located in Western Kern County, Taft College provides continuous learning opportunities for over 6,000 students through more than 50 vocational and professional degrees, transfer programs, and certificates. These innovative programs are made available at a fraction of the cost of state and private colleges. Proud to transform the lives of highly diverse students and adult learners, Taft College delivers vital pathways to advanced education and enhanced employment. In 2022, Taft College proudly celebrated its centennial year of student success.
See:
CVHEC BOARD NEWS: Britt Rios-Ellis appointed Stanislaus State president
The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees has appointed Britt Rios-Ellis to serve as president of California State University, Stanislaus July 1, 2024 when she will also become a member of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board of Directors made up of the heads of 28 institutions of higher education in the nine-county region.
Britt Rios-Ellis
Rios-Ellis currently serves as provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs at Oakland University (OU), a public research university in Rochester, Michigan.
“I am both honored and humbled to serve this outstanding University alongside the talented faculty, staff, administrators and students at Stanislaus State, and to be the first new president selected under the leadership of Chancellor Mildred García,” said Rios-Ellis.
“I am eager to get to know the Turlock and Stockton communities and work together to ensure that the positive impact of our students’ and the University’s overall success is felt profoundly throughout the region.”
Rios-Ellis will be the University’s 13th leader, succeeding Interim President Susan E. Borrego who has served in the role since the retirement of President Emerita Ellen Junn in summer 2023.
“On behalf of the Stan state community, I welcome Dr. Rios-Ellis,” Interim President Borrego said. “She will join a community of committed faculty, staff and students who are proud to be a part of such an amazing University.”
“Dr. Rios-Ellis is an inspirational, compassionate and mission-driven leader, guided by a commitment to inclusive excellence and student success,” said CSU Trustee Yammilette Rodriguez, chair of the Stanislaus State Presidential Search Committee. “Her wide-ranging experience, student-centered approach and commitment to broader community engagement make her the ideal candidate to lead Stanislaus State in its next exciting chapter.”
Since joining the Oakland University leadership team in 2021, Rios-Ellis has focused on student and faculty success efforts with a focus on equity, resulting in an 8% increase in retention of underrepresented students, as well as decreasing equity gaps in bottleneck courses, and time to graduation. At Oakland University, she has worked with faculty to increase research activity, with the OU Senate to strengthen shared governance, and with deans and faculty to establish new and needed academic programs. She also coordinated successful fundraising and budget realignment efforts for the university and led an initiative to secure OU’s Carnegie elective classification for Community Engagement.
In all, Rios-Ellis has led more than $59 million in student- and community-strengthening health and education-related efforts funded by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Education among other agencies, as well as in collaboration with industry partners to reinforce workforce pipelines.
This marks a return to the CSU system for Rios-Ellis. Prior to joining OU, she served as founding dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services at California State University, Monterey Bay (2014 to 2020), where she led fundraising and strategic planning efforts and co-founded the Master of Science Physician Assistant Program — the first of its kind in the CSU.
From 1994 to 2014, Rios-Ellis served as a faculty member in the Department of Health Science at California State University, Long Beach. During that time, she also served as founding director of CSULB’s Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation and Leadership Training (2005 to 2015) in alliance with UnidosUS, where she worked to promote and advocate for the health, culture and well-being of diverse communities. She was recognized with a CSULB Outstanding Professor Award in 2013 for her significant impact on Latinx health research and education, and she was named Woman of the Year by the National Hispanic Business Women’s Association in 2010 and the Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2009. Additionally, in 2008, she received the Sol Award from the Los Angeles County Office of HIV/AIDS Planning Prevention.
Rios-Ellis earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish, a master’s degree in health and fitness management and a Ph.D. in community health — all from the University of Oregon.
MEDIA INQUIRIES: Rosalee Rush 209.664.6780 or rbrush@csustan.edu
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HIGHER ED NEWS: OER/Zero-Cost Textbooks
Valley campuses experiment with zero-cost and discounted textbooks
In the San Joaquin Valley, colleges are trying a variety of ways to reduce these costs. While some programs have eased the struggle, others may be more hassle than they’re worth, some students say.
