March 8, 2024 • 39 mins
Embark on an inspiring exploration with Jerry Almendarez, the trailblazing superintendent of SAUSD, as he shares the riveting tale of his voyage through the realms of educational leadership and technological innovation. Engage with his vision of a future where AI and blockchain are not just buzzwords but critical tools in levelling the academic playing field. Jerry opens up about his evolution as a leader, his efforts in amplifying the voices of students, teachers, and the community, and the delicate art of balancing tech-savvy solutions with the irreplaceable value of human connections.
Feel the pulse of change as we discuss the serendipitous leap into a leadership role that Jerry made on the cusp of the global upheaval brought by COVID-19. His rich narrative encompasses the essence of networking, mentorship, and the incredible synergy that emerges when engaging with reverse mentors who offer fresh perspectives and innovative solutions. Discover how a global lens can bring clarity to universal education challenges and why embracing international collaboration can lead to a more enriched and effective leadership approach.
Finally, step into the kitchen with us for "Leading with Flavor," where storytelling and culinary magic blend to create a palatable discourse on educational goals. Jerry provides a taste of how innovative platforms can foster community engagement while focusing on the graduate profile. He also imparts wisdom from visionary literature that has shaped his educational philosophy and offers a glimpse into how a bustling leader like himself still carves out time for continuous personal and professional growth. Join us for an episode that is as much about the transformative power of relationships as it is about the innovative strides in education.
Visit us at our Buzzsprout site for more ways to listen, links to our social media sites and any referenced materials, and complete transcripts of our full-length episodes: https://bit.ly/SAUSDAmplifyingLeadership
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Bianca Barquin (00:07):
Welcome to SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership,
your go-to podcast, where wedelve into the minds and hearts
of our SAUSD leaders, uncoveringtheir visions, strategies, and
stories to inspire and mobilizeour community.
I am your host, Bianca Barquin,and today we have a very
special guest, a visionary inthe realm of education,
(00:30):
Superintendent Jerry Almendarez.
Jerry, welcome to the show.
Jerry Almendarez (00:35):
Thank you for having me.
Bianca Barquin (00:37):
We are thrilled to have you.
Jerry, you're known for yourinnovative approach to education
, your commitment to empoweringwomen, and your forward-thinking
in technology and leadership.
Our community respects andadmires the space you've created
for growth and innovation inSAUSD.
So with that, let's dive rightinto questions.
(00:58):
You've been a passionateadvocate for technology and
innovation in education, fromartificial intelligence to the
metaverse.
Can you share how theseinterests developed and how
you're applying them to enhanceour district?
Jerry Almendarez (01:13):
Yeah, it's interesting how I fall into the
category of innovation andtechnology when, as a
superintendent, that reallywasn't necessarily an intended
focus of the evolution of howthings have evolved in my
leadership style, It's reallybeen a focus on trying to make
(01:34):
myself relevant as asuperintendent in the position
and really provide relevancy tothe districts that I serve.
It just so happened that when Icame here to Santa Ana, it was
at the beginning stages of thisinnovative state that we're in
right now, and having theability to, I guess, identify
(01:55):
the potential of this innovationand how it can be an equity
equalizer really is where Igravitated towards learning more
about this state that we're inright now.
Bianca Barquin (02:08):
You have been the one who has constantly
pushed us, and pushed us, andpushed us, whether we were ready
or not, to really embrace newtechnology and to embrace
innovation.
Jerry, you've never given up onus, and I personally know that,
and we've all grown as leadersbecause of it.
What makes you not necessarilyget tired of repeating the same
(02:33):
message over and over again?
Jerry Almendarez (02:35):
Well, I think it is part of where I'm at in my
career.
I've been doing this for a longtime and you gravitate towards
what you'd like to think arebest practices.
As I ride the train in, Icommute to work, I do a lot of
reading and I have a lot ofmentors and reverse mentors that
I communicate with on socialmedia platforms, and it just
(02:58):
started jumping out at me all ofthis innovation and these
platforms that started to comeout of nowhere, in essence.
I thought there's enoughchatter out here that I better
start paying attention to it.
The more I learned about it,the more I found the value in it
and began to explore.
(03:18):
When I brought it into the teamor to executive cabinet, I
remember the first couple ofconversations we had when I
started talking about Web 3.
0, or blockchain, or NFTs, or AI, Chat GPT, the looks of daze in
people's eyes just glazingthrough me.
I found it interesting andfunny and I thought okay, I'm
(03:41):
going to pull you into thisspace, whether you like it or
not, because it's worthy of aconversation.
I'm just blessed enough to havea team that tolerates that and
was willing to have theseconversations and engage in
dialogue and begin to explore.
That's exactly what happened.
As we begin to learn more aboutAI and learn more about the
(04:04):
other innovative technologiesthat are out there on platforms,
the team started to get excitedand share it with their people.
Bianca Barquin (04:12):
Thank you, Jerry .
Your support for women inleadership and progressive ideas
is well-known.
Can you tell us about a projector idea that was particularly
meaningful to you and how youhelped bring it to fruition?
Jerry Almendarez (04:28):
I don't know if this is related to innovation
, but the listening sessionswere a project that I hold near
and dear to my heart.
That was a result of areflection of the Graduate
Profile as we were getting in toroll it out.
The conversations that we hadand the vulnerability that we
created a space for individualsto share things that maybe
(04:49):
weren't comfortable for us tohear.
When we heard that team memberssay, hey, we're making
decisions for kids, but lookaround the room, there's no kids
in here that are a part of thisconversation, that really hit
hard and made me do a lot ofreflecting.
That's when we decided to dothe listening sessions.
(05:10):
I knew that I had to bringpeople in to help facilitate,
because I wanted to be alistener and not a participant,
you know, facilitating andlistening.
I know I couldn't do both.
I learned so much from listeningto the kids, listening to the
teachers and listening to thecommunity.
(05:30):
That's, I think, one of thethings that I value.
We talk about technology andinnovation.
It's really reconnecting withthe human aspect and the human
interaction, because that iswhere we learn the most.
AI and all this technology isgoing to help speed up the
process, but we really, really,really need that human
interaction.
Our kids who are in ourcommunity are craving it.
Bianca Barquin (05:53):
I really respect that about you.
I have the pleasure of workingwith you very closely and I know
that you listen to everyone whoreally needs to be heard.
If parents come to you, you'realways there with your door open
, ready to listen to them andready to direct folks to where
they need to be.
(06:14):
I think it's become part of theculture in SAUSD.
Do you feel the same way?
Jerry Almendarez (06:21):
I do.
It's kind of an evolution.
I'm smiling as I hear you saythat, because as a
superintendent, as a leader, youexperience this too.
You are caught between a rockand a hard place when you're put
in that situation because theinitial instinct is well, did
you talk to the principal or didyou talk to the director?
Typically, the way we are usedto doing it is to go through the
(06:42):
chain of command.
I've been doing this for 15years now.
My philosophy and my experiencehas been that chain of command
doesn't always filter theinformation accurately.
When I started doing it andmeeting with individuals here in
Santa Ana, whether it be ateacher, students, or parents, I
remember getting a littleresistance, nothing too much but
(07:03):
they'll look and say, hey, Iwish you would have sent them to
us first.
My thought process was well, Iwish I didn't have to meet with
these individuals, I wish theywould have been dealt with
through the chain of command,but for whatever reason, that's
not working.
I am happy, and just so pleased, that your absolute right has
(07:26):
been ingrained in the culture ofthis district now, where we are
paying more attention to thosevoices that are coming to us
when there are issues out thereat the appropriate level, and so
I find myself meeting less withthose issues, with parent
groups and stuff like that,because staff is taking care of
(07:46):
it, and that was the goal fromthe beginning.
