Weve been married for almost 40 years, 39 years in December. And I loved it so much that I became a math teacher. El Cerrito students play at West Contra Costa Unified's Korematsu Middle School during recess before the Covid-19 pandemic. 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. He wants to hear from everyone at the district to see what strategies they can come up with together. Dr. Hurst may think that his SoCal experience will help him. He also implemented Othellos K-12 pathway, the Districts Social-Emotional Learning Standards. The Vancouver Public Schools board of directors narrowed the selection for superintendent to two candidates after meeting in executive session on Tue., Feb. 23. Ive been in the San Diego area the longest, I was there for 35 years, so we kind of call Southern California our home. We really want to make sure that we have structures in place for every school, every classroom, so that were meeting the social, emotional, learning needs of our students. Richmond Confidential welcomes comments from our readers, but we ask users to keep all discussion civil and on-topic. How do we create spaces that allow us to really develop those relationships with adults and students and students to students as well.? Dr. Hurst earned his Doctorate in Education, K-12 Leadership (Magna Cum Laude), at the University of Southern California in 2011, and his Master of Arts Degree in Educational Administration (Magna Cum Laude) in 2008, and his Bachelor of Science, a degree in Mathematics in 1997 at California State University, San Marcos. John Moore, 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron superintendent, Chief Master Sgt. total compensation and benefits last year, reopen campuses for hybrid instruction on Monday, Harriette Cole: My friend's mom didn't recognize me at my job, and she was very rude. This is not a warm-body job.. So, even though we have some high-performing districts across the United States, theyre not as high-performing as other countries, other developed countries across the globe. Please look for Dr. Hurst's e. West Contra Costa Unified School District | LinkedIn He spent 6 years as a principal and assistant principal in Oceanside, including the turnaround principal for Jefferson Middle and Oceanside High schools. Hursts belief in the application of research-based practices and his experience in systems thinking will add structure to our organization, yet enable our entrepreneurial spirit, Board Trustee Leslie Reckler said. I took my love for teaching in the Marine Corps and my talent for math and I decided to become a math teacher and computer science teacher as well. Dr. Hurst has served as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington, since 2016. At Oceanside High School, Dr. Hurst led double-digit growth in the schools academic growth performance. Thinking outside the box will simply never outweigh the fact that WCCUSD has 9% less purchasing power than its demographic peers elsewhere in California. Superintendent Superintendent Dr. Pete Perez, Superintendent email Pete Perez Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Marissa Garza Click here to email Marissa ext. She actually contracted encephalitis at 9, which is a virus, and we believe it was an insect like a mosquito that was carrying the virus, but shes had to go through a lot in her life and to prove to people that she can do anything, because sometimes people view people who are visually impaired as being disabled and not being able to do certain things. Diablo Unified, Kyla Johnson-Trammell of Oakland Unified, Vincent Matthews of San Francisco Unified and Harry Doc Ervin of Bakersfield City School District. So right now were looking at support even at the central office level to make sure that we have the right support in place so we can better support principals and school sites, so that principals can better support the teachers and the teachers can better support the students. 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. He started his educational career in Poway Unified as a math and computer programming and computer science teacher. WCCUSD School Board Trustees Hires Dr. Kenneth Chris Hurst as the 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. The position title is Secondary Teacher. Hurst works non-stop and is very dedicated to his job. I was a drill instructor and I was a communications instructor as well. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. The district has hired a new superintendent, Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, who will begin May 17. Duffy had served as superintendent since 2016, and his total compensation and benefits last year was about $365,000, according to Transparent California. Do you have any plan to address any trauma that may have occurred in the household during the pandemic? He and his wife, Crystal, have two grown children. Educational Equity-Title IX / Office of the Ombudsperson Home Page 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. Kenneth Chris Hurst, 60, who served as a superintendent at a school district in Washington state, will be West Contra Costa Unifieds first permanent Black superintendent. That is not to say unions are bad, quite the contrary they just need to focus more on helping protect employees, especially the most vulnerable not raising salaries. WCCUSD selects Dr. Kenneth Chris Hurst, Sr. as new superintendent Not having position control forms on these people, and many other intentional policy and procedural actions in HR that ultimately masks the budget. Kenneth Chris Hurst Sr., Ed.D | Superintendent | West Contra Costa Kenneth C. "Chris" Hurst Sr., associate superintendent of educational services with the Oceanside Unified School District, has accepted a job as superintendent of the tiny Othello School. I think its important for African-American, Latinx and students of color to see other people of color in leadership positions, Hurst said. That can involve, for example, a few teachers participating in a training session on restorative practices; they then teach their colleagues what they learned. But that means a lot of work needs to happen within the district, because right now, as I look at our district, West Contra Costa Unified School District, were not set up for success. Watching superintendents fail in LCFF-funded districts in high-cost counties has become routine. Read More. 