This EdSource article focuses on the work of Lemoore College President James Preston, a CVHEC board member, and features alumna Hailee Guerra, now a Fresno State student, who first recounted her college experiences at the CVHEC Higher Education Summit in October in Fresno: [EdSource]
(NOTE: CVHEC will soon be announcing its OER Task Force and collaborative efforts between members led by President Preston).
Math Task Force resumes AB1705 curriculum planning April 19
‘Continuing the CVHEC Way
to AB 1705 Success’ – Part II
Math Task Force resumes AB1705 curriculum planning April 19 with
a look at chancellor options, adding high school principals voices to the convo
Many of the best math minds in the Central Valley will resume their Assembly Bill 1705 compliance deliberations April 19 for the latest Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) Math Task Force convening, “Continuing the CVHEC Way to AB 1705 Success – Part II” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Fresno Convention Center.
The agenda released last week includes a look at recent guidance from the California Community College Chancellors Office (CCCCO) and introduction of a new Principal’s Strand to the ongoing discussions as they work towards compliance with the final stage of AB1705 by July 1: validation of equitable placement, support and completion practices for STEM programs.
Participants are encouraged to register for the free event by the April 17 deadline said John Spevak, CVHEC regional coordinator who oversees the consortium’s Math Task Force.
About 85 community college math educators, administrators and institutional researchers are expected to re-convene for the day long CVHEC event co-facilitated by the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin), following up two virtual sessions in the fall and two in-person meetings.
This third in-person event on the topic is drawing many new faces with four principals and five other K-12 representatives registered to attend for input regarding what impact AB1705 will have at the high school level and how to work together to align math efforts.
Secondary education leaders registered to attend are:
- Lisa Castillo – Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District director
- Matt Gehrett – Dinuba Unified School District director
- Christine Johnson – Dinuba Unified School District math coach
- Celeste Azevedo – Mariposa County High School principal
- Marlena Celaya – Orosi High School principal
- Stasha Tiller – Riverdale High School principal
- Beu Her – Sanger High School deputy principal
- Christina Rubalcava – Stanislaus County Office of Education Math Project coordinator
- Brett Toliver – Stockton Unified School District principal
In addition to college administrators and institutional research participants, registration has also been received from representatives of the California State University Chancellors Office, the California Academic Partnership Program, the Fresno State Department of Curriculum & Instruction and the College Readiness Program, Citrus College (Glendora CA), MESA, STEM counselors and college articulation officers.
“Once again, this is an agenda which is engaging and interactive and enables the best math minds in the Central Valley to determine the best path forward to math success for Central Valley students in light of AB 1705 and in light of the recent memo from the Chancellor’s Office,” said Spevak, who is also a vice president-emeritus of Merced College.
He encouraged CVHEC community college members not yet involved to send a delegation of its math educators as well as administrators and institutional researchers to continue collaboration on curriculum discussion that would lead to fulfilling the last phase of the state law signed into law in 2022.
In what has been dubbed “the Central Valley Way,” the Math Task Force and convening participants have gathered to explore five strands of curriculum planning:
- Validating Prerequisites;
- Designing Precalculus for 2025;
- Math Support Outside and Inside the Classroom;
- Building an AB 1705 Campus Team; and
- Guided Self-Placement.
In a Dana Center analysis for CVHEC of the CCCCO memo issued Feb. 27 outlining options for the colleges to consider, Joan Zoellner noted that while the memo provides direction on the validation process for transfer level math placement and enrollment practices for STEM programs, it severely restricts the options for the number of transfer-level prerequisite courses that shall be offered prior to calculus.
“The options for that prerequisite course are limited by the memo and validation options as well”, said Zoellner, who is the Dana Center’s Launch Years Initiative lead.
Consortium community colleges were asked to review the chancellor’s office memo and some of the findings presented to determine how it affects their respective campus for discussion at the upcoming session including working with campus IR department to confirm the numbers and results prior to the April 19 convening.
To open the April 19 event, Spevak will be joined by Dana Center representatives Tammi Perez-Rice, Frank Savina, and Cassidy Kist in welcoming the participants.
Perez-Rice will provide of an overview of AB1705 and the Dana Center analysis of the CCCCO Memo sent to community colleges Feb. 27 to clarify and discuss options available for compliance. (See the What the CV-HEC is Happening Blog in this issue).