Bianca Barquin (07:50):
Just one last question, or even comment around
this.
Where I find myself and Iwanted to see if it's the same
for you is people are sharinginformation with us now that's
not just based around concerns.
So people are actually wantingyou to listen to celebrate or to
provide people with accoladesor praise or feedback, or just
(08:13):
to tell you what's reallyworking within the system, and
that is a change or a shift fromwhat I have experienced in the
past.
Is that the same for you?
Jerry Almendarez (08:24):
Yeah, I mean, you know it feels good.
It feels really, really good.
It's not one individual, it's ateam effort, it's a community
effort and I think we have forsuch a long time been living in
the past, trying to put outfires, trying to increase, you
know, academic performance,trying to have good working
(08:45):
relationships with our laborpartners and our community
partners, and it felt for awhile, even in my previous
district, that we were trying toplay catch-up.
But now, given the work thatwe've been doing, the culture
change, the supportive boardthat we have, we're actually in
a space where we're able to planfor the future, and when we're
(09:06):
in that space, we make betterdecisions, we are more inclusive
in our collaborations, and webring thought partners in that
we wouldn't normally bring in,who see things through a
different lens that allow us tomake better decisions than if we
were just sitting in a roomwith a few of us saying here's
what they need to know, you know, or here's what students need
(09:29):
to do, and so it's just such abreath of fresh air.
It is like a huge relief andit's such a joy to come to work
every single day, to plan forthe future and not have to live
in the past.
Bianca Barquin (09:43):
I feel the same way.
So, Jerry, let's move on to adifferent topic.
Your previous tenure as asuperintendent was marked by
success and accolades.
What motivated your transitionto SAUSD and how do you see your
past experiences shaping ourdistrict's future?
I don't know that everybodyknows about your past.
Jerry Almendarez (10:05):
Yeah, I was in a previous district for 25
years.
I was a student, similar to alot of the stories here in Santa
Ana but my last ten there wasas superintendent and I was at a
point in my life where I didn'twant to stay longer than I was
welcomed.
And also, you know, reflectingon my career, I have a couple of
(10:27):
mentors that I meet with, butone of them had lunch with me
and he basically said so, thisis it?
And I don't want to say it wasa little midlife crisis, but you
know that hit me hard because Iwas driving home and reflecting
and thinking man, is this it?
And not that I didn't enjoy it.
I loved my previous districtand I love the community, very
(10:48):
similar to here in Santa Ana butit really hit me hard.
It pierced my soul and to thepoint where I thought, you know,
I need to start thinking aboutother options.
And at the same time, thisopportunity became available and
in my initial response was no,I'm happy where I'm at, but I
had a number of people tap me onthe shoulder and say, hey, you
(11:09):
know, this would be great.
The community is very similarto the community that you're in
and I think it would be a goodmove for you and I think it
would be a good move for thecommunity if you were the person
selected.
So you know, with a lot ofconversations, with a lot of
mentors, I took the step and Iapplied, not thinking I was
going to get the job.
And I remember I could hear myheart beating after the second
(11:32):
interview when I got called backfor the third interview and it
felt like, okay, this could bereal.
And then I ended up getting thejob and couldn't have been more
pleased and more blessed withthe opportunity that I've been
given here.
You know, and the tough thing is, when I got here six months
later, Covid hit and talkingabout the experience of where
(11:53):
I'm at now, how that led up tomy current leadership style, I
think having 10 years ofexperience in the
superintendency helped menavigate this community and the
decisions that we had to make,those difficult decisions and
sometimes lack of decisions thatwe had to make.
It helped me because I had anetwork of individuals within
(12:15):
the county, within the region,within the state, within the
country that I knew where to tapinto if I didn't have the
answers or I knew I could gohave a conversation with to
validate either I'm headed inthe right directions or I'm not.
In addition to that, awonderful cabinet that helped
the culture and helped with thehistorical perspective of how
(12:36):
decisions were made, but also avery supportive board.
Bianca Barquin (12:40):
Thank you, which leads right into my next
question for you.
I've been to conferences withyou, Jerry, and honestly, it's
like walking around with acelebrity.
You know everyone and it'ssomething that I'm learning;
networking is important.
Networking does exactly whatyou said it helps connect you to
(13:01):
people who can support you andprovide you with the resources
you need.
So knowing that, networkingseems to be second nature to you
evident from the recognitionyou receive at conferences and
other spaces.
How has building a strongnetwork influenced your
leadership style and theopportunities for our district?
Jerry Almendarez (13:22):
Well, you know , this is such a crazy job.
You can't do it by yourself asmuch as we'd like to think we
can.
I think the network that I haveis, it's a selected group of
individuals, professionalsacross the country that
complement and that I look up toand really just complement the
leadership style that I aspireto be, 'cause I'm always
(13:45):
learning.
You know, I've been doing thisfor 15 years in education for
over 30 years.
But there's always things tolearn and as society evolves, as
education evolves, so do theleaders.
They need to evolve and I seethat as my role.
But the network helps meidentify those emerging trends
that are happening not only inleadership but across the
(14:07):
educational spectrum in general,and sometimes the decisions
that I think are good,when I'm in the space with my
network, I hear differentperspectives from different
parts of the country ordifferent leaders that often
make me reflect even more andthen maybe decide to go in a
(14:28):
different direction or come backand have a conversation with my
team here to throw out thosedifferent perspectives on the
table and then collectivelyarrive at a decision that meets
the needs of our community andour district.
It is a learning leadershipnetwork and not so much at an
individual team, what I considerthe global aspect of it.
(14:48):
Because we're not competingregionally, we're not competing
locally.
When I mean competing, I meaneducating and trying to be
successful in how we serve ourstudents and our community.
It is a global crisis, a globalissue that we have to face, and
so, because we are moreinterconnected now that we've
(15:09):
ever been before as a human race, it is important for our kids
to understand the globalperspective.
It's important for teachers andour leaders to understand the
global perspective, because itis a global issue, not just a
Santa Ana issue.
Bianca Barquin (15:25):
To add on to that idea a little bit, can you
tell our listeners in whatspaces are you able to connect
and to meet with folks from allaround the globe and they become
part of your network?
Jerry Almendarez (15:39):
Yeah, so I attribute that to a lot of
different people, but Iespecially appreciate what I
call my reverse mentors.
They're individuals that aremaybe researchers or in other
industries, former educators,current educators that are
generationally younger and helpme keep my eye on the ball when
(16:01):
it comes to what the emergingtrends are.
So, because I have thatrelationship with a lot of a
diverse group of individuals,often I get invited to be part
of groups that they belong tobecause they value an
experienced superintendent to bepart of the conversation,
because maybe in their spacethey're lacking that need.
(16:23):
So by tapping into thesedifferent networks globally,
nationally and across the stateand the county I'm able to be a
part of these conversations, andit just because I've been doing
this for 30 years.
This is where, for a long time,people often you know I've
crossed paths with a lot ofpeople and I just appreciate
(16:45):
their willingness to come up andsay hi and connect.
Bianca Barquin (16:50):
Thank you, Jerry .
I've heard about your uniqueapproach to storytelling and
leadership through your cookingshow.
How does this platform helpcommunicate your vision and the
District's goals?
Jerry Almendarez (17:03):
So I'm smiling because you're.
..this is breaking news rightnow.
We haven't publicized that yet,but I am so excited about this.
For those that know me wellenough know that I enjoy
cooking; cooking is a hobby ofmine.
So one holiday my son-in-lawand daughter were visiting and
we were talking, they're in themovie industry and the
(17:25):
production industry, and we weretalking about some of the jobs
that they were doing and workingon.
