Education Insight

In this week's episode of Education Insight, we delve into the nationwide chaos surrounding financial aid applications. What began as a well-intentioned plan has turned into a federal mess, causing delays in the FAFSA, Cadaa, and Pell Grant processes. In this episode, we aim to unravel the complexities of the situation, exploring the root causes and the ongoing efforts to find solutions. Our special guest, Marlene Garcia, the Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission, sheds light on how California is navigating these challenges, offering crucial insights for students, administrators, and financial aid workers. Tune in for a comprehensive discussion on the state of financial aid and the steps being taken to ensure students secure the support they need for their education.

Join us for an enlightening episode of Education Insight as we delve into the world of lifelong learning with Angela, the Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Cal State San Bernardino's Palm Desert Campus. We'll uncover the essence of Osher's mission and support system, exploring its tuition structure and location specifics. Angela shares the rich history of the Olli program, revealing its popularity in California and the diverse motivations of incoming students. Discover the fascinating array of courses available in Osher's catalog, devoid of traditional exams but brimming with enriching experiences. Angela sheds light on the exceptional instructors at the Palm Desert campus and recounts captivating anecdotes, including the remarkable post-class adventures of students. Gain insight into the most memorable moments within the Olli program and explore other Southern California campuses offering similar enriching classes. Lastly, Angela guides us on how to learn more about Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, providing valuable resources for continued exploration. Tune in to unlock the secrets of lifelong learning with Osher's oasis and Angela as our guide.

This past month the Toward a Shared Vision Education Summit was held in Riverside, bringing together the highest level of Inland education, economic, and non-profit leaders. For two days, discussions large and small focused on the collective impact that can be achieved here…finding solutions and smarter pathways for student success in school and in college and after. Speakers ranged from great national thinkers to disadvantaged students who shared what has helped them make it to graduation, and what didn’t.

Today on Education Insight we’re bringing you noteworthy moments and speakers from the Toward a Shared Vision Education Summit in Riverside where educators, economists, and policymakers gathered to learn how this region can work more collectively to help students succeed in greater numbers.

In this compelling episode of Education Insight, we delve deep into the growing concern of math anxiety and its profound implications on students within the Inland Empire. Math anxiety, the paralyzing fear of mathematics, often goes unnoticed but casts a long shadow on educational outcomes. This episode sheds light on the far-reaching consequences of math anxiety and the pivotal role it plays in students' academic and career choices.

Join us as we engage with experts, educators, and students who have experienced math anxiety firsthand. They share personal stories and insights, shedding light on the emotional and psychological toll it takes. Moreover, we delve into the societal repercussions of this dilemma, including economic disparities and career limitations.

But it's not all about problems; we also seek solutions. Our experts provide valuable guidance on addressing math anxiety, both in schools and at home. From innovative teaching methods to fostering a positive math learning environment, we explore the strategies that can help students overcome their fears and unlock their full potential.

Don't miss this important episode, as we strive to bridge the gap between math anxiety and success in the Inland Empire, working towards a brighter and more prosperous future for all.

Across the country a number of communities are creating greater student success by inviting business, economy, and education leaders into the room to help solve issues. They say "It's difficult", but that it works! Collective impact and local education is what we're discussing on the next Education Insight.

As September kicks off, this school year promises to be unique. In the next Education Insight episode, we tackle two critical topics affecting California's education landscape.

First, we delve into the California Education Budget decrease, set to withdraw over 20 billion dollars from our schools this year. We examine its potential impact on local education quality and discuss how communities are responding.

Additionally, we shed light on the numerous Cash for College workshops, helping Inland Empire residents secure substantial funds for their education. These workshops, staffed by California Student Aid Commission experts, simplify the federal application process.

Join us for this insightful Education Insight episode as we explore the challenges and opportunities facing education in California. Discover how budget cuts may reshape education and how students can access the financial support they need. Don't miss this timely conversation!

The landscape of education and workforce training is rapidly evolving, with community colleges and universities collaborating to create effective training programs that cater to the needs of businesses and recent graduates. Through these partnerships, specially trained apprentices are being placed in jobs that align with their aspirations and career goals.

Moreover, college graduates and community workforce programs are instrumental in driving the growth of apprenticeships, seeking meaningful career inlets and opportunities that align with their expertise and passions.

Through firsthand accounts and interviews with business owners, we'll uncover how these programs are providing a smoother path to employment for skilled apprentices, empowering them to enhance their skill sets and flourish in their chosen fields even after college.

If you're curious about the dynamic world of apprenticeships and their positive influence on workforce development, join us for an insightful discussion that highlights the transformative power of specialized training programs in shaping the future of our workforce.