The group will then break out into these one-hour planning sessions:
- Option A planning – the Central Valley Calc 1 coreq
- Option D planning – the Central Valley Calc 1 prereq
- Options B and C – validating prerequisites
- High School Principals
Lynn Cevallos, College Bridge president, introduces a new Principals Strand which will feature high school leaders who currently work with the Central Valley Math Bridge Project.
“In our last session, at the behest of the only principal in attendance, Marlene Celaya of Orosi High, we realized the value of including K-12 voices at the table so we reached out to schools participating in our Math Bridge program with College Bridge,” Spevak said. “We appreciate the leadership of Marlene and Lynn Cevallos to expand our reach. We invite any other interested Central Valley K-12 officials to join us April 19.”
Following her session will be “Reports from Strand Leads:”
- NATHAN CAHOON, Taft College: Validating Prerequisites: Quantitative And Qualitative;
- JEREMY BRANDL, Fresno City College: Designing Precalculus for 2025 (designing calculus with support in 2025);
- Holistic Student Support
- MARIE BRULEY, Merced College: Building an AB 1705 Campus Team;
- JAY THOMAS, Lemoore College: Guided Self-placement and Registration Process;
- TINA AKERS, Modesto Junior College: Math Support Outside the Classroom —
Prior to the lunch break, Spevak will provide a preview of the afternoon breakout sessions which begins with follow up breakouts by strand.
For the final session of the day, college teams will meet to “Set Next Steps and Goals” under these topics: planning curriculum committee process; planning eval/validation; and planning how to set up registration process; and “Continuing the Central Valley Way — More than Just Compliance.”
In a closing 15-minute activity, college teams will each provide a report out.
“We appreciate the immense work by our regional community colleges in collaboration with CVHEC partners the Charles A. Dana Center from the University of Texas at Austin as well as College Bridge,” said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director and president-emeritus of Merced College. “They are building pathways and eliminating barriers for our students looking to navigate the challenge of completing their gateway courses in college math.”
See:
AGENDA – The CVHEC Way to AB 1705 Success Part 2
WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (April 2024): AB1705 – Dana Center analysis of CCCCO memo
This month’s “What The CV-HEC Is Happening” guest blog is presented by Joan Zoellner, M.A., Launch Years Initiative lead for the Charles A. Dana Center (University of Texas at Austin), co-facilitators of the CVHEC Math Task Force AB1705 Compliance Convenings held the past six months. She provides the task force with an analysis of the validation memo issued Feb. 27 by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office outlining options for community colleges to consider by a July 1 deadline. The memo and this analysis will be discussed at the upcoming MTF Convening April 19 in Fresno. The CVHEC blog features perspectives about the higher education community and issues. Submissions are welcome for consideration: Tom Uribes, cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu.
AB1705 Memorandum and CVHEC plan
The Feb 27, 2024, memorandum from the CCCCO (California Community College Chancellors Office) about validating STEM calculus prerequisites will have an impact on the plan to develop the “Central Valley Way” of complying with AB1705. To that end, key takeaways from the memo are listed below, followed by a suggestion for both the content of the April 19 workshop and the prep work assigned to campuses in advance.
According to the memo, no more than one transfer-level prerequisite shall be offered prior to calculus. The options for that prerequisite course are limited by the memo and validation options as well.
As of Jul 1, 2024, the only students that institutions can require to enroll in a validated STEM calculus prerequisite are those who (a) intend to pursue a STEM degree, and (b) have a high school GPA below 2.6, or (c) did not pass high school trigonometry, precalculus, or calculus with a grade of C or better. All discussion below is only about these students.
Institutions will have four options to comply with AB1705 and must select one by July 1, 2024. The least likely option for schools that are part of CVHEC, based on prior meetings and discussions, is Option B. In order to choose Option B, schools must show that their current prerequisite course meets the three requirements laid out in the law: (1) Students are highly unlikely (less than 15% throughput) to succeed if placed directly into STEM calculus, (2) taking the prerequisite course increases the student’s likelihood of passing STEM calculus, and (3) taking the class improves the student’s persistence to and completion of calculus 2 (if required for their program). The RP group did not find any institutions that met all three criteria. However, the Dana Center suggests that institutions review the reports provided by the RP group and work with their IR departments to check the calculations and results with the institution’s data.