And then he goes hey, whatabout you?
Why don't you, you ever thoughtabout doing a show and I'm like
I'm not, doing no show, whatare you talking about?
He goes yeah, he goes, call itsomething like Supe's Kitchen
and I thought, wow, that soundspretty cool.
(17:46):
And so I couldn't stop thinkingabout it and I thought, how
cool would that be to mix apassion with a conversation?
You know, you see it happen allthe time on TV, so.
.
.
couldn't get the thought out ofmy mind, came back and had a
conversation with my team and,to my surprise, the team was
excited.
They were like, yeah, youshould do this.
(18:06):
So we came up with a name it'scalled Leading with Flavor, and
we shot our first episode, andthe theory behind that is, or
the purpose is, to really engageour community, our district
stakeholders and have aconversation about the Graduate
Profile, you know, how we, howwe accomplish a graduate profile
through a conversation that isculturally relevant and
(18:28):
culturally rich.
And the intent is to have theguest share a meal that's
important to them and theirfamily, and then, through the
cooking demonstration, is tohave a conversation about why
it's important.
You know, what memories doesthis bring, but how does this
relate to graduating from highschool if you're a student, or
how can you support the, yoursite or your community through
(18:53):
the implementation of theGraduate Profile and things like
that.
So we shot our first episode.
It, it was um, it was mole andit took way longer than we had
expected, with 25 ingredients,but it was the funniest and the
most rich conversation.
So, we have a couple more linedup and the plan is to roll it
out next school year.
Bianca Barquin (19:13):
Next school year .
So we're all excited andeverybody is going to be banging
at your door wanting toactually be on your cooking show
.
I think that's incredible.
So Leading with Flavor.
And people can look forward tothat next year.
Jerry Almendarez (19:27):
Next year and it'll be on YouTube and there
are 15 minute segments, so wedidn't want to make it too long,
but just long enough to capturethe essence of what we're
trying to accomplish.
Bianca Barquin (19:38):
Thank you.
So reading and lifelonglearning are clearly important
to you, as seen in the bookclubs that you've initiated.
Could you recommend a book thathas profoundly impacted your
educational philosophy or yourleadership style?
Jerry Almendarez (19:54):
Yeah, the one that I'm reading, or that I just
finished reading right now thathad a profound impact on me, is
the coming wave, by MustafaSuleyman, and he's a co-founder
of Open AI, but that reallymoved me in a way of really
approaching this innovativestate that we're in with a sense
(20:14):
of urgency, which is thequestion you asked earlier is
how do you keep going when nottoo many people are in this
space?
We can't afford to wait,because it's going to evolve
more quickly than we could everimagine and our goal is to be on
the front end of that evolutionso we can be at the table
making decisions that are goodfor us and not getting the
(20:35):
decisions from the state or thefederal government or from any
agency that says here, whichhere's what you have to do.
So that book really opened myeyes and really, really, really
created the sense of urgency inme.
Bianca Barquin (20:48):
Another book that you recommended that I read
that we talk about all the timethat really impacted me in the
same way, so I appreciate thefact that you're always bringing
books to us and you're alwayshaving us engage, is Imaginable
by Jane McGonigal.
So.
.
.
really got me interested instrategic foresight and just how
(21:09):
important it is to beknowledgeable about it and how
useful it will be in helping usplan strategically to improve
outcomes for our kiddos.
Jerry Almendarez (21:20):
And I appreciate you sharing that with
me, because that wasrecommended to me by one of my
reverse mentors, and that's thevalue of having this wide
network is, you know, sometimesyou're not in that space or
thinking about things andsomebody is thinking of you and
saying, here, you know youshould, this is a good book, you
should read it, and so any.
.
.
You've given me some books andso I have them, I actually took
(21:41):
a picture; I was gonna post iton the social media to share
with the community.
But this is the professionalnetwork that is so important for
us to embrace.
You know, oftentimes we think wehave all the answers or, you
know, I don't need to listen,you know, 'I know more' type of
mentality, but I tell you Ilearned more from the people
(22:03):
around me than I could everimagine.
And you know, back to the books, one of the reasons why-- I
don't have my doctorate, and alot of people make the mistake
and they call me Dr.
Almendarez, and you know I.
.
.
too many people have worked hardfor that degree and, but,
that's one of the reasons why Ispend so much time learning and
reading and reflecting isbecause I feel like I have to
(22:26):
fill that gap and I'm justblessed enough to have enough
people helping me support that,to fill that gap in that blind
spot.
Bianca Barquin (22:34):
So I have another question for you that I
think will help our listeners alot.
I know how incredibly busy youare and your calendar is so
impacted.
Just trying to schedule you forthis interview you took a lot
of coordination.
How do you find time to read?
You are an avid reader andyou've read so many books.
Jerry Almendarez (22:53):
So I commute on the train, so I have an hour
both ways to do some reading.
Then when I get home and afterI spend time with my family and
as people go to bed, I'll sitthere usually no later than 10:
30, 11 o'clock.
But you know, that's kind ofhow I decompress is just going
through research articles orthings that interest me.
(23:16):
There's a lot of cookingarticles and a lot of cooking
videos there too, so it's kindof sprinkled all over the
articles that I skim through andI find, or the books that I
find I'll bookmark, and thenthat's when I'll read them on
the train.
I used to purchase them and Iwould carry in my backpack three
or four books, but that got alittle heavy and the books would
get a lot of damage to it.
So I decided to get the digitalversions and so now I just
(23:39):
have, pull up my iPad and I cango through my Kindle and pick
whatever book I want to read.
I'm reading a couple of them atthe same time, unfortunately.
Bianca Barquin (23:48):
But that's really good advice for people to
hear, so everybody can justmake a space within their day.
Jerry Almendarez (23:55):
And you know there are other ways too.
So, in addition to reading,there's podcasting.
So on my drives, if I'm drivingsomeplace, there are apps that
allow you with the new operatingsystem.
If you have an Apple phone, youcan download an article and you
can have it read to you.
So there's no excuse not tolearn, there's no excuse not to
grow from these and be in spaceswhere these opportunities are
(24:18):
available.
Bianca Barquin (24:21):
The development of the Graduate Profile and the
emphasis on systems thinking aresignificant milestones for
SAUSD-- really important workthat we're engaging in.
Can you elaborate on theprocess and how it aligns with
our vision and values?
Jerry Almendarez (24:37):
Yeah, you know , I, this is a hundred percent
credit to the Board of Education, who found it valuable to have
a conversation to identifypriorities.
That allows me as asuperintendent, and us as an
executive cabinet to focus onand without a plan, there's
(24:57):
chaos.
Without structure, there's chaos.
And so the ability to sit downand have a board agree on what
the priorities are and thenallow us to carry out the work
to implement those prioritieshas been a blessing.
And I think that since the timethat I've been here and the
time that the board establishedthe priorities, the Graduate
(25:19):
Profile was created with ahundred percent of the board
support, with community supportand staff support, because that
was in alignment with the Boardpriorities.
And so it has just been like abeautiful flower blossoming in
the past five years that I'vebeen here to see the work come
to fruition and to actually feelthe pride that is coming out of
(25:44):
conversations like developingthe pathways and having
conversations about studentsbeing the architect of their own
learning and global learnersand ethical and moral leaders.
It has just been amazing andI'm so proud of the students,
I'm so proud of the staff.
Everybody is just embracing itwith such enthusiasm that it's
(26:08):
pleasant to see happen.
Bianca Barquin (26:11):
It's been an incredible amount of work.
It's been hard work but superrewarding.
So I think about our Boardpriorities and from that we
developed the Graduate Profile.