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. So its my job to really unlock that potential in students Thats what I want to be for students, that person. His acumen in social justice, equity, and focus on accelerating student achievement here is impressive. Othello School Board Vice President Jenn Stevenson said Hurst was known for thinking outside of the box and welcoming new ideas; he also brought new views and a focus on equity to the district, as well as focusing on equity and justice. College and Covid: Freshman Year Disrupted, Education During Covid: Families Struggle to Learn. Dr. School board trustee Jamela Smith-Folds also expressed enthusiasm Wednesday about hiring Hurst and assured him that the responsibility of turning the district around wont fall solely on him. Hurst said he assisted in Bersins, From San Diego, he became a principal in Oceanside in. Something went wrong. 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.. One of the things that I like about him is hes not coming here to learn how to be a superintendent, Phillips said. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. But also, theres an issue with the learning loss that has happened as well with the COVID back in March of 2020, and making sure we have the right data in front of our teachers so that we can really assess our students and where they are to meet their needs. I enjoyed it. Superintendent West Contra Costa Unified School District View Chris' full profile . I know that Ive never had that growing up as a Black male. What happens is when kids arent being read to, theyre not reading, they come into kindergarten already behind. Its really a focus on safety and COVID safety and having mitigation strategies in place. That is not to say unions are bad, quite the contrary they just need to focus more on helping protect employees, especially the most vulnerable not raising salaries. Richmond Confidential is an online news service produced by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism for, and about, the people of Richmond, California. Admin Staff | Quitman ISD A lengthy search process involved 50 listening sessions with staff and families, and the district fielded over 6,000 comments from the community, according to the release. West Contra Costa superintendent disappointed after SF Galileo's game 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. Dr. Hurst succeeds Matthew Duffy, who announced in November that he would not seek an extension to his contract. Following that, he received his doctorate in education at the University of Southern California in 2011. Chief Business Official: Robert McEntire Interim Associate Superintendent / Chief Business Officer (510) 231-1170 robert.mcentire@wccusd.net. Dr. Hurst joins WCCUSD after spending the past five years as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington. She wasnt always blind. Categorical Instructional Support Services (CISS), Early Learning Pre-K to Adult Educational Operations, Office of African American Student Achievement (OAASA), Teacher Support and Assistance Program (TSAP), Community Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC), Research, Assessment, Accountability & Data (RAAD), West Contra Costa Unified School District, I am excited to join the WCCUSD Community, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). The West Contra Costa Unified School Districts Board of Trustees named Othello School District Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Chris Hurst, Sr. as the Districts next superintendent. Californias Community Colleges: At a Crossroads, Adjuncts gig economy at CA community colleges, College And Covid: Freshman Year Disrupted, Education during Covid: California families struggle to learn, Tainted Taps: Lead puts California Students at Risk, Full Circle: California Schools Work To Transform Discipline, Californias Homeless Students: Undercounted, Underfunded And Growing, Eyes on the Early Years Newsletter Archive, California Association for African American Superintendents and Administrators, funded in part by millions of dollars in grants, mostly from the Gates foundation, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Click here for EdSource's Comments Policy. The release also credits Hurst with boosting graduation rates by 16% and lowering absences by 33% at the Othello district, which has about 4,500 students. So how do we really present curriculum in a way that really entices the student and engages the student. Hurst said he was drawn to West Contra Costa for a similar reason he was drawn to Othello: wanting to improve educational systems to ensure student success. Duffy saw the district through a difficult financial stretch. He started his educational career in Poway Unified as a math and computer programming and computer science teacher. Should Richmond shelter unhoused people in hotels during severe weather. 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. They focus a lot on design thinking, a process which is out of Stanford as well, which is a problem-solving approach. 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. And I did not want people to have that experience and kids to have that experience, so thats why I went into education. We request that commenters consistently use the same login name. There just isnt anymore.. I wanted to go to a military school. Jerry Dunn, 99th Medical Group superintendent, and Chief Master Sgt. If we develop our teachers and our principals, then theyre going to provide quality instruction, because theres a lot of research between a good teacher, an average teacher and an expert teacher. The district has schools in Richmond, El Cerrito, San Pablo, Hercules, Pinole and other cities and communities in west Contra Costa County. Hurst said every district he has worked in, except for Poway Unified near San Diego, has served a large number of low-income students with not many resources. In Othello, Dr. Hurst led a District with a student population that is 91 percent Latinx, 32 percent English Language Learners, and 75 percent free and reduced-price lunch through the transition to Distance Learning at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and from Distance Learning to a hybrid model this year. He went on to become associate superintendent of educational services at Oceanside Unified, where he oversaw the start of the Oceanside Promise a program with a nonprofit arm intended to ensure. Hurst is only one of a tiny number of Black superintendents among the states 1,000-plus school districts. While serving as the Associate Superintendent of Educational Services, he supervised the Oceanside Promises implementation to ensure all Oceanside students graduated ready for college and career and established the Oceanside Promise Foundation, a 501(c)(3). Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots. What the research says is that most of the growth that were going to see over the next several years is going to be from students coming from Spanish-speaking populations, and from Mandarin-speaking populations. There needs to be people like myself that are willing to invest in challenging the system. He became assistant principal in Poway Unified just north of San Diego, where he helped open Westview High School in 2002. I grew up all over the place. 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. Dr. Hursts first call should be to Sen. Nancy Skinner to ask her to get over to Sen. Josh Beckers office to talk about a regional cost supplement to LCFF. So professional learning is going to be a very big key here in Richmond and across the United States. 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.. Chris Hurst (D) officially conceded to Jason Ballard (R) Wednesday morning in the race for the House of Delegates' 12th District. I have a lot of rich experiences, so I cant say that I grew up in one single place. Your wife, Crystal Hurst, is also in education? Read More . You cant just change the organizational structure and expect change to 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. Buffy Wicks, and his third to ex-WCCUSD trustee, now State Supt. Among the strategies that he points to are restorative justice alternatives to traditional school discipline, promoting rigorous, engaging and culturally relevant curriculum as well as project-based learning, and aligning curriculum with career pathways and industry occupational sectors. Dr. Planning and implementing project-based learning would Read More. But Hurst doesnt just want to throw things at people, he said in an interview with EdSource. Its about giving back, and giving ourselves to the community of West Contra Costa, Hurst said of he and his wife. 1003 On June 30, 2021, the OSD Board of Directors approved a three year contract naming Pete Perez the district's superintendent. In Oceanside, he implemented some of the same strategies he adopted at the small schools in San Diego, he said. File photo Finalists for superintendent are: Dr. Kenneth (Chris) Hurst, superintendent, Othello School District, Othello, WA Cmon, folks lets stop expecting out of the box miracles in the face of head in the sand funding. We kind of moved every two years. Marvin Parker, 99th Logistics Readiness Squadron superintendent, Chief Master Sgt. But WCCUSD spent just $450 (3%) more per student than Oceanside did last year yet (a) Oceanside has only 61% disadvantaged vs 71% in WCCUSD, and (b) San Diego County is just a hair over the statewide average cost of living. Graduation rate is a systemic issue and it really goes to building this whole healthy system. Everything that Im sharing with you ties to like the graduation rate. He is committed to promoting restorative practices and social-emotional learning that will change students behavior without taking them out of class. Before taking the job in May, Hurst was superintendent of the Othello School District in Othello, Washington, for five years, where he is credited with increasing graduation rates and decreasing overall student absences. So those are the things that Im going to be bringing from Othello to here. Richmond Confidential is an online news service produced by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism for, and about, the people of Richmond, California. Having engaging, culturally relevant curriculum is also important to keeping students on track, he said. Ive traveled across the United States and lived from New York, New Jersey. Michael Littleton Richmond Promise Board Chair, Former Senior Vice President of Finance, Gu Energy Labs. Thats had a positive impact on students everywhere he has worked, he said. 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. West Contra Costa Unified has had two African American interim superintendents in the past. He knows how to be a superintendent because hes been doing the work. And ultimately, our parents and our communities, they want to see their children succeed. Students will return to campuses for instructional hubs for several hours a day. Dr. Hurst earned his Doctorate in Education, K-12 Leadership (Magna Cum Laude), at the University of Southern California in 2011, and his Master of Arts Degree in Educational Administration (Magna Cum Laude) in 2008, and his Bachelor of Science, a degree in Mathematics in 1997 at California State University, San Marcos. The Board voted 5-0 at Wednesday nights board meeting on a three-year contract for Dr. Hurst that begins May 17. 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. 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. But Im also a big proponent in culturally relevant teaching as well. (The school) became a college-going community, and the beginning of a journey for me: where I could see how you can implement effective strategies in a struggling community and really change the outcomes for students and their lives, Hurst said. 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 . Jeff Taylor, WCCUSD's new Superintendent Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst's first official day was May 17. While serving as the Associate Superintendent of Educational Services, he supervised the Oceanside Promises implementation to ensure all Oceanside students graduated ready for college and career and established the Oceanside Promise Foundation, a 501(c)(3). There are some other pieces that are priorities for me but I would say those are the top two priorities. Robert Hurst Thames Valley District School Board Secondary Teacher Agreed. Hurst is apparently just another neoliberal, protecting the wealthy by betraying his students and their families, when he asserts that his "out of the Read More. At USC, I had a professor that showed me how to challenge the system, and that you cant just go on to public education and accept the condition that its in, that we have to literally rewrite the script. They showed me how to be a leader in school, a great teacher is well. 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. Two-thirds of the students qualify for free and reduced price meals. c***@oside.us. 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. Hurst is not just qualified to support our district through these very challenging times, but he has also gone through a successful school reopening in his previous district.. They are Adam Clark of Mt. So its going to look different for every single student. University of CaliforniaNorth Gate HallBerkeley, CA. Best to relabel it the Professional Practices Gap. 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