I wanted to go to a military school. Hurst said theres a correlation between students not being in class due to suspensions and expulsion and their academic performance. Its going to take a community effort, to take all of us working together as one for a shared vision.. West Contra Costa Unified superintendent hired, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), H-1B: Feds want criminal charges over application fraud for Silicon Valleys favorite visa. Dr. I think for me, overarching, were going to be working on what we call a graduate profile, which is what we want our students to know and be able to do when they graduate. Vancouver Public Schools narrows search for superintendent Hurst is the districts 10th leader and its first non-interim African American superintendent. 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. Kenneth Chris Hurst Sr., Ed.D | Superintendent | West Contra Costa Watching superintendents fail in LCFF-funded districts in high-cost counties has become routine. 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. Improvement in a very few aligned professional practices will go a long way in improving student academic achievement. You cant just change the organizational structure and expect change to happen. 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. We love to exercise. Read More . I think its really dependent upon our students I think its individual success and individually defined. Dr. I think its not just Richmond, I think its an issue across the United States and mostly found in large urban school districts, you see a high rate of suspensions. AnnMarie Baines Founder & Executive Director, The Practice Space. Are there strategies you used in the Othello, Washington, district that you hope to implement here? West Contra Costa Unified - School Directory Details (CA Dept of Education) He wants to hear from everyone at the district to see what strategies they can come up with together. UPDATE 10:06 a.m.: Incumbent Del. Richmond Confidential is an online news service produced by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism for, and about, the people of Richmond, California. 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. Reading articles, research and more, both academic and not.. 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. Read More. This is not a warm-body job.. 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. He also holds an Associate of Arts degree from National University, San Diego. We also are partnering with a number of organizations that have reached out to me. Sylvester Greenwood andDr. Cynthia LeBlanc each served one-year terms as interim superintendents. We hired 20 counselors, additional counselors, so the case loads were at 750 per counselor but now weve reduced that down to 350. 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. Chris Hurst is an Associate Superintendent at Oceanside Unified School District based in Oceanside, California. 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. Why struggle with bad credits when you can actually get them fixed within a couple of days with, I tried getting a car loan sometime last year but my credit score of about 521 ruined the process. Since I was in desperate need of a car due to the nature of my new job, I resorted to making online research on how I could restore my credit to a minimum of 650 to enable me to qualify, after a few months of searching, I bumped into a blog and found positive reviews about, I am excited to get to work in West Contra Costa Unified and about working together to provide a world-class educational experience for students that prepares them to be globally competent and allows them to compete and participate in our diverse and global society, Hurst said. During his five years at Othello, graduation rates increased from 71% to 87%, and absences declined by 33%, he said. Im a big proponent on ethnic studies, so youre going to see that happening in our district. Ask Amy: I put a security camera in my room, and what I saw was creepy, Ask Amy: My fiancee's family says I'm not invited, and she's going without me, The dad whose wife and child were among 5 killed by a neighbor in Texas describes how the massacre unfolded, 'Total dominance': Steph Curry breaks NBA Game 7 record, leads Warriors over Kings, Dear Abby: The reason her fiance hid his phone was something she never guessed, Mortgage fees to rise for buyers with high credit scores, fall for those with lower scores, Kurtenbach: Steph Curry built the Warriors dynasty. Were coming back to in person, so I want to make sure that our students are safe, and so were doing everything in our power to make sure we have mitigation strategies in place. So we have a lot of work to do. 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). 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. Thats a serious issue. Dr. Hurst becomes WCCUSDs 10th permanent superintendent and its first permanent African American superintendent. And I really am now interested in making sure that that doesnt happen to kids, which is why Im really invested in education but especially in systemic inequities and vertical inequities within the system. Diablo Unified, Kyla Johnson-Trammell of Oakland Unified, Vincent Matthews of San Francisco Unified and Harry Doc Ervin of Bakersfield City School District. Buffy Wicks, and his third to ex-WCCUSD trustee, now State Supt. 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. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? He also implemented Othellos K-12 pathway, the Districts Social-Emotional Learning Standards. Its about accumulating these skills so I can use these skills to make the United States or the globe a better place, and to really tackle pressing economic issues and global issues like COVID. 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. How will you address the systemic inequality that BIPOC students have had to deal with? Doctorate in Education in K-12 Leadership, at the University of Southern California in 2011. Bay Area students chosen as semifinalists in the prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholars Program who made the cut? Kenneth Chris Hurst was chosen as the next superintendent of West Contra Costa Unified. Duffy had served as superintendent since 2016, and his total compensation and benefits last year was about $365,000, according to Transparent California. Dr. Hurst has served as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington, since 2016. Dr. Hurst may think that his SoCal experience will help him. That is a huge concern, and we have been stagnant for years for a number of years. They showed me how to be a leader in school, a great teacher is well. He spent 6 years as a principal and assistant principal in Oceanside, including the turnaround principal for Jefferson Middle and Oceanside High schools. We think thats important to check in with the families. as well as their lower graduation rates and higher rates of expulsions and suspensions. North San Diego County, turning around Jefferson Middle School and Oceanside High, he said. Next, he worked as a principal under former San Diego Unified Superintendent Alan, Bersin. 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). Board of Directors - The Richmond Promise Kenneth Chris Hurst, who will take over as the first permanent African American superintendent of West Contra Costa Unified School District within a few weeks, has his sights set on closing longstanding achievement gaps between Black, Latino and white students at the 30,000-student district. Board president Mister Phillips noted in an interview that West Contra Costa Unified is a mid-sized district relative to others in California, saying Hursts transition to the Bay Area is a natural progression. I was born in Germany. He received a bachelor of science in mathematics at California State University, San Marcos, in 1997 before teaching math, algebra, college preparation and computer science in Poway. But this is its first permanent African American appointee. Something went wrong. 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. So, another piece that Ive talked to people about is instituting threat-assessment teams at every level of the organization, at the district level but also at the school level. 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. And as I look at large, urban systems like San Diego or LA or Oakland or Long Beach and even, West Contra Costa Unified School District, these are large systems which for the most part are failing are Black and brown kids. The staff at Richmond High School are backing student demands and uplifting them to engage the whole community. I think its inspirational, motivational, and I know people will look up to me as a positive African American role model.. Well involve students also into this conversation because we want to hear from them about what they want to have when they graduate. 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. Hurst is equity-focused, has a background of increasing student academic achievement, is data-driven, works in collaboration with all labor partners and families, and is always student-centered, Board Trustee Demetrio Gonzalez Hoy said. So its going to look different for every single student. Thats the kind of role model I want to be. I look forward to working with him, and I have confidence in the experience and ability that he is bringing to this table.. The district plans to reopen campuses for hybrid instruction on Mondayafter more than a year of distance learning. So I have a number of priorities but I would certainly say my top priority is improving student learning and student achievement. Chris Hurst - Asso.. - Oceanside Unified School District - ZoomInfo And I always had a talent in mathematics. The state has such a large influx of revenue this year due overwhelmingly to very high taxes paid in Contra Costa and the Bay Area that it may have to give some back. When the federal firehose of Covid spending suddenly stops next year, do Legislators Hicks and Skinner really want Dr. Hurst to be the latest superintendent of color to fall, in the face of economic realities? Ervin has just been selected to be the next of superintendent of San Bernardino City Unified, and will take over there on July 1. The Bay Area is a "liberal" place with perhaps the worst economic inequality in the country, and until that changes, WCCUSD will have the same outcomes. 