From that we revisited ourlearning model and that's what
we're exploring now and learne rprogressions, and then the work
that we've done about aroundvision, mission, values.
(26:34):
I'm excited about when we canlaunch our Framework for the
Future and everybody can seewhat Santa Ana is all about.
Jerry Almendarez (26:41):
You know, I want to add to that too we also
redesign our evaluation process,and our evaluation for our
district leaders are the sixcharacteristics of our Graduate
Profile, and that's thealignment that is important for
all of us to have, because weall have a stake in this vision
and to be able to continuouslyand ongoing, have these
(27:04):
conversations about what does itlook like for a student to be
an architect of their ownlearning, can elevate to what
does it look like for a teacherto be architect of their own
teaching or as a, as a siteleader, what does that look like
?
What are the expectations forthe site leader or principal in
this new environment?
And that's one of theconversations that we've had
(27:26):
this year at the beginning ofthe year is you know, what are
we doing different to lead?
How are we reimagining leadingin this district?
Are we doing the same thing wedid last year or are we leading
differently?
If we're expecting our studentsto learn differently, if we're
expecting our teachers to teachdifferently, then what are we
doing to lead differently?
(27:47):
And that's the challenge andthat's the evolution that the
conversations that we're having,which is why we embedded the
Graduate Profile characteristicsinto the principal evaluations
and it was co-constructed andco-created with the principals.
Bianca Barquin (28:01):
It was that question that you asked at the
beginning of the year, what arewe.
.
.
or I think it was the end oflast year, if I'm not mistaken,
that you started asking us thosequestions-- how are we going to
do things differently and howwill it improve our system?
I decided to focus oncommunication, and that was the
evolution of this podcast.
(28:22):
What is a different way tocommunicate with our listeners
that folks can listen to ontheir way to work and learn a
little bit more about ourleaders?
A different way to tell ourstory.
So this podcast evolved becauseof one question that you asked
us.
Jerry Almendarez (28:39):
Well, and the willingness of one person to
reflect on it and then to takeaction.
And I'll tell you this when youstarted this, I was so happy I
was so I was beaming with pridethat I haven't missed an episode
yet.
So I probably won't listen tothis one, but I haven't missed
your other episodes and I lookforward to the ones that are
coming for the remainder of thisyear as well.
Bianca Barquin (29:01):
Thank you, boss.
Okay, I want to go back to theGraduate Profile in the
conversation we were havingaround listening sessions and
it's now part of us.
It's part of what we do everysingle day.
Listening sessions, especiallywith students, have been a
cornerstone of your leadership.
What have been some keytakeaways from these
conversations and how have theyinfluenced our strategies and
(29:24):
systems?
Jerry Almendarez (29:26):
You know it's, it actually started in my
previous district.
I did book clubs, I did studentbook clubs and I'll share some
experiences that I had withthere.
There were a couple of studentsand some of these book clubs.
I'll start with one.
At a high school we were readinga book called The Other Wes
Moore, and it was an AP class,and this student walks in, this
(29:48):
young man walks in and he justlooks a little different.
He looks like he doesn't belongthere.
And so I'm like.
.
.
you know, what, what's this kidup to?
Anyway, long story short is theperception that I had did not
match the intensity and thepassion that this young student
(30:08):
had for reading and for tryingto make a better life out of
himself and come to find outthat he had a difficult home
life.
He was in an AP class becausehe wanted to break the cycle and
I spent a lot of time with himafter that book club because I
wanted to learn more.
But you know, for asuperintendent of color coming
(30:29):
into this position wanting withthe intent of wanting to help
people that look like me,because I wasn't the best
student as I went through mypublic education, I wanted to
help people like me, if I couldjust help one person.
But as I went through thesystem and went through my
career, I became the system.
I became the man, in essence,beholding these perceptions of
(30:51):
other kids that I was trying tohelp.
So he was my first contact.
There was another student later,the following year another
similar situation.
He came in with a hat, baggy,pants and I'm just like.
.
.
And he sits right next to me andI'm bracing myself, not that I
was in fear, but I was just like, okay, how serious is this kid?
He turns around, he hands me afolder and I'm looking at the
(31:13):
folder and he goes do you mindreading, giving me feedback on
these?
And so I I open up the folderand there were like four poems
or four pieces of writing on apaper and I said what's this?
He goes there, poems that Iwrote and my jaw just dropped.
You know, here, here this kidcomes in, don't even know him
(31:33):
and I'm already judging himbefore he sits down, come to
find out that he was a writer, apublished writer, and he sat
down next to me because hewanted me to read and give him
feedback on those articles.
When I read them I was almostin tears because he had such a
passion for life and you know,it was the struggles of mental
(31:54):
health issues that he wasdealing with.
And I remember getting donereading them and calling his
teacher and saying we need toget him some help.
And she goes what do you mean?
He's fine, he's just, he's justtelling his story.
And I was like, oh my god, thiskid is amazing.
I got to know him, I got toknow his family and so, you know
, we spent some time together,my last few years in my previous
(32:17):
district with him and hisfamily, and then I came over
here and that's when we wererolling out the Graduate Profile
because so much had happened, Iforgot what the priority was.
And so when we were rollingthat out and when that comment
was made hey, we're creating asystem for kids without kids
being involved that's when thelight switch went on and I
(32:38):
thought, okay, they're right.
And I tell you I'll bevulnerable here.
When that comment was made, I,my heart just sank.
We had spent seven monthsHaving this conversation with
community leaders, looking atresearch across the globe, four
hours a day, intense dialogue,tears with our community members
(32:58):
, and now we're stopping therollout of this?
I was devastated.
But I knew we couldn't moveforward and I knew we better
hurry up and do these listeningsessions and engage the kids.
But when we started to listento the kids and that
kindergartner raised his handand said I don't learn well for
sitting down six hours a day,and that middle school young
(33:21):
lady raised her hand and said Ijust wish the teacher would
pronounce my name correctly.
And the high school young manwho said I don't even bother
going to my algebra classbecause I get harassed before I
even sit down, that brought meback to the why of what we do,
and it was at that moment I wasso thankful that we did that,
because now we have the catalystfor transforming what we do
(33:44):
here in the District.
Bianca Barquin (33:46):
Well, I appreciate it because, honestly,
it's changed the way we dothings.
Not only do we host listeningsessions frequently for
everyone-- for students,teachers, parents, staff but we
also include students and almostevery design meeting that we
have, because we know it's gonnaimpact them.
(34:06):
So they were a key part.
In fact, they contributed,along with our parents, the most
when we did our vision, mission, values, work.
So I think that's also becomepart of our culture.
Which is really helpful.
Okay, last question I have foryou, and then we'll get to our
Amplifier Acknowledgementsegment.
Your story is one ofinspiration and tenacity.
(34:30):
Can you share a part of yourjourney that has significantly
shaped who you are as a leadertoday?
Jerry Almendarez (34:38):
Oh, you know, I think it's an evolution.
I think the decisions I maketoday are different than the
decisions I made the firstcouple of years as
superintendent.
But, you know, I like to thinkthat I'm a product of my
environment.
And so, you know, people say,how do you do it?
Or you know, this is great work.
You know, it is.
(34:59):
.
.
i It's all about relationshipsand I'm, you know, I'd like to
say, when it comes to cooking,I'm the jack of all trades but
the master of none, right?
But what I do know is that ahuman relationship is the most
important aspect and there are alot of experts out there.
And if you identify thesepeople, give them the space to
(35:20):
thrive and then shine, thenthey're gonna do the work for
you.