Option C is also not a likely path for most institutions, as it requires that institutions first show that the throughput rate for a single existing prerequisite and calculus 1 is at least 50% over a 2-year period. These schools are then allowed to offer the prerequisite through July 1, 2027, to show that the prerequisite (now as a stand-alone prerequisite as opposed to one component of a multi-course prerequisite sequence) meets the three requirements of the law. While this work aligns with the work of the “Validating prerequisites” strand, the options for validation are now precisely described and do not permit several of the strategies under consideration by this strand.
Options A and D both align more closely with the bulk of the work in the central valley.
Option A removes all prerequisites for Calculus 1 and allows institutions to require a corequisite support course of up to two credits. This effort could include parts of the work happening in the “Math support outside the classroom” and “Building an AB 1705 campus team” strands.
Option D allows institutions to devise a new single-semester, 4-credit prerequisite course (with a possible 2 units of corequisite support) for STEM calculus. This course can be offered through July 1, 2027, at which point institutions must show that it meets the three requirements of the law. This work aligns with that of the “Designing Precalculus for 2025” strand.
Unfortunately, none of the options allow for validation using a survey or other measures.
In preparing for the April 19 event, the Dana Center proposes the following pre-work for institutions:
- Institutions review the individualized report provided by the RP group. They then work with IR to repeat and confirm the calculations using local data.
- Institutions will work with IR to calculate the 2-year throughput of the highest STEM calculus prerequisite and calculus 1 over the course of 2 years. If this is at least 50%, Option C may be available.
The agenda for April 19 will include a discussion of the validation memo, having institutions to pick the Option they wish to pursue, confirm the data they will need to submit (options B and C), begin collaboratively designing a corequisite (option A), or continue designing a new prerequisite (Option D) course. The goal is to have several institutions using a similar prerequisite course to enable continuous improvement, trouble shooting, and (potentially) larger sample sizes for evaluating the three requirements before July 1, 2027. Similarly, while not needing to meet the three requirements for the corequisite, schools can work together to design, implement, and improve the corequisite to support student success.
See:
CCCCO Validation Memo (Feb. 27, 2024)
Math Task Force resumes AB1705 curriculum planning April 19
Something extraordinary is happening in math in California’s Central Valley
WHAT THE CV-HEC IS HAPPENING BLOG (March 2024): Kern education leadership
This month’s “What The CV-HEC Is Happening” Blog takes a unique look at an unprecedented wave of leadership at five major Kern County education institutions: California State University, Bakersfield; Kern Community College District; Bakersfield College; Kern County Superintendent of Schools; and Kern County High School District. This perspective is provided by a Kern education leader who has been in the thick of the South Valley academic scene himself for many years including his own stint as KCCD chancellor and interim, Tom Burke who now is the Master’s Upskilling Lead for the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium. Chancellor-emeritus Burke provides a farewell of sorts to outgoing CVHEC Board of Directors members Dr. Sonya Christian and Dr. Lynnette Zelezny and welcomes new board members Dr. Vernon J. Harper Jr., Dr. Steven Bloomberg and Dr. Jerry Filger. The CVHEC blog features perspectives about the higher education community and issues. Submissions are welcome for consideration: Tom Uribes, cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu.
Unprecedented educational leadership
changes in Kern County
New leaders at largest Kern County educational institutions within one year
By TOM BURKE
Chancellor-emeritus, Kern Community College District
CVHEC Kern Master’s Upskilling Lead
The winds of change have swept over Kern County’s education leadership scene in the past year providing a unique opportunity to review and count our blessings while we look ahead to exciting growth for our region’s academic scene.
From the Kern County Superintendent of Schools to the presidency of California State University Bakersfield, we have literally seen the proverbial changing-of -the-guard at our five largest educational institutions in less than 300 days.
