VIRTUAL: Tuesday December 3, 11am-1pm PT

Schools are facing epic failures in their attempts to educate Black children. From teacher shortages to student shortages, districts have had to adapt and find ways to build collaborations that help keep students in school. The gaps Black children face feed into gaps that will exist in the future unless there is more urgency in our communities to respond to the crisis our children face. In our many conversations over the past 8 years about Educating Black Children, this is the first time we have had a Superintendent of Schools as our guest. How can we as extended learning educators help schools to address the crisis facing the institution and Black children?

Today’s Guest is longtime educator, administrator and school leader Dr. Don English.  Don has served in many capacities in the San Bernardino County Office of Education, including Executive Director, Program Manager, Principal, Lead Teacher, Teacher, Grant Administrator and Grant Writer.  Don has been recognized as the NAACP Teacher of the Year, San Bernardino County Teacher of the Year for Alternative and Special Education, Association of California School Administrators Education Options Administrator of the Year and the California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare and Attendance Outstanding Service Award recipient.  Don was appointed to the Chaffee Joint Union High School district board of trustees in 2021. Chaffee is the second largest high school district in the State of California.   They have had only 9 superintendents in 111 years.  He is a 30 plus year educator, and Executive Director of the county Gangs and Drugs Task Force.  Don is highly regarded throughout the region for his work promoting equity, inclusion and collaboration.  He is the first school administrator we have spoken with in our series of conversations but we thought it important for those of us who work in the beyond school space, to understand the current challenges that public schools are facing, especially those impacting Black children.