And I think that's kind of how Ioperate as a superintendent,
especially coming into a newdistrict, not really knowing the
community and the people, butgetting to know them, putting
myself in spaces that got to, tomeet and to understand how
people operated, and thentapping into those experts and
(35:43):
then reaping the benefits oftheir success.
And you are a good example ofthat, because you were an
individual who wasn't evenlooking for a promotion or a job
.
You were completely contentdoing what you were doing.
But you know, we, I had enoughconversations and enough people
said, hey, you need to tap B.
(36:06):
on the shoulder and, and, and Iremember having a conversation
with you and I wasn't asking youa question, I was pretty much
telling you and you rose to theoccasion.
And you are amazing at what youdo, and so you know, if that is
a skill that people think Ihave, well, then I will take it,
(36:26):
because it's just the abilityto identify the, the, the spark
in people, and then allow themthe space to thrive.
Bianca Barquin (36:33):
Thank you, and I think that we are all trying to
build each other up as a resultof that and build capacity,
locking arms together and justreally focusing on making sure
that the individuals within ourorganization are able to rise
and do anything that they wantto be.
(36:54):
They could be anything theywant to be, achieve their full
potential.
So, before we sign off, it'stime for our Amplifier
Acknowledgement segment.
If you could amplify themessage or lesson of one
educator or leader who has madea significant impact in your
journey, who would it be andwhat is that resonating message?
Jerry Almendarez (37:16):
Well, I think you know there are a couple of
different frame of references.
You know, my dad always used tosay don't be the story, and
that was for completely otherpurposes, you know, because I
was not necessarily the beststudent in high school.
Don't be the story, Jerry.
There's always a person who'salways the story.
There's always a story aboutthat individual.
(37:38):
So I tried, growing up, I triednot to be the story, which
means reading the room, flyingunder the radar, don't make the
same mistakes as other people.
But also translating that intothe professional life is like
you know, you just want to.
.
.
it's all about the relationships, and I had mentors that say
don't take things personally.
And I think early on in mycareer I did, which had some
(38:01):
really negative health effectson me, and it wasn't until I
really started to listen andlearn that, you know, that's not
the important thing.
It's not important.
I could work 14-hour days if Iwanted to, but it's about making
the work that is done withinthose hours that you do work
meaningful, and that's where therelationships come in.
(38:22):
And so I would much rather beout at a campus, at a school
site, or with a community memberspending time working,
nurturing, and developingrelationships than in my office
on my computer, you know, doingthat type of stuff.
That's important too and it hasto get done.
But the priority, where youspend your time is what you
(38:43):
value.
And I spend my time more, youknow, interacting with people
and trying to nurture anddevelop that personal
relationship.
Bianca Barquin (38:53):
Your stories are not just inspiring but a
testament to the transformativepower of dedicated leadership.
Thank you for sharing yourjourney and vision with us today
, to our listeners.
Thank you for tuning in toSAUSD's Amplifying Leadership.
We hope today's conversationwith Superintendent Jerry
Almendarez has sparkedinspiration and excitement for
(39:16):
the future of our schools andcommunity.
Don't forget to subscribe toour podcast for more stories and
insights.
Until next time, keep leading,keep learning, and keep
amplifying the positive changesin SAUSD.
Welcome to SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership,
your go-to podcast, where wedelve into the minds and hearts
of our SAUSD leaders, uncoveringtheir visions, strategies, and
stories to inspire and mobilizeour community.
I am your host, Bianca Barquin,and today we have a very
special guest, a visionary inthe realm of education,
(00:30):
Superintendent Jerry Almendarez.
Jerry, welcome to the show.
Jerry Almendarez (00:35):
Thank you for having me.
Bianca Barquin (00:37):
We are thrilled to have you.
Jerry, you're known for yourinnovative approach to education
, your commitment to empoweringwomen, and your forward-thinking
in technology and leadership.
Our community respects andadmires the space you've created
for growth and innovation inSAUSD.
So with that, let's dive rightinto questions.
(00:58):
You've been a passionateadvocate for technology and
innovation in education, fromartificial intelligence to the
metaverse.
Can you share how theseinterests developed and how
you're applying them to enhanceour district?
Jerry Almendarez (01:13):
Yeah, it's interesting how I fall into the
category of innovation andtechnology when, as a
superintendent, that reallywasn't necessarily an intended
focus of the evolution of howthings have evolved in my
leadership style, It's reallybeen a focus on trying to make
(01:34):
myself relevant as asuperintendent in the position
and really provide relevancy tothe districts that I serve.
It just so happened that when Icame here to Santa Ana, it was
at the beginning stages of thisinnovative state that we're in
right now, and having theability to, I guess, identify
(01:55):
the potential of this innovationand how it can be an equity
equalizer really is where Igravitated towards learning more
about this state that we're inright now.
Bianca Barquin (02:08):
You have been the one who has constantly
pushed us, and pushed us, andpushed us, whether we were ready
or not, to really embrace newtechnology and to embrace
innovation.
Jerry, you've never given up onus, and I personally know that,
and we've all grown as leadersbecause of it.
What makes you not necessarilyget tired of repeating the same
(02:33):
message over and over again?
Jerry Almendarez (02:35):
Well, I think it is part of where I'm at in my
career.
I've been doing this for a longtime and you gravitate towards
what you'd like to think arebest practices.
As I ride the train in, Icommute to work, I do a lot of
reading and I have a lot ofmentors and reverse mentors that
I communicate with on socialmedia platforms, and it just
(02:58):
started jumping out at me all ofthis innovation and these
platforms that started to comeout of nowhere, in essence.
I thought there's enoughchatter out here that I better
start paying attention to it.
The more I learned about it,the more I found the value in it
and began to explore.
(03:18):
When I brought it into the teamor to executive cabinet, I
remember the first couple ofconversations we had when I
started talking about Web 3.
0, or blockchain, or NFTs, or AI, Chat GPT, the looks of daze in
people's eyes just glazingthrough me.
I found it interesting andfunny and I thought okay, I'm
(03:41):
going to pull you into thisspace, whether you like it or
not, because it's worthy of aconversation.
I'm just blessed enough to havea team that tolerates that and
was willing to have theseconversations and engage in
dialogue and begin to explore.
That's exactly what happened.
As we begin to learn more aboutAI and learn more about the
(04:04):
other innovative technologiesthat are out there on platforms,
the team started to get excitedand share it with their people.
Bianca Barquin (04:12):
Thank you, Jerry .
Your support for women inleadership and progressive ideas
is well-known.
Can you tell us about a projector idea that was particularly
meaningful to you and how youhelped bring it to fruition?
Jerry Almendarez (04:28):
I don't know if this is related to innovation
, but the listening sessionswere a project that I hold near
and dear to my heart.
That was a result of areflection of the Graduate
Profile as we were getting in toroll it out.
The conversations that we hadand the vulnerability that we
created a space for individualsto share things that maybe
(04:49):
weren't comfortable for us tohear.
When we heard that team memberssay, hey, we're making
decisions for kids, but lookaround the room, there's no kids
in here that are a part of thisconversation, that really hit
hard and made me do a lot ofreflecting.
That's when we decided to dothe listening sessions.
(05:10):
I knew that I had to bringpeople in to help facilitate,
because I wanted to be alistener and not a participant,
you know, facilitating andlistening.
I know I couldn't do both.
I learned so much from listeningto the kids, listening to the
teachers and listening to thecommunity.
(05:30):
That's, I think, one of thethings that I value.
We talk about technology andinnovation.
It's really reconnecting withthe human aspect and the human
interaction, because that iswhere we learn the most.
AI and all this technology isgoing to help speed up the
process, but we really, really,really need that human
interaction.
Our kids who are in ourcommunity are craving it.
