I want to be the type of role model where Im pushing everyone, Im pushing adults and pushing professionals and pushing students to be their best. Before leading the Othello School District, Dr. Hurst served as Associate Superintendent of Educational Services in Oceanside Unified School District, a 19,000 student district 35 minutes northwest of San Diego. One unfortunate issue he has to face is for funding was the union's driven zealous raising of salaries that hurt the district. He started his educational career in Poway Unified as a math and computer programming and computer science teacher. Chris Hurst (D) officially conceded to Jason Ballard (R) Wednesday morning in the race for the House of Delegates' 12th District. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. We hired a leader who will lead WCCUSD teachers, administrators, and staff with a united vision, transparency, and accountability. Shomik Mukherjee covers Oakland, with a focus on local politics, developments and activism. Improvement in a very few aligned professional practices will go a long way in improving student academic achievement. I think thats a big concern. He brings 23 years of education experience to the table, and is committed to closing achievement gaps within the district. Ive learned to work within the constraints of a budget; its not an excuse to exclude students from these types of experiences, Hurst said. Dr. Hurst, who will leave his role as superintendent of the Othello School District in Othello, Wash. to lead the WCCUSD, will commence his three-year contract May 17. Superintendent Superintendent Dr. Pete Perez, Superintendent email Pete Perez Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Marissa Garza Click here to email Marissa ext. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. She also has this Braille laptop as well. He previously reported in Contra Costa County and before joining the Bay Area News Group he worked in Eureka and Santa Barbara. Planning and implementing project-based learning would be expecting a team that is still at the T-ball level to perform at the major league level. Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. He said his drawn to central Washington in part because of the beautiful countryside his parents had lived in Yakima, and he and his wife always dreamed of living there. Othellos student population this year is 91% Latino; 32% are English learners, and 75% qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. All Rights Reserved. So my real goal is, and how we define success is going to be dependent upon those teachers working with the students coming up with an individualized learning plan, and then building this plan, all the way from pre-K to 12th grade so they are able to achieve that. College and Covid: Freshman Year Disrupted, Education During Covid: Families Struggle to Learn. Im not sure if youre familiar with the High Tech High School System, mainly in the San Diego area, but they do whats called learn by doing. Before his career in education, Dr. Hurst served 12 years in the Marines. I knew there were resources out there but I didnt have anyone to point me into the right direction. Thousand of students compete in Tech Challenge in San Jose, Will higher pay lure more teachers? Duffy had served as superintendent since 2016, and his total compensation and benefits last year was about $365,000, according to Transparent California. Based on his 23 years of professional experience in education, he has some concrete ideas for how to do that in this San Francisco Bay Area district, which includes Richmond and several surrounding communities. And whether thats either drug abuse, or some other sort of trauma that students are experiencing, we want to make sure that we partner with those agencies so that they can really check in either individually or with groups, those students. He started his educational career in Poway Unified as a math and computer programming and computer science teacher. Although only 6% of the states student enrollment is Black, an even smaller percentage have been selected to run districts. University of CaliforniaNorth Gate HallBerkeley, CA. Dr. Hurst joins WCCUSD after spending the past five years as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington where he significantly increased graduation rates and decreased chronic absenteeism rates for students. We love to exercise. In Oceanside, Dr. Hurst collaborated with ConnectEd California, implementing Linked Learning to establish K-12 industry-aligned pathways to prepare students to succeed in college and career. This is kind of a lengthy response, but what I will say, first we have to build a healthy system, which means looking at our organization and how we are structured. The finalists are Camas School District Superintendent Jeff Snell, right, and Kenneth (Chris) Hurst, superintendent of the Othello School District in Adams County. Board of Trustees Hires Districts First Permanent African American Superintendent. He also implemented the districts social-emotional learning standards prescribed by the state, and the number of children enrolled in preschool tripled, the news release said. Diablo Unified, Kyla