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 all Oceanside students would graduate college or be career ready. We are thrilled with Dr. Hursts background, experience, and readiness to hit the ground running here in our District and help us to the next level, WCCUSD Board President Mister Phillips said. Educational Equity-Title IX / Office of the Ombudsperson Home Page And how do our teachers address and work with those differences as well? Privacy Policy First day of school. So there has to be a big investment in preschool to make sure that we close that early literacy gap. He Read More. Improvement in a very few aligned professional practices will go a long way in improving student academic achievement. University of CaliforniaNorth Gate HallBerkeley, CA. Is it really a tribute to Supt. He started his educational career in Poway Unified as a math and computer programming and computer science teacher. WCCUSD's Board of Education hired Dr. Hurst on April 14, 2021, making him the first permanent African American superintendent. Yeah, I did address this a little bit. WCCUSD received nearly 30 applications for the position from throughout the country. Our goal is to produce professional and engaging journalism that is useful for the citizens of the city. Status: Active: District Type: Agreed. Thats had a positive impact on students everywhere he has worked, he said. Best to relabel it the Professional Practices Gap. There are also massive inequalities in income levels among families in the district and the different communities it encompasses. His military service includes Maintenance Supervisor at Camp Pendleton (19911993), Combat Duty (Desert Storm), Saudi Arabia (19901991), Communications Instructor/Supervisor at Camp Pendleton (19881990), Drill Instructor, San Diego (19861988), and Communications Specialist at Camp Pendleton (19821986). The District also gathered more than 6,000 responses from the community on the next Superintendents qualities and qualifications. Two-thirds of the students qualify for free and reduced price meals. So professional learning is going to be a very big key here in Richmond and across the United States. So I would say COVID safety and overall safety is a big component. He became assistant principal in Poway Unified just north of San Diego, where he helped open Westview High School in 2002. I think its encouraging when we see people like President Obama and Kamala Harris. Thats why I stayed in education, because there have to be people willing to challenge the system, and to really rewrite the script of education. Then you dont see students walk into the classroom, where they disengaged. I grew up all over the place. Questions, comments, or suggestions? During his five years at Othello, graduation rates increased from 71% to 87%, and absences declined by 33%, He also implemented the districts social-emotional learning standards. There needs to be people like myself that are willing to invest in challenging the system. He is committed to promoting restorative practices and social-emotional learning that will change students behavior without taking them out of class. 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. New superintendent for West Contra Costa Unified has concrete ideas for So I just love spending time with her. WCCUSD's new Superintendent Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst's first official day was May 17. 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. Planning and implementing project-based learning would Read More. 2023 Richmond Confidential. I have seen him on the phone, while emailing someone and texting yet another about a different issue, Stevenson said via email. Click here for EdSource's Comments Policy. 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. 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. His acumen in social justice, equity, and focus on accelerating student achievement here is impressive. Duffy saw the district through a difficult financial stretch. 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. Dear Abby: Am I overreacting to my European daughter-in-law's behavior? You know, you hear about the districts that are mandating vaccinations, we are not there yet, but were having conversations about strongly encouraging vaccinations because we know thats one of the best mitigation strategies that we can employ. Like many large urban California districts, West Contra Costa Unified has experienced considerable budget woes in recent years. Smith-Folds added that her biggest reason for choosing Hurst was hearing him speak about his wife, Crystal, a special education teacher who Hurst turns to as a sounding board for major decisions. Its not just about getting a job and making money. He also boosted the districts linked learning programs, which integrate academics with real-world work experiences. Everything that Ive shared with you is what I plan to implement: preschool to close the early literacy gap; project-based learning to really address student engagement; as well as focus on building leadership capacity; and focus on building teacher capacity, culturally relevant teaching as well; but also addressing systemic inequities by having implicit bias training for our teachers. The finalists are Camas School District Superintendent Jeff Snell, right, and Kenneth (Chris) Hurst, superintendent of the Othello School District in Adams County. Superintendent Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Sr. is the 10th permanent superintendent in West Contra Costa Unified School District History. The small academy Hurst oversaw was geared toward students interested in careers in medicine, with a pathway for graduates to go directly into nursing assistant jobs. 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. Chris Hurst Superintendent, West Contra Costa Unified School District. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, 60, who served as a superintendent at a school district in Washington state, will be West Contra Costa Unified's first permanent Black superintendent. 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. His second should be to Assm. What happens is when kids arent being read to, theyre not reading, they come into kindergarten already behind. Dr. Hurst joins WCCUSD after spending the past five years as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington. I think those are the big pieces that Im really focusing on coming back for fall. 