Bianca Barquin (05:53):
I really respect that about you.
I have the pleasure of workingwith you very closely and I know
that you listen to everyone whoreally needs to be heard.
If parents come to you, you'realways there with your door open
, ready to listen to them andready to direct folks to where
they need to be.
(06:14):
I think it's become part of theculture in SAUSD.
Do you feel the same way?
Jerry Almendarez (06:21):
I do.
It's kind of an evolution.
I'm smiling as I hear you saythat, because as a
superintendent, as a leader, youexperience this too.
You are caught between a rockand a hard place when you're put
in that situation because theinitial instinct is well, did
you talk to the principal or didyou talk to the director?
Typically, the way we are usedto doing it is to go through the
(06:42):
chain of command.
I've been doing this for 15years now.
My philosophy and my experiencehas been that chain of command
doesn't always filter theinformation accurately.
When I started doing it andmeeting with individuals here in
Santa Ana, whether it be ateacher, students, or parents, I
remember getting a littleresistance, nothing too much but
(07:03):
they'll look and say, hey, Iwish you would have sent them to
us first.
My thought process was well, Iwish I didn't have to meet with
these individuals, I wish theywould have been dealt with
through the chain of command,but for whatever reason, that's
not working.
I am happy, and just so pleased, that your absolute right has
(07:26):
been ingrained in the culture ofthis district now, where we are
paying more attention to thosevoices that are coming to us
when there are issues out thereat the appropriate level, and so
I find myself meeting less withthose issues, with parent
groups and stuff like that,because staff is taking care of
(07:46):
it, and that was the goal fromthe beginning.
Bianca Barquin (07:50):
Just one last question, or even comment around
this.
Where I find myself and Iwanted to see if it's the same
for you is people are sharinginformation with us now that's
not just based around concerns.
So people are actually wantingyou to listen to celebrate or to
provide people with accoladesor praise or feedback, or just
(08:13):
to tell you what's reallyworking within the system, and
that is a change or a shift fromwhat I have experienced in the
past.
Is that the same for you?
Jerry Almendarez (08:24):
Yeah, I mean, you know it feels good.
It feels really, really good.
It's not one individual, it's ateam effort, it's a community
effort and I think we have forsuch a long time been living in
the past, trying to put outfires, trying to increase, you
know, academic performance,trying to have good working
(08:45):
relationships with our laborpartners and our community
partners, and it felt for awhile, even in my previous
district, that we were trying toplay catch-up.
But now, given the work thatwe've been doing, the culture
change, the supportive boardthat we have, we're actually in
a space where we're able to planfor the future, and when we're
(09:06):
in that space, we make betterdecisions, we are more inclusive
in our collaborations, and webring thought partners in that
we wouldn't normally bring in,who see things through a
different lens that allow us tomake better decisions than if we
were just sitting in a roomwith a few of us saying here's
what they need to know, you know, or here's what students need
(09:29):
to do, and so it's just such abreath of fresh air.
It is like a huge relief andit's such a joy to come to work
every single day, to plan forthe future and not have to live
in the past.
Bianca Barquin (09:43):
I feel the same way.
So, Jerry, let's move on to adifferent topic.
Your previous tenure as asuperintendent was marked by
success and accolades.
What motivated your transitionto SAUSD and how do you see your
past experiences shaping ourdistrict's future?
I don't know that everybodyknows about your past.
Jerry Almendarez (10:05):
Yeah, I was in a previous district for 25
years.
I was a student, similar to alot of the stories here in Santa
Ana but my last ten there wasas superintendent and I was at a
point in my life where I didn'twant to stay longer than I was
welcomed.
And also, you know, reflectingon my career, I have a couple of
(10:27):
mentors that I meet with, butone of them had lunch with me
and he basically said so, thisis it?
And I don't want to say it wasa little midlife crisis, but you
know that hit me hard because Iwas driving home and reflecting
and thinking man, is this it?
And not that I didn't enjoy it.
I loved my previous districtand I love the community, very
(10:48):
similar to here in Santa Ana butit really hit me hard.
It pierced my soul and to thepoint where I thought, you know,
I need to start thinking aboutother options.
And at the same time, thisopportunity became available and
in my initial response was no,I'm happy where I'm at, but I
had a number of people tap me onthe shoulder and say, hey, you
(11:09):
know, this would be great.
The community is very similarto the community that you're in
and I think it would be a goodmove for you and I think it
would be a good move for thecommunity if you were the person
selected.
So you know, with a lot ofconversations, with a lot of
mentors, I took the step and Iapplied, not thinking I was
going to get the job.
And I remember I could hear myheart beating after the second
(11:32):
interview when I got called backfor the third interview and it
felt like, okay, this could bereal.
And then I ended up getting thejob and couldn't have been more
pleased and more blessed withthe opportunity that I've been
given here.
You know, and the tough thing is, when I got here six months
later, Covid hit and talkingabout the experience of where
(11:53):
I'm at now, how that led up tomy current leadership style, I
think having 10 years ofexperience in the
superintendency helped menavigate this community and the
decisions that we had to make,those difficult decisions and
sometimes lack of decisions thatwe had to make.
It helped me because I had anetwork of individuals within
(12:15):
the county, within the region,within the state, within the
country that I knew where to tapinto if I didn't have the
answers or I knew I could gohave a conversation with to
validate either I'm headed inthe right directions or I'm not.
In addition to that, awonderful cabinet that helped
the culture and helped with thehistorical perspective of how
(12:36):
decisions were made, but also avery supportive board.
Bianca Barquin (12:40):
Thank you, which leads right into my next
question for you.
I've been to conferences withyou, Jerry, and honestly, it's
like walking around with acelebrity.
You know everyone and it'ssomething that I'm learning;
networking is important.
Networking does exactly whatyou said it helps connect you to
(13:01):
people who can support you andprovide you with the resources
you need.
So knowing that, networkingseems to be second nature to you
evident from the recognitionyou receive at conferences and
other spaces.
How has building a strongnetwork influenced your
leadership style and theopportunities for our district?
Jerry Almendarez (13:22):
Well, you know , this is such a crazy job.
You can't do it by yourself asmuch as we'd like to think we
can.
I think the network that I haveis, it's a selected group of
individuals, professionalsacross the country that
complement and that I look up toand really just complement the
leadership style that I aspireto be, 'cause I'm always
(13:45):
learning.
You know, I've been doing thisfor 15 years in education for
over 30 years.
But there's always things tolearn and as society evolves, as
education evolves, so do theleaders.
They need to evolve and I seethat as my role.
But the network helps meidentify those emerging trends
that are happening not only inleadership but across the
(14:07):
educational spectrum in general,and sometimes the decisions
that I think are good,when I'm in the space with my
network, I hear differentperspectives from different
parts of the country ordifferent leaders that often
make me reflect even more andthen maybe decide to go in a
(14:28):
different direction or come backand have a conversation with my
team here to throw out thosedifferent perspectives on the
table and then collectivelyarrive at a decision that meets
the needs of our community andour district.
It is a learning leadershipnetwork and not so much at an
individual team, what I considerthe global aspect of it.
(14:48):
Because we're not competingregionally, we're not competing
locally.
When I mean competing, I meaneducating and trying to be
successful in how we serve ourstudents and our community.
It is a global crisis, a globalissue that we have to face, and
so, because we are moreinterconnected now that we've
(15:09):
ever been before as a human race, it is important for our kids
to understand the globalperspective.
It's important for teachers andour leaders to understand the
global perspective, because itis a global issue, not just a
Santa Ana issue.
Bianca Barquin (15:25):
To add on to that idea a little bit, can you
tell our listeners in whatspaces are you able to connect
and to meet with folks from allaround the globe and they become
part of your network?