Johnson-Trammell of Oakland Unified, Vincent Matthews of San Francisco Unified and Harry Doc Ervin of Bakersfield City School District. Bill aims to boost salaries 50% by 2030, Future of state housing is at stake in UC ruling, governor says. But Hurst doesnt just want to throw things at people, he said in an interview with EdSource. He also boosted the districts linked learning programs, which integrate academics with real-world work experiences. For interview and speaking requests for Dr. Hurst, please contact Communications at communications@wccusd.net. The Board voted 5-0 at Wednesday night's board meeting on a three-year contract for Dr. Hurst that begins May 17. Its going to take a community effort, to take all of us working together as one for a shared vision., Currently, only four of the states 30 largest school districts have Black superintendents. Here is a Q&A Richmond Confidential did with Hurst last week. He said he was also drawn by the district and school boards passion for equity and mission statement to bring students a quality education so that they can better their community while being global citizens. So I think, just to go back to your question, I think success is going to be individually defined by our students. At Oceanside High School, Dr. Hurst led double-digit growth in the schools academic growth performance. Graduation rate is a systemic issue and it really goes to building this whole healthy system. Then you have whats called the summer slide, so they get even further behind because of the three months that theyre off during the summer. We kind of moved every two years. So how do we really present curriculum in a way that really entices the student and engages the student. I know that Ive never had that growing up as a Black male. During his five years at Othello, graduation rates increased from 71% to 87%, and absences declined by 33%, he said. Teachers, principals, and district administrators need to learn the notes of high quality instruction before they can play jazz. He became assistant principal in Poway Unified just north of San Diego, where he helped open Westview High School in 2002. I think its inspirational, motivational, and I know people will look up to me as a positive African American role model.. There needs to be people like myself that are willing to invest in challenging the system. Daryl Camp, superintendent of San Lorenzo Unified near Oakland and president of the California Association for African American Superintendents and Administrators, or CAAASA, agreed. Were not going to let anyone hosannah you in and crucify you out, Smith-Folds told Hurst at the meeting, said, alluding to an often typical pattern of welcoming incoming superintendents as a savior for all the districts problems, before disillusionment sets in, and they are forced out. If it needed to be longer, it would have been. But I also knew that in my growing up in high school expressly, there was not a lot of encouragement for me, being a Black male, an African American male, from my teachers and my counselors. Im a big proponent on ethnic studies, so youre going to see that happening in our district. No FCMAT investigation was called in, a grand jury and the board could have each requested it along with the county COE (whom I emailed and sent material to with no response) or the superintendents could have. Hurst succeeds outgoing Superintendent Matthew Duffy, who announced last year he would not seek re-appointment when his contract ended after the current school year. They are Adam Clark of Mt. Chris Hurst is a Superintendent of Education - Ajax at Durham Catholic District School Board based in Oshawa, Ontario. So really, my concept is that we get to the point where were planning individual learning plans for our students, starting from pre-K going through the 12th grade. And sometimes were just like sitting on the couch and she has a book and I have a book and were just kind of reading together in the same room, or Im working on a laptop or something like that. Email. Improvement in a very few aligned professional practices will go a long way in improving student academic achievement. As Superintendent of the 4,500 student District located about 3 hours southeast of Seattle, Dr. Hurst increased Othello's graduation rates by 16 percent from 71 percent to 87 percent and reduced absences by 33 percent. Best to relabel it the Professional Practices Gap. And I think another priority is meeting their social and emotional learning needs, because our students have been disconnected for so long, from an in-person learning environment. Paris le-de-France CCI is a source of proposals, informs debates on key issues and plays an active role in the growth of local companies and the economy in its territory. The research says that kids should be reading at least 20 minutes per day or parents should be reading to their kids 20 minutes per day. My long-term goal is to really transform our system so that we are ensuring that a high number of our students are prepared for college and career. He needs to acknowledge or review the abuse of the lowest performing students not given lunches, substitutes and other such things I witnessed myself. Ive