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Article Written by:
Alexis Sanchez
On Friday, November 22nd, Class 39 of Scottsdale Leadership had the exciting opportunity to learn more about the Scottsdale Unified School District and the intricacies of the school system. Led by Day Chair Shelly Hummon (Class 33) and Bronwyn Milhaven Maxwell, the day started with incredible tours of two state of the art schools, Saguaro High School and Pueblo Elementary School. While at Saguaro High School, Class 39 had the opportunity to observe the Biotech space and the CNA nursing program that encourages youth to learn more about nursing while working towards their CNA license. When touring Pueblo Elementary School, Class 39 had the privilege of hearing students sing a school song followed by a tour of the new building. Class 39 also got to experience the immersion program in action where students were learning core subjects in dual languages.
Class 39 had the honor of then learning about Social Emotional Learning and the Importance of Addressing Mental Health in Schools with Matt Lins. During this session, Class 39 discussed character building and mental health in schools as well as the importance of emotional safety. Matt demonstrated brain exercises and structure that helps to create emotional safety and capacity in students while they are in school. Class 39 also talked about adverse childhood experiences (also known as ACES), and how those experiences can impact a child during their school days. With that, it is encouraged to embed into coursework ways to build relationships with students and get to know them. One example of a community builder that was encouraged was "Circle Thoughts" which is a prompt everyone answers to connect the group.
The next topic included reflections from Julie Cieniawski (School Board Member) and a call to action. Next on the agenda was a panel discussion with Dr. Scott Menzel (Superintendent, Scottsdale Unified School District) and Dr. Eric Leshinskie (President of Scottsdale Community College). During this panel, Class 39 learned about the challenges the school districts face when it comes to funding and declining enrollment. Class 39 learned about the importance of partnerships within the community, such as volunteers, internships for students, job shadowing opportunities for students and positive role models and mentors. Class 39 also discussed the focus of Scottsdale Unified School district and their strategic plan as well as the focus of building on differences to make us stronger. Dr. Eric Leshinskie discussed the seamless pathway from Scottsdale Community College to the three state universities as well as Grand Canyon University. Class 39 also discussed the current trends which include workforce development and exploration of workforce development within higher education. Guided pathways have also been created to help with graduation. Scottsdale Community College will also begin offering their first bachelor's degree which will create better accessibility as well as reduce financial barriers. On average, part time enrollment takes about 6 years to earn a two year degree.
The next presenter was Bronwyn Milhaven Maxwell and Dr. Brooke Williams to discuss special education in the school system. Child find is a program within the community that can help if a parent is concerned about a developmental delay and the child can be evaluated starting at 2 years, 10 months. These services help to provide a free and appropriate education. Following this presentation, we had a panel of Scottsdale Unified School District leaders talk about the realities, struggles, & misconceptions during trying times. This panel included:
Margaret Serna, Executive Director of Elementary Education- SUSD
Dr. Heather Cruz, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources-SUSD
Dr. Milissa Sackos, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education, SUSD
Leah Mitchell, Associate Superintendent of SUSD
Dr. David Priniski, Director of Federal and State Programs
Kristine Harrington, Director of Communications, SUSD
Dr. Kimberly Dodds Keran, Director of Teaching and Learning (Scottsdale Leadership Alumnus)
Rebecca Beebe spoke to Class 39 about education policy in the State of Arizona and how legislature can impact the school systems. Rebecca gave a brief review on how bills are signed into legislation and how the budgets are created. Rebecca also provided details around the how the State Board of Education and the School Facilities Boards work and how they impact the school district.
Class 39 was amazed by the panel discussions with principals from across the Scottsdale Unified School District. This panel included:
Dr. Janelle Danskey- Principal of Arcadia High School, SUSD
Matt Patzlaff – Principal of Navajo Elementary, SUSD
Kat Hughes – Principal of Echo Canyon K-8, SUSD
Alisha Kellum- Principal of Cheyenne Traditional School, SUSD
Chuck Rantala – Principal of Hohokam Elementary, SUSD
Jennifer Waldron- Principal of Anasazi Elementary School, SUSD (Current Class Member)
Dr. Sara Johnson- Assistant Principal, Arcadia High School, SUSD
Matt Gromek- Principal, Kiva Elementary School, SUSD
Chrissy Kelly- Principal, Laguna Elementary school, SUSD
During the panel discussion, Class 39 was presented with a hands-on leadership exercise where they experienced "A day in the life of a principal". This included scenarios and discussions around what to prioritize when juggling many extremely time sensitive, safety sensitive, and important tasks.
Finally, Dennis Robbins, Executive Director of the Scottsdale Charros concluded the day for Class 39.
This informative and well thought out day was important for leaders as they enhance their understandings of the school systems in Scottsdale and the challenges the educators, children and parents face within the community.