Jerry Almendarez (15:39):
Yeah, so I attribute that to a lot of
different people, but Iespecially appreciate what I
call my reverse mentors.
They're individuals that aremaybe researchers or in other
industries, former educators,current educators that are
generationally younger and helpme keep my eye on the ball when
(16:01):
it comes to what the emergingtrends are.
So, because I have thatrelationship with a lot of a
diverse group of individuals,often I get invited to be part
of groups that they belong tobecause they value an
experienced superintendent to bepart of the conversation,
because maybe in their spacethey're lacking that need.
(16:23):
So by tapping into thesedifferent networks globally,
nationally and across the stateand the county I'm able to be a
part of these conversations, andit just because I've been doing
this for 30 years.
This is where, for a long time,people often you know I've
crossed paths with a lot ofpeople and I just appreciate
(16:45):
their willingness to come up andsay hi and connect.
Bianca Barquin (16:50):
Thank you, Jerry .
I've heard about your uniqueapproach to storytelling and
leadership through your cookingshow.
How does this platform helpcommunicate your vision and the
District's goals?
Jerry Almendarez (17:03):
So I'm smiling because you're.
..this is breaking news rightnow.
We haven't publicized that yet,but I am so excited about this.
For those that know me wellenough know that I enjoy
cooking; cooking is a hobby ofmine.
So one holiday my son-in-lawand daughter were visiting and
we were talking, they're in themovie industry and the
(17:25):
production industry, and we weretalking about some of the jobs
that they were doing and workingon.
And then he goes hey, whatabout you?
Why don't you, you ever thoughtabout doing a show and I'm like
I'm not, doing no show, whatare you talking about?
He goes yeah, he goes, call itsomething like Supe's Kitchen
and I thought, wow, that soundspretty cool.
(17:46):
And so I couldn't stop thinkingabout it and I thought, how
cool would that be to mix apassion with a conversation?
You know, you see it happen allthe time on TV, so.
.
.
couldn't get the thought out ofmy mind, came back and had a
conversation with my team and,to my surprise, the team was
excited.
They were like, yeah, youshould do this.
(18:06):
So we came up with a name it'scalled Leading with Flavor, and
we shot our first episode, andthe theory behind that is, or
the purpose is, to really engageour community, our district
stakeholders and have aconversation about the Graduate
Profile, you know, how we, howwe accomplish a graduate profile
through a conversation that isculturally relevant and
(18:28):
culturally rich.
And the intent is to have theguest share a meal that's
important to them and theirfamily, and then, through the
cooking demonstration, is tohave a conversation about why
it's important.
You know, what memories doesthis bring, but how does this
relate to graduating from highschool if you're a student, or
how can you support the, yoursite or your community through
(18:53):
the implementation of theGraduate Profile and things like
that.
So we shot our first episode.
It, it was um, it was mole andit took way longer than we had
expected, with 25 ingredients,but it was the funniest and the
most rich conversation.
So, we have a couple more linedup and the plan is to roll it
out next school year.
Bianca Barquin (19:13):
Next school year .
So we're all excited andeverybody is going to be banging
at your door wanting toactually be on your cooking show
.
I think that's incredible.
So Leading with Flavor.
And people can look forward tothat next year.
Jerry Almendarez (19:27):
Next year and it'll be on YouTube and there
are 15 minute segments, so wedidn't want to make it too long,
but just long enough to capturethe essence of what we're
trying to accomplish.
Bianca Barquin (19:38):
Thank you.
So reading and lifelonglearning are clearly important
to you, as seen in the bookclubs that you've initiated.
Could you recommend a book thathas profoundly impacted your
educational philosophy or yourleadership style?
Jerry Almendarez (19:54):
Yeah, the one that I'm reading, or that I just
finished reading right now thathad a profound impact on me, is
the coming wave, by MustafaSuleyman, and he's a co-founder
of Open AI, but that reallymoved me in a way of really
approaching this innovativestate that we're in with a sense
(20:14):
of urgency, which is thequestion you asked earlier is
how do you keep going when nottoo many people are in this
space?
We can't afford to wait,because it's going to evolve
more quickly than we could everimagine and our goal is to be on
the front end of that evolutionso we can be at the table
making decisions that are goodfor us and not getting the
(20:35):
decisions from the state or thefederal government or from any
agency that says here, whichhere's what you have to do.
So that book really opened myeyes and really, really, really
created the sense of urgency inme.
Bianca Barquin (20:48):
Another book that you recommended that I read
that we talk about all the timethat really impacted me in the
same way, so I appreciate thefact that you're always bringing
books to us and you're alwayshaving us engage, is Imaginable
by Jane McGonigal.
So.
.
.
really got me interested instrategic foresight and just how
(21:09):
important it is to beknowledgeable about it and how
useful it will be in helping usplan strategically to improve
outcomes for our kiddos.
Jerry Almendarez (21:20):
And I appreciate you sharing that with
me, because that wasrecommended to me by one of my
reverse mentors, and that's thevalue of having this wide
network is, you know, sometimesyou're not in that space or
thinking about things andsomebody is thinking of you and
saying, here, you know youshould, this is a good book, you
should read it, and so any.
.
.
You've given me some books andso I have them, I actually took
(21:41):
a picture; I was gonna post iton the social media to share
with the community.
But this is the professionalnetwork that is so important for
us to embrace.
You know, oftentimes we think wehave all the answers or, you
know, I don't need to listen,you know, 'I know more' type of
mentality, but I tell you Ilearned more from the people
(22:03):
around me than I could everimagine.
And you know, back to the books, one of the reasons why-- I
don't have my doctorate, and alot of people make the mistake
and they call me Dr.
Almendarez, and you know I.
.
.
too many people have worked hardfor that degree and, but,
that's one of the reasons why Ispend so much time learning and
reading and reflecting isbecause I feel like I have to
(22:26):
fill that gap and I'm justblessed enough to have enough
people helping me support that,to fill that gap in that blind
spot.
Bianca Barquin (22:34):
So I have another question for you that I
think will help our listeners alot.
I know how incredibly busy youare and your calendar is so
impacted.
Just trying to schedule you forthis interview you took a lot
of coordination.
How do you find time to read?
You are an avid reader andyou've read so many books.
Jerry Almendarez (22:53):
So I commute on the train, so I have an hour
both ways to do some reading.
Then when I get home and afterI spend time with my family and
as people go to bed, I'll sitthere usually no later than 10:
30, 11 o'clock.
But you know, that's kind ofhow I decompress is just going
through research articles orthings that interest me.
(23:16):
There's a lot of cookingarticles and a lot of cooking
videos there too, so it's kindof sprinkled all over the
articles that I skim through andI find, or the books that I
find I'll bookmark, and thenthat's when I'll read them on
the train.
I used to purchase them and Iwould carry in my backpack three
or four books, but that got alittle heavy and the books would
get a lot of damage to it.
So I decided to get the digitalversions and so now I just
(23:39):
have, pull up my iPad and I cango through my Kindle and pick
whatever book I want to read.
I'm reading a couple of them atthe same time, unfortunately.
Bianca Barquin (23:48):
But that's really good advice for people to
hear, so everybody can justmake a space within their day.
Jerry Almendarez (23:55):
And you know there are other ways too.
So, in addition to reading,there's podcasting.
So on my drives, if I'm drivingsomeplace, there are apps that
allow you with the new operatingsystem.
If you have an Apple phone, youcan download an article and you
can have it read to you.
So there's no excuse not tolearn, there's no excuse not to
grow from these and be in spaceswhere these opportunities are
(24:18):
available.