Perhaps the most unique situation was in the Kern Community College District where I had the privilege to serve as chancellor from 2017 to 2021 when I retired. At the time, the KCCD Trustees selected then-Bakersfield College President Sonya Christian to step up into its top position. However, so good is Dr. Christian as an educational leader, within two years she was tapped to step even higher when she was named chancellor of the California Community Colleges statewide system prompting KCCD’s second chancellorship search in 22 months.
Both of the positions she vacated have now been filled and her successors started this week so we welcome them here: KCCD Chancellor Steven Bloomberg and BC President Jerry Filger.
Both will also serve on the CVHEC Board of Directors that is made up of the chancellors, presidents and campus directors of 28 institutions of higher education in the Central Valley’s nine-county region. They will soon undergo an onboarding orientation by Dr. Benjamín Durán, executive director of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, and attend their first quarterly board meeting later this spring.
Here is a summary of the new leadership in Kern County, with a link to their bios, and a brief highlight of the outgoing leaders who all made significant contributions toward advancing education in Kern County:
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, BAKERSFIELD PRESIDENT
Dr. Vernon B. Harper Jr. began serving as interim president when Dr. Lynnette Zelezny retired Dec.31, 2023. Among many accomplishments, President-emeritus Zelezny — the first woman to lead CSUB — will be known for allowing the co-location of a Bakersfield College Outreach center on the CSUB campus fostering a smoother transition for transfer students and leading her campus to be the first CSU to partner with CVHEC’s Central Valley Transfer Project and its Program Pathway Mapper software that has now been adopted by the statewide California Community Colleges system.
KERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT CHANCELLOR
Dr. Steven Bloomberg began his term as KCCD chancellor March 1 after Dr. Sonya Christian became state chancellor for the California Community College System June 1, 2023. Dr. Christian is to be lauded for implementing early college and rural initiatives throughout Kern County as well as spearheading the development of the Program Pathway Mapper software used in the CVHEC Transfer Project.
BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE PRESIDENT
Dr. Jerry Filger reported to service as BC’s 11th president March 11 replacing Steve Watkins and Dr. Zav Dadabhoy who both ably served as interims after Dr. Christian was named KCCD chancellor and later CCC system chancellor.
KERN COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT
Dr. John Mendiburu began his term as the new KCSOS Superintendent July 1, 2023 replacing Dr. Mary Barlow who retired June 30 after making significant contributions to the local education scene through such measures as the Kern Education Pledge and K-16 Higher Education Collaborative Grant Program that includes CVHEC’s Kern Master’s Upskilling Project.
KERN HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT
Dr. Michael Zulfa began his term as KHSD superintendent when Dr. Bryon Schaefer retired on Feb. 1. Superintendent-emeritus Schaefer worked hand-in-hand with KCCD to expand dual enrollment programs throughout the Kern High School District.
Now it might seem a bit unsettling to see this much change in the leadership of an education sector over the course of a single year. However, several of these Kern institutions had deep benches providing a roster of new leaders to choose from immediately.
In fact, I can speak directly to the KCCD case in which the former chancellor — yes, that would be me – was available to step in and help provide a smooth seamless transition to the new leadership for KCCD. I was able to finally step back into retirement when Chancellor Bloomberg began his term this month (although not quite full retirement as I resume my regional coordinator position with the CVHEC here in the South Valley where I will have the opportunity to continue working with this new generation of Kern education leaders).
Speaking of these new leaders, I know each will provide significant continuity for their respective institutions and associated programs. Without question, they now have huge “shoes to fill.” I am confident that they, like their predecessors, are up to the task and will advance their respective institutions to greater educational accomplishments.
I believe one of the key strengths of education in Kern is that all of the institutions Pre-K thru 16 understand that to be successful in providing outstanding educational opportunities and success we all have to work together and communicate with each other regularly. The Kern Pledge is an outstanding model that provides the united platform needed to help Kern educational entities achieve educational excellence for their respective students throughout Kern County.
Kern is blessed to have had the talented and dedicated leadership who have moved on in the past 12 months but we are moreso blessed to have these fantastic new educational leaders stepping up. I encourage you to meet them and support their exciting visions for each level of education.