been looking over the trend data over the past several years and Ive seen that, especially our Black students and our Latinx students have struggled in especially mathematics and English language arts, but also a number of suspensions, expulsions; we have a high chronic absenteeism rate. all Oceanside students would graduate college or be career ready. So there is a gap that happens between parents who are reading to their kids when theyre young, and parents who are not reading to their kids. We went back to Germany. Its general assembly is made up of elected business leaders and acts to represent and defend the interests of businesses with public authorities, as well as taking positions . I believe that every person, including you, has a big vision in store for them, and what I believe is that its my responsibility to give people the tools to unlock, like what is that vision, what is my purpose in life, what was I designed to do. c***@oside.us. 2/22/2023 4:33 PM. In a release, a district spokesman detailed Hursts accomplishments at Othello School District in Othello, Washington, including implementing social-emotional learning standards, which train students to manage their emotions and relationships. Thats really what our parents and community is worried about, they want to know that the kids are coming back to a safe environment. The District also gathered more than 6,000 responses from the community on the next Superintendents qualities and qualifications. So thats really our growth. He and his wife, Crystal, have two grown children. My dad was my role model and he showed me how to be a man, and he showed me how to carry myself, and he showed me how to be a person of integrity and a person with ethics and values and morals. We request that commenters consistently use the same login name. He spent 6 years as a principal and assistant principal in Oceanside, including the turnaround principal for Jefferson Middle and Oceanside High schools. Ervin has just been selected to be the next of superintendent of San Bernardino City Unified, and will take over there on July 1. Ervin. Dr. Despite that, those districts have all been able to creatively offer engaging curriculum and programs like maker-spaces in which students can bring in materials from the house for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) projects. Dr. Hurst has 23 years of experience teaching and leading equity in urban, suburban, and rural K-12 districts. Its going to be a community conversation. I had a principal that was a mentor for me as well. Ive traveled across the United States and lived from New York, New Jersey. Dear Abby: Am I overreacting to my European daughter-in-law's behavior? They showed me how to be a leader in school, a great teacher is well. Kenneth Chris Hurst was chosen as the next superintendent of West Contra Costa Unified. This is an extremely important hire, and it was very important we took the time to do the process right. Sylvester Greenwood and Dr. Cynthia LeBlanc each served one-year terms as interim superintendents. When you engage students, whether its K through 12 or college students, in processes like design thinking, or problem-based learning, or project-based learning, or learning by doing, then that changes everything. Thats had a positive impact on students everywhere he has worked, he said. Dr. Hurst and his wife Crystal have two grown children, a daughter who is a 6th-grade teacher and a son who is a computer scientist. West Contra Costa Unifieds school board unanimously approved a three-year contract for Hurst with an annual base salary of $270,000 at a school board meeting April 14 when his appointment was announced. I grew up all over the place. We love to go to movies. So how do we check in with them during the school day? Dr. Hurst joins WCCUSD after spending the past five years as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington where he significantly increased graduation rates and decreased chronic absenteeism rates for students. Richmond Confidential assumes no liability for comments posted to the site and no endorsement is implied; commenters are solely responsible for their own content. Dr. Hurst may think that his SoCal experience will help him. Thinking "outside the box" will simply never outweigh the fact that WCCUSD has 9% less purchasing power than its demographic peers elsewhere in California. Something went wrong. So its going to be really important that our teachers check in individually with our students and really find out whats happening. I just loved it, from low-entry mathematics to high-level calculus. The districts board of trustees voted 5-0 Wednesday to hire Hurst. More than half of the districts students are Latino, 14% are Black, 10% are white, and 8% are Asian. Silent. But also were doing whats called a soft start to our school year, which means that were taking this whole social emotional learning piece and trauma that may have happened very seriously. Contact. I have a lot of rich experiences, so I cant say that I grew up in one single place. Contact Us Educational Equity - Title IX Location: 1108 Bissell Ave. (510) 231-1118 Fax: (510) 236-0662 Dr. Kenneth Chris Hurst Uniform Complaint