In this enlightening episode, we delve into the world of Dual Enrollment, an educational pathway that opens doors to remarkable opportunities for high school students. Join us as we unravel the intricacies of this program, shedding light on its significance, benefits, local initiatives, and future prospects.

Our esteemed guests, Adrienne Pacheco, and Jorge Perez,  bring their extensive expertise and insights to the table. Together, we embark on a journey to understand the multifaceted aspects of Dual Enrollment.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into local and state Dual Enrollment initiatives and mandates. Our guests shed light on the policies and partnerships that have paved the way for the successful implementation of Dual Enrollment programs in our region. We delve into collaborative efforts between high schools and colleges, sharing examples of innovative practices that ensure seamless transitions and maximize student outcomes.

Tune in to this captivating episode as we unravel the transformative power of Dual Enrollment. Whether you are a student, parent, educator, or community member, this episode will empower you with the information and inspiration needed to navigate the world of Dual Enrollment and unlock a brighter future.

In the Inland Empire, our students count on teachers and administrators to help them make it to graduation. But in fact, they, our whole community, are counting on legislators to create good education policies. Policy that makes the road to graduation equitable, affordable, and possible. Are the policies that affect our students working for them or against them? This week three top experts lay it out for us. Dr. Nohemy Ornelas, Vice Chancellor of Educational and Student Support Services for the San Bernardino Community College District. Ann Marie Sakrekoff, the Interim CEO of Growing Inland Achievement, and Dr. Brittnee Quintanar, of Norcco College conducted a study that put her in front of our top education leaders asking what they think about it. Join us for the next Education Insight. 

Last month, a number of people in the Inland Empire were honored for extraordinary achievements in Inland Empire education. This week, we'd like you to meet them. What are the qualities that make you the BEST teacher of 2023 or the best administrator? What does an 8th-grade Fontana kid have to do to win the regional spelling bee and end up headed for the national competition? Plus; a look at the biggest STEM competition in the Inland Empire-where over a thousand science-loving kids converged to give it all they know for the Inland Empire Science Olympiad. All that... and more on the next episode of Education Insight.

Artificial Intelligence has landed in the Inland Empire; allowing high school students to explore Egypt or China in virtual reality. It is helping pre-med students learn surgery with overlay vision that shows them where to make incisions and it's making local logistic hubs more efficient. But two top experts in Inland economics and education are warning that it comes with a price. Instructors at all grade levels worry that chat gpt is actually completing your child's school report, and Amazon is talking about creating "dark warehouses," where all employees are let go, robotic devices take over the heavy lifting and they can save even more by turning off all of the lights. Are we prepared for all of this?

On today's Education Insight, we focus on nothing but A.I. and our region. This story is one where local politicians and educators are working to save the future and our jobs by getting in front of Artificial Intelligence. Dr. Johannes Moenius, from the University of Redlands, is an internationally respected expert on global economics and technology who has focused much of his work and teachings on the Inland Empire. Dr. Christian Shelton; A faculty member in the Computer Science & Engineering department at the University of California Riverside, and Author or co-author of over 65 scholarly works on Artificial Intelligence dating back to 2006. He is the lead contributor and member of R-Lair; a Riverside California lab of scholars all dedicated to research on artificial intelligence. I hope you'll join us for the next Education Insight when we explore: A.I. in the I.E.

Most of us look at school...as a path to get us to a dream we already have. But here in the Inland Empire, it's common for students to be introduced to interesting experiences or careers that they never even thought about. This week we meet a former: custodian, a college journalist, and a little boy who was just trying to make it thru Ms. Lees's 2nd-grade class--and then a moment at school that sent all three of them into totally unexpected directions. In this week's Education Insight-stories of surprise and success from local students. 

Today we bring you a show that has little to do with classroom lessons but everything to do with local student success. In the aftermath of the pandemic, we now have more community college students of all ages, living in cars, arriving hungry, in need of traditional and mental health services, and having serious transportation issues. They are often veterans or those who lost work during the lockdowns. In California, Education leaders and legislators have become increasingly aware of this. So, this year, they helped make federal, state, non-profit, and private money become more readily available to Inland Empire colleges to help these students stay healthy, safe, and learning. These services often referred to as wrap-around support, are now providing struggling community college students with Food, housing, childcare, mental health, financial assistance, and transportation. Today-two top administrators are responsible for establishing programs that get those services to the students who most need them.

This past month the Toward A Shared Vision education summit was held at the Riverside Convention center. It was aimed at bringing education leaders from Inland Southern California together to collaborate and in many cases to put those who come from different colleges and universities or K-12 in the same room to learn how others might be doing the very same job with different results.

So the Education Insight team set up a recording booth at the two-day event and we pulled a number of local and state leaders in to find out what the shared vision really is and what they agree is good in the Inland Empire as well as what they say needs to be done locally in our schools and colleges.