See:
Dr. Sonya Christian Named Eleventh Permanent Chancellor of the California Community Colleges
‘Honor of my career:’ President Zelezny announces retirement
Mary Barlow is a schools chief who ‘gets it’
Kern High School District Superintendent Dr. Bryon Schaefer Bids Farewell
Chancellor Emeritus Tom Burke December 16, 2021
SPOTLIGHT ON CVHEC: #DualEnrollmentWeek 2024
CVHEC joins dual enrollment partners
in statewide digital campaign
The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium participated in the Digital Dual Enrollment Week social media campaign conducted statewide Feb 26-March 1 by the California Alliance of Dual Enrollment Partnerships (CADEP).
The weeklong campaign followed the 2nd Annual California Dual Enrollment Equity Conference held Feb. 20-23 in Long Beach presented by CADEP, Career Ladders Project, and The Education Trust–West with fiscal agent the Foundation for Los Angeles Community Colleges.
The California Alliance of Dual Enrollment Partnerships is an affiliated chapter of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP), is a unified coalition committed to the advancement of equity, student success and quality in dual enrollment programs in California.
Its vision is to unite individuals, state agencies and organizations committed to dual enrollment in California to promote and advance quality dual enrollment programming across the state.
For the social media campaign, dual enrollment partners were asked to promote a specific theme each day:
MONDAY – Feb. 26: Celebrate Dual Enrollment Success
TUESDAY – Feb. 27: Dual Enrollment Myth Busting
WEDNESDAY – Feb. 28: Dual Enrollment is an Equity Strategy – Widening the Front Door to College
THURSDAY – Feb. 29: Families, Communities and Dual Enrollment
FRIDAY – March 1: Innovations in Dual Enrollment
“We were able to incorporate several of our projects and dual enrolment student interactions over the past few years into the social media campaign,” said Tom Uribes, CVHEC communications/media coordinator.
CVHEC featured its Central Valley Dual Enrollment for Equity and Prosperity (CVDEEP) Projects and outcomes: Master’s Upskilling Project recent graduates; the consortium’s dual enrollment video; the Math Bridge project in collaboration with College Bridge; students who participated in the video and at CVHEC convenings sharing their success stories as well as their families; and visiting the dual enrollment classroom of Jade Martinez, a Sanger West High School English teacher who completed the innovative Master’s Upskilling Project that qualified her to teach the community college courses at her high school.
CVDEEP is now looking ahead to its annual convening that will be held in the fall this year. Details will be forthcoming in future CVHEC newsletters.
For more info on CVHEC Dual enrollment work please visit. https://cvhec.org/dual-enrollment-in-the-central-valley/
SPOTLIGHT ON CVHEC: Farewell to Priscila – CVHEC search underway
Priscila Villanueva at the 2023 CVHEC Summit with Angel Ramirez and two student panelists, Hailee Guerra (left) and Jesús López Nuñez (right).
This issue brings another melancholy moment as we bid farewell to a key star of the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium team, Priscila Villanueva, our administrative coordinator since 2018.
Priscila will start a new position as community associate for Equitable Bank Standards, Beneficial State Foundation supporting community engagement for the Equitable Bank Standards initiative.
She has been instrumental in CVHEC’s mission with a focus on increasing educational equity in the Central San Joaquin Valley, said Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director.
“Priscila became an important part of our CVHEC family and will be dearly missed,” Durán said. “Her dedication and commitment to our mission was evident in all she did for us. We wish her and her family all the best.”
Ángel Ramírez, director of operations and finance and Priscila’s immediate supervisor, credited her with playing a major role in the consortium’s increased growth the past eight years.
“Priscila always took care of the everything behind the scenes that most people don’t get to see, but her role with CVHEC allowed us to run smoothly, efficiently, and worry-free these last eight years,” Ramírez said. “I am eager to see where this new position takes her.”
Priscila said that from day one, “Dr. Durán and Angel set the pace for a dynamic and collaborative team. I have been privileged to have had a front seat to the CVHEC initiatives and all the good CVHEC has done in the Central Valley.
“I cannot thank Dr. Duran and Angel Ramirez enough for their leadership, constant support, care and love. I leave CVHEC having built invaluable relationships and connections. I will treasure and miss my work and team, but I am excited to see where they go next!”
CVHEC has announced a job search to fill the position as soon as possible, Ramirez said.
See Application.