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. of Schools, Tony Thurmond, to do likewise. As the incoming superintendent, I am eager to work within our learning community to confront and address issues of systemic racism, implicit bias, and ensuring growth mindset at every level of the organization, Dr. Hurst said. Quitman ISD 600 N Winnsboro Street Quitman, TX 75783 Phone: 903-763-5000 FAX: 903-763-2710 Email: masonc@quitmanisd.net 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. The Board voted 5-0 at Wednesday night's board meeting on a three-year contract for Dr. Hurst that begins May 17. With my wife. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. I enjoyed it. Find Us . Thurmonds leadership? I always share the story of my experience as an African American adolescent; I never saw in the curriculum anyone who looked like me or resembled me, Hurst said. Email. Thinking "outside the box" will simply never outweigh the fact that WCCUSD has 9% less purchasing power than its demographic peers elsewhere in California. Before his career in education, Dr. Hurst served 12 years in the Marines. He refused to let it end in Game 7, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. He collaborated to implement the Future Ready technology initiative, designed to create a shared vision of preparing students for success in college, career, and citizenship. So how do we check in with them during the school day? Board of Trustees Hires Districts First Permanent African American Superintendent. I was the type of student that really excelled in math and I used to love taking tests like an assessment, and I was the type of student that would go in and I would just excel, get 100% and do the extra credit. c***@oside.us. 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). 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. I have an unwavering commitment and dedication to supporting a culture of inclusion and equity throughout the district and community, and what excites me is that we have a board and learning community interested in educational equity for all students., Fight your California speeding ticket and win, Recover Stolen/Missing Crypto/Funds/Assets. I think its important for African-American, Latinx and students of color to see other people of color in leadership positions, Hurst said. 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. Kenneth Hurst Sr. chosen as superintendent of West Contra Costa schools It takes things like early literacy as well. In Oceanside, he implemented some of the same strategies he adopted at the small schools in San Diego, he said. West Contra Costa Unified School District | LinkedIn I really believe in investing in building teacher capacity and building leadership capacity, and thats what it really comes down to when we talk about BIPOC and racism and implicit biases as well. 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. Jerry Dunn, 99th Medical Group superintendent, and Chief Master Sgt. Given the number of students of color, I am certain that his presence will be appreciated by students and parents of color, as well as the faculty and staff of the district, Camp said. Hurst works non-stop and is very dedicated to his job. 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. Welcome, Dr. Hurst. Currently, only four of the states 30 largest school districts have Black superintendents. When that doesnt happen, what the research says, by the time a student gets into third grade, then they are 30 million words behind those students whose families read to them 30 million words. They want to come to school because attendance matters as well, and that plays into graduation rate. West Contra Costa Unified enrolled about 28,000 students last school year, according to U.S. Department of Education data. Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account. 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. Diablo Unified, Kyla Johnson-Trammell of Oakland Unified, Vincent Matthews of San Francisco Unified and Harry Doc Ervin of Bakersfield City School District. The theory of action is: build capacity across a system so we could better support the students, because thats what it comes down to, how are we better helping and supporting students. She is visually impaired, she is blind. Shomik Mukherjee covers Oakland, with a focus on local politics, developments and activism. They focus a lot on design thinking, a process which is out of Stanford as well, which is a problem-solving approach. At Oceanside High School, Dr. Hurst led double-digit growth in the schools academic growth performance. 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. He also facilitated instructional rounds for the Oceanside high school network and the LCAP development. They are Adam Clark of Mt. 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. He previously reported in Contra Costa County and before joining the Bay Area News Group he worked in Eureka and Santa Barbara. Hurst has also used a train the trainer approach to professional development. So my whole concept is making sure that we get curriculum in front of our kids, that [we get] role models for our kids that look like them. 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. And its not been happening, especially with our Black and our Latinx students, so thats a big concern as well. 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.

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