RECOGNIZING OUR SHARED HUMANITY IS WHAT’S KEY
In 1983, I began my early positions in the Sweetwater Union High School District. By 1990, personnel reductions necessitated my change to another district to advance my career. Luckily for me, I spent the next seven years in an elementary school district, eventually helping to develop and lead a districtwide Primary Intervention Program, funded by the California Early Mental Health Initiative to help primary learners experiencing mild social adjustment difficulties bond to school through limited non-directive play sessions.
I had the opportunity to return to the secondary school district in 1997, invited to interview for a position to adapt a countysponsored asset development program to fit the district’s needs. My earlier experiences dovetailed nicely with the background needed for the project. In addition, since I had previously worked in the district, I was acquainted with many management, mental health and site staff, and they knew me as well. I was fortunate to have positive working relationships in my prior assignments. Funding for my position and the project was obtained
through federal grants stemming from the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. Because I worked directly with an area superintendent, I had high level support to take necessary steps to ensure program success. Earlier use of school safety funding had focused more on police/community relationships and less with coordination between mental health and other school climate programming. Prevention and intervention curriculum had been targeted rather than systematic in approach. This program focused on youth asset development, increasing resiliencies, and assisting youth to bond to school and positive relationships.
Creating a community advisory group, we developed an office called Systems of Support, meeting with school board members, district administrators, districtwide site management, and, eventually, school psychologists and counselors. The funding source allowed for year-to-year carryover; consequently, we developed longer term goals for sustainability. We linked site personnel with community-based organizations in weekly meetings, grouped by middle school-high school pairings with family resource centers that included parents and community health, mental health, after school, higher education, diversion and school safety personnel. Each school had a part-time grant-funded site coordinator to assist with development of a menu of services that could be brought to bear for student success by referral teams. Assistant principals were selected to assist with administration of the Healthy Kids survey, a tool to measure overall school health on a variety of parameters. In 2002, the program was presented the H.B. McDaniel Award at Stanford University for developing a model comprehensive program resulting in a major impact in the guidance field in the state of California.
I retired in 2004. As I reflect on my contributions, I feel my biggest assets have been recognizing our humanity — in each person, in each situation, trying to never lose sight of it, bringing the message through the messenger so that the message is lived and heard. I know this was shaped by my immigrant families’ fleeing persecution, a belief in the fundamental goodness of humanity across cultures, an abhorrence of violence, my personal experiences of family dysfunction, my quest for knowledge and understanding, my acceptance of responsibility and a desire to walk the talk.