This week we’re talking with two women who have fought relentlessly for their education. Dr. Avisinia Rodriguez spent much of her childhood in the Oasis Trailer Park community. She is currently the Assistant Dean at the Palm Desert Campus of Cal State San Bernardino and is now the recipient of a multi-million dollar grant to help kids like her, find an easier path to success. 

At seventeen, Brianna Moran found high school impossible due to the bullies that made life unbearable. She left without graduating. But a decade later, woke up one morning with a weight, health, and alcohol problem and decided enough was enough. She somehow found a way out of all of these issues and went back to school to reimagine her future. Tune in to listen to these incredible stories on this episode of Education Insight.

The last few years have been tumultuous for everyone. From lockdowns, drought, protests, shootings, bullies, a global pandemic, and politics. But no one has been hit harder by these issues than our kids. They have become the #1 group to commit suicide or a mass shooting, and as the news reports this frequent story, there are always calls for more mental health assistance to help them. Today we are looking at how well our Inland Southern California Kids are doing, with two experts who are on campuses, leading major efforts to help our kids stay mentally healthy, happy, and productive.

We’ve all heard the saying "it takes a village to raise a child". Well, two Inland community-based programs heard that and said "I think that’s our cue". Big Brothers Big Sisters of Inland Empire and Orange County and the Promise Scholars program are both finding success in helping kids do better in school and begin working for a successful education, career, and life. In this episode of Education Insight, we look at these two unique programs and why it has become so important to them to help kids do better in school and get excited about the future. 

Technology-focused industries are popping up all over the Inland Region, and that begs the question, are students learning the skills they need for highly technical jobs that are right here in our own backyard? From grade schools to universities the response is notable. In the next Education Insight, we explore immersive media, virtual and augmentative reality, artificial intelligence, 3D modeling, and animatronics. We meet some people that are bringing all of that into local elementary schools and universities to make our kids truly competitive.

We hear stories on the news of threats to teachers, mass suspensions, and bullying. Some teachers say that laws just don’t protect them in the class like they used to, so we’re digging deep into the handling of discipline at Inland Empire schools. Where is the problem coming from and who is trying to resolve it? Two experts with rather innovative approaches are finding success and helping to change legislation from here to Capitol Hill. Join us as we explore the discipline in the Inland Empire this week on Education Insight.

An extraordinary number of television shows and movies focus on the struggles of kids in middle school. The struggle is real for kids at an awkward age where decisions are often poorly made. The brain of kids between ages 10-14 is growing at an amazing rate, and experts agree that is when they need to begin to think about a career and college, often despite their indifference. So how do parents and educators get middle schoolers thinking about the future? In today's program, we find answers to the tough questions: How to talk to kids, how to successfully get them to begin preparing for college or a successful career, and when they just need to focus on being a kid. Our guests today work through that with kids and families every day, here in the Inland Empire. 

In the 1970s and 80s, traditionalist educators insisted that a great education should include lots of structure, specific standards of performance, and a heavy dose of memorization of key facts and concepts. These they assured, would help our students to enter the workforce already proficient in language and writing skills, mathematics, science, social studies, and some critical thinking. Are those skills enough for an IE student to succeed in the current and coming workforces. What do students in the Inland Empire need to know today? Are our schools preparing graduates with what they really need to know and preparing our community with upcoming graduates ready to take local businesses and industry into a brighter future? Find out in today's episode.

Featured Guests: Michael Goss, the Director of the Inland Empire/Desert Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research. Paul Granillo, President & CEO, Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP). 

Educators, researchers, scientists, and politicians have proven that if you want your child to make it to college, starting them at pre-school has extraordinary payoffs for lifelong learning. Unfortunately, pre-school operates differently in every community. There are many programs providing free pre-school to very poor communities and a number of almost ivy-league pre-schools for wealthy families. Many middle-class families have been unable to afford what was left for their children. But then-Kevin McCarty, the State Representative from Sacramento crafted AB 22 — a bill aimed at making pre-school or Transitional Kindergarten possible and free for any family in California that chooses to enroll their child. It passed in August and with the assistance of AB130, which provides wrap-around services like additional child-care and extra funding — California is setting up programs across the state. Today we're sorting thru the differences in pre-school and transitional kindergarten, plus what parents can expect.

Featured Guests:

Kevin McCarty, California State Assembly Member, 7th District. Karen Scott, Executive Director of First Five San Bernardino.

Today we're digging deep to learn about college affordability and access – to gain a better understanding of student grants, loans, and the billions that are available right now for students from all backgrounds to use for college. And, what's being done to make the process easier to apply, and make college affordable and accessible for residents of our region.