Bianca Barquin (24:21):
The development of the Graduate Profile and the
emphasis on systems thinking aresignificant milestones for
SAUSD-- really important workthat we're engaging in.
Can you elaborate on theprocess and how it aligns with
our vision and values?
Jerry Almendarez (24:37):
Yeah, you know , I, this is a hundred percent
credit to the Board of Education, who found it valuable to have
a conversation to identifypriorities.
That allows me as asuperintendent, and us as an
executive cabinet to focus onand without a plan, there's
(24:57):
chaos.
Without structure, there's chaos.
And so the ability to sit downand have a board agree on what
the priorities are and thenallow us to carry out the work
to implement those prioritieshas been a blessing.
And I think that since the timethat I've been here and the
time that the board establishedthe priorities, the Graduate
(25:19):
Profile was created with ahundred percent of the board
support, with community supportand staff support, because that
was in alignment with the Boardpriorities.
And so it has just been like abeautiful flower blossoming in
the past five years that I'vebeen here to see the work come
to fruition and to actually feelthe pride that is coming out of
(25:44):
conversations like developingthe pathways and having
conversations about studentsbeing the architect of their own
learning and global learnersand ethical and moral leaders.
It has just been amazing andI'm so proud of the students,
I'm so proud of the staff.
Everybody is just embracing itwith such enthusiasm that it's
(26:08):
pleasant to see happen.
Bianca Barquin (26:11):
It's been an incredible amount of work.
It's been hard work but superrewarding.
So I think about our Boardpriorities and from that we
developed the Graduate Profile.
From that we revisited ourlearning model and that's what
we're exploring now and learne rprogressions, and then the work
that we've done about aroundvision, mission, values.
(26:34):
I'm excited about when we canlaunch our Framework for the
Future and everybody can seewhat Santa Ana is all about.
Jerry Almendarez (26:41):
You know, I want to add to that too we also
redesign our evaluation process,and our evaluation for our
district leaders are the sixcharacteristics of our Graduate
Profile, and that's thealignment that is important for
all of us to have, because weall have a stake in this vision
and to be able to continuouslyand ongoing, have these
(27:04):
conversations about what does itlook like for a student to be
an architect of their ownlearning, can elevate to what
does it look like for a teacherto be architect of their own
teaching or as a, as a siteleader, what does that look like
?
What are the expectations forthe site leader or principal in
this new environment?
And that's one of theconversations that we've had
(27:26):
this year at the beginning ofthe year is you know, what are
we doing different to lead?
How are we reimagining leadingin this district?
Are we doing the same thing wedid last year or are we leading
differently?
If we're expecting our studentsto learn differently, if we're
expecting our teachers to teachdifferently, then what are we
doing to lead differently?
(27:47):
And that's the challenge andthat's the evolution that the
conversations that we're having,which is why we embedded the
Graduate Profile characteristicsinto the principal evaluations
and it was co-constructed andco-created with the principals.
Bianca Barquin (28:01):
It was that question that you asked at the
beginning of the year, what arewe.
.
.
or I think it was the end oflast year, if I'm not mistaken,
that you started asking us thosequestions-- how are we going to
do things differently and howwill it improve our system?
I decided to focus oncommunication, and that was the
evolution of this podcast.
(28:22):
What is a different way tocommunicate with our listeners
that folks can listen to ontheir way to work and learn a
little bit more about ourleaders?
A different way to tell ourstory.
So this podcast evolved becauseof one question that you asked
us.
Jerry Almendarez (28:39):
Well, and the willingness of one person to
reflect on it and then to takeaction.
And I'll tell you this when youstarted this, I was so happy I
was so I was beaming with pridethat I haven't missed an episode
yet.
So I probably won't listen tothis one, but I haven't missed
your other episodes and I lookforward to the ones that are
coming for the remainder of thisyear as well.
Bianca Barquin (29:01):
Thank you, boss.
Okay, I want to go back to theGraduate Profile in the
conversation we were havingaround listening sessions and
it's now part of us.
It's part of what we do everysingle day.
Listening sessions, especiallywith students, have been a
cornerstone of your leadership.
What have been some keytakeaways from these
conversations and how have theyinfluenced our strategies and
(29:24):
systems?
Jerry Almendarez (29:26):
You know it's, it actually started in my
previous district.
I did book clubs, I did studentbook clubs and I'll share some
experiences that I had withthere.
There were a couple of studentsand some of these book clubs.
I'll start with one.
At a high school we were readinga book called The Other Wes
Moore, and it was an AP class,and this student walks in, this
(29:48):
young man walks in and he justlooks a little different.
He looks like he doesn't belongthere.
And so I'm like.
.
.
you know, what, what's this kidup to?
Anyway, long story short is theperception that I had did not
match the intensity and thepassion that this young student
(30:08):
had for reading and for tryingto make a better life out of
himself and come to find outthat he had a difficult home
life.
He was in an AP class becausehe wanted to break the cycle and
I spent a lot of time with himafter that book club because I
wanted to learn more.
But you know, for asuperintendent of color coming
(30:29):
into this position wanting withthe intent of wanting to help
people that look like me,because I wasn't the best
student as I went through mypublic education, I wanted to
help people like me, if I couldjust help one person.
But as I went through thesystem and went through my
career, I became the system.
I became the man, in essence,beholding these perceptions of
(30:51):
other kids that I was trying tohelp.
So he was my first contact.
There was another student later,the following year another
similar situation.
He came in with a hat, baggy,pants and I'm just like.
.
.
And he sits right next to me andI'm bracing myself, not that I
was in fear, but I was just like, okay, how serious is this kid?
He turns around, he hands me afolder and I'm looking at the
(31:13):
folder and he goes do you mindreading, giving me feedback on
these?
And so I I open up the folderand there were like four poems
or four pieces of writing on apaper and I said what's this?
He goes there, poems that Iwrote and my jaw just dropped.
You know, here, here this kidcomes in, don't even know him
(31:33):
and I'm already judging himbefore he sits down, come to
find out that he was a writer, apublished writer, and he sat
down next to me because hewanted me to read and give him
feedback on those articles.
When I read them I was almostin tears because he had such a
passion for life and you know,it was the struggles of mental
(31:54):
health issues that he wasdealing with.
And I remember getting donereading them and calling his
teacher and saying we need toget him some help.
And she goes what do you mean?
He's fine, he's just, he's justtelling his story.
And I was like, oh my god, thiskid is amazing.
I got to know him, I got toknow his family and so, you know
, we spent some time together,my last few years in my previous
(32:17):
district with him and hisfamily, and then I came over
here and that's when we wererolling out the Graduate Profile
because so much had happened, Iforgot what the priority was.
And so when we were rollingthat out and when that comment
was made hey, we're creating asystem for kids without kids
being involved that's when thelight switch went on and I
(32:38):
thought, okay, they're right.
And I tell you I'll bevulnerable here.
When that comment was made, I,my heart just sank.
We had spent seven monthsHaving this conversation with
community leaders, looking atresearch across the globe, four
hours a day, intense dialogue,tears with our community members
(32:58):
, and now we're stopping therollout of this?
I was devastated.
But I knew we couldn't moveforward and I knew we better
hurry up and do these listeningsessions and engage the kids.
But when we started to listento the kids and that
kindergartner raised his handand said I don't learn well for
sitting down six hours a day,and that middle school young
(33:21):
lady raised her hand and said Ijust wish the teacher would
pronounce my name correctly.
And the high school young manwho said I don't even bother
going to my algebra classbecause I get harassed before I
even sit down, that brought meback to the why of what we do,
and it was at that moment I wasso thankful that we did that,
because now we have the catalystfor transforming what we do
(33:44):