Procedures Bullying WCCUSD Nondiscrimination Policies and Procedures Non-Discrimination Policy: View the Announcement of Non-Discrimination/Harassment Superintendent: Dr. Kenneth C. Hurst Superintendent (510) 231-1101 chris.hurst@wccusd.net. Superintendent Hurst is WCCUSD's 10th permanent superintendent and first permanent African American superintendent. Its not just about getting a job and making money. Hurst got his start in the education field in San Diego County, after serving 12 years in the Marines; he served combat duty in Desert Storm and was a drill instructor, communications specialist and maintenance supervisor at Camp Pendleton. There are some other pieces that are priorities for me but I would say those are the top two priorities. Why are students starting their own businesses right out of high school? Vancouver Public Schools has. Hurst said he was concerned about the lagging average test scores of Black and Latino students, as well as their lower graduation rates and higher rates of expulsions and suspensions. Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots. Christopher Hurst, 99th Security Forces Squadron superintendent, Chief Master Sgt. His approach to collaborative leadership and knowledge of teaching strategies, as well as community involvement, are just what we need here in West Contra Costa.. Its really a framework Im using and its called Central Office Transformation Toolkit and its out of the University of Washington. EditorsNote: As a special project, EdSource is tracking developments in theOaklandUnified and West Contra Costa Unified School Districts as a way to illustrate some of the challenges facing other urban districts in California. Hurst is only one of a tiny number of Black superintendents among the states 1,000-plus school districts. CAAASA is pleased that school boards are continuing to recognize the benefits of having a racially diverse administration by selecting persons of color to lead the district.. I enjoyed it. 1003 On June 30, 2021, the OSD Board of Directors approved a three year contract naming Pete Perez the district's superintendent. If you continue to be blocked, please send an email to secruxurity@sizetedistrict.cVmwom with: https://richmondstandard.com/community/education/2021/04/15/wccusd-selects-charles-hurst-as-new-superintendent/, Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 15_3_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/15.3 Mobile/15E148 Safari/604.1, A summary of what you were doing and why you need access to this site. Michael Littleton Richmond Promise Board Chair, Former Senior Vice President of Finance, Gu Energy Labs. Vancouver Public Schools superintendent candidates, from left, Dr. Karen Cheser, Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Dr. Hector Rico and Dr. Jeff Snell (Provided photos) Educators, students and. Phillips declined to comment on what set Hurst apart from other applicants, citing a closed-session deliberation, but he did praise the hiring process as yielding a desirable outcome. At Oceanside High School, Dr. Hurst led double-digit growth in the schools academic growth performance. He earned a master of arts in educational administration in 2008 and a Doctorate in Education in K-12 Leadership, at the University of Southern California in 2011. Is it really a tribute to Supt. Hurst also assumes the post in the middle of the pandemic, with the task of guiding the districts return to full-time, in-person instruction in the fall amid pressure from a group of parents. So thats the conversation that were going to actually have. Hurst is the districts 10th leader and its first non-interim African American superintendent. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! So its almost like if we do this, we can do this and we can better support our students. Dr. A soft start just means that instead of just jumping right into the academics, were really going to have our teachers be really intentional about checking in with families calling, texting, and even doing home visits, of course, taking the necessary safety precautions. He will succeed Matthew Duffy, who announced in November that he would be leaving the district at the end of the school year after five years in his post. Our kids need to see positive influences that resemble their cultures, their ethnic background and ethnic makeup.. I have seen him on the phone, while emailing someone and texting yet another about a different issue, Stevenson said via email. I think also, you will see a teacher that may not be culturally proficient or culturally responsive or not exercising culturally responsive teaching, and they have this bias, say for instance about a Black student or about a Latinx student, and then that translates to that teacher issuing out discipline when they could have done something else. One of the things we do know is, were able to reduce class sizes so our teachers can really have smaller class sizes and be able to check in with students more frequently. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We welcome your comments. Its about sitting down with teachers, support staff, with parents, district office personnel and all stakeholders to have this conversation about what the data is telling us, Hurst said. With my wife. Superintendent West Contra Costa Unified School District View Chris' full profile . That doesnt happen. Hurst should identify a few professional practices such as Explicit Instruction or Formative Assessment with Descriptive Feedback and develop a plan to implement, monitor, and hold everyone accountable for the execution of these aligned practices at very high performance levels. This is in addition to sending a letter of demands to the superintendent and being present for public comment at the school board meeting. Dr. Chris Hurst, Superintendent of WCCUSD and the Office of African American Student Achievement (OAASA) led the effort to raise the Pan-African flag at all schools and at the district office for . Hurst said theres a correlation between students not being in class due to suspensions and expulsion and their academic performance. Dr. Hurst also tripled the number of children enrolled in preschool and increased the percent of preschool students prepared for kindergarten from 30 percent to more than 98 percent. The staff at Richmond High School are backing student demands and uplifting them to engage the whole community. West Contra Costa Unified has had two African American interim superintendents in the past. Thats a serious issue. West Contra Costa Unified school board members unanimously approve a three-year superintendent contract for Kenneth Chris Hurst, shown with his wife Crystal in the center of the bottom row. I talked about [social, emotional learning] as well, thats a big concern. Dr. Hurst has served as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington, since 2016. Then you dont see students walk into the classroom, where they disengaged. He earned a master of arts in educational administration in 2008 and a. You cant just change the organizational structure and expect change to happen. My dad was in the Army. Kenneth Chris Hurst Sr., Ed.D | Superintendent | West Contra Costa Unified School District | (510) 231-1101 CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic mail transmission may contain privileged. We hired 20 counselors, additional counselors, so the case loads were at 750 per counselor but now weve reduced that down to 350. Its about giving back, and giving ourselves to the community of West Contra Costa, Hurst said of he and his wife. Agreed. He also implemented Othellos K-12 pathway, the Districts Social-Emotional Learning Standards. Currently, only four of the states 30 largest school districts have Black superintendents. to be the next of superintendent of San Bernardino City Unified, and will take over there on July 1. Im equally excited about deepening our understanding of equity and systemic inequities and also moving toward what it should look like, feel like, and sound like to have an equitable and culturally responsive education for all students.. So there has to be a big investment in preschool to make sure that we close that early literacy gap. Dr. Hurst joins WCCUSD after spending the past five years as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington where he significantly increased graduation rates and decreased chronic absenteeism rates for students. Planning and implementing project-based learning would Read More. Chris Hurst Superintendent, West Contra Costa Unified School District. Its really a focus on safety and COVID safety and having mitigation strategies in place. So what were doing right now were trying to build a system that allows that to happen, for more and more students to be successful. And their whole theory of action is, if we can really transform the central office, like people that work up here with me, and if we put the right people in place to have the right tools, then we could better go down to the school sites and support them and build capacity with the leaders. Dr. Our goal is to produce professional and engaging journalism that is useful for the citizens of the city.Please send news tips to richconstaff@gmail.com. He needs to acknowledge or review the abuse of the lowest performing students not given lunches, substitutes and other such things I witnessed myself. Hurst works non-stop and is very dedicated to his job. He refused to let it end in Game 7, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Chris Hurst -- Los Angeles, California, United States 1 connection. Rumors circulated in late 2019 that the school board might consider firing Duffy, but multiple trustees publicly stood by the superintendent, EdSource reported at the time. Questions, comments, or suggestions? As Superintendent of the 4,500 student District located about 3 hours southeast of Seattle, Dr. Hurst increased graduation rates by 16 percent from 71 percent to 87 percent and reduced absences by 33 percent. He also implemented Othellos K-12 pathway, the Districts Social-Emotional Learning Standards. The question is going to be: How do we train our teachers and provide professional learning so that one, were addressing any biases that they may have in the classroom about a Black student or Latinx student or any student.
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chris hurst, superintendent