Featured Guests:

ET Winzer, Director and Strategic Outreach and Engagement at Federal Student Aid (FSA), and Office of the U.S. Department of Education.

Catalina Cifuentes, Executive Director, College and Career Readiness, Riverside County Office of Education.

Angel Rodriguez, Senior Director of Marketing, Public Affairs & Government Relations at the San Bernardino Community College District.

With all of the recent talk about the price of college, many people are asking what the value of a higher education is right now. Is it worth it? What can you expect to make as a result? How much will it cost? How long until it pays off?

In this episode, we'll dive into those questions and more. We sit down with the Chancellor of the University of California, Riverside, Dr. Kim Wilcox to hear his thoughts. Plus, we meet Dr. Yvonne Olivares, who recently completed an exhaustive study of Inland Empire high school students to determine their perceived value of a college education. Listen now!

Featured Guests:

Dr. Yvonne Olivares, research scientist, and methodologist, and Kim Wilcox, Chancellor, University of California-Riverside.

Thousands of Inland empire residents have gone to college and then dropped out, sometimes shortly before graduation. However, a plethora of new programs that help adults with child care, grants, food, and academic assistance are beginning to bring those who left back to college.

Today we’re speaking with two people leading the charge to get those adults with some or much college back to finish. First, we talk with Dr. Emma Diaz who serves as a liaison between adult schools district offices, community colleges, and community service agencies to help in the redesign of adult education in the region. Later, Annette Webb tells us about the adult students returning now to get the 4-year degree they wanted all along. And finally, we hear from Linda Awad, a determined woman, and mother who shares her journey of returning back to completing her education.

Featured Guests: Emma Diaz, Annette Webb, Linda Awad.

Over the past year and a half, millions of parents have learned just how hard it is to be a teacher as they’ve overseen their children’s at home and online learning. As a result, parents are more engaged with their child’s education than before the pandemic. But most parents still have some questions they need to be answered, and teachers and administrators have a number of things they wish parents knew. This week we’re digging deep to find those answers.

Featured guests include:

Renae Ramsey, Coordinator for Leadership, Innovation, and Outreach • Division of Educational Services, Riverside County Office of Education, and Megan Silva, Principal, Kendall-Harmon Elementary School

In this episode of Education Insight, we look at the success schools with a diverse teacher workforce are experiencing and why. And we learn more about a unique collaboration taking place in the Inland Empire to get more Black and Latinx male teachers in the pipeline. 

Featuring Desiree Carver-Thomas, Researcher and Policy Analyst on the Learning Policy Institute's Educator Quality Team, and Dr. Chinaka DomNwachukwu, Dean of the College of Education at Cal State San Bernardino. 

In this episode, we discuss what kinds of change can be created in local education with million-dollar gifts. More specifically, we’ll hear what Chaffey College plans to do with the $25 million gift they recently received from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. And, we'll learn about the change that has been created with the late Jack Brown gift of $10 million to Cal State San Bernardino 5 years ago. We’ll also speak to the new chancellor of the San Bernardino community college district, Diana Z Rodriguez, about her plans and vision as she enters this new position.

Featured guests include:

Dr. Henry Shannon, Superintendent & President of Chaffey College, Julie Nichols, Interim Associate Vice President for Philanthropic Giving, and Dr. Diana Rodriguez, San Bernardino Community College District Chancellor.

Taking our education system entirely online within a month would have seemed to be an impossible task before the pandemic. Yet, schools across the region made it happen to ensure learning continued despite the challenges faced during the crisis.

Many of us were surprised at the things we learned. Now, with a glimmer of normalcy on the horizon, and state and national resources dedicated to accelerating out of the pandemic, what are the positive takeaways from this experience? Join us for a discussion with three special guests about using lessons learned to improve student access and success.

Featured Guests:

• Ted Alejandre, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
• Edwin Gomez, Riverside County Superintendent of Schools
• Richard Edwards, Director of XCITE Center at UC Riverside

In this episode we explore equity challenges and opportunities at our Inland Empire educational institutions. 

Featured guests include: 

• Dr. Talisa Sullivan, Administrator for Equity and Access for the Riverside County Office of Education
• Dr. Angela Clark-Louque, Professor of Educational Leadership at CSU San Bernardino, and Co-author of "Equity Partnerships: A Culturally Proficient guide to family, school, and community engagement." 
• Plus we hear from students throughout San Bernardino and Riverside Counties about why they are excited about returning to in-person school.

Guests Include:

• Dr. Carlos Ayala, President & CEO, Growing Inland Achievement
• Ann Marie Sakrekoff, COO, Growing Inland Achievement
• Dr. Tomás Morales, President, California State University, San Bernardino
• Dr. Judy White, Former Riverside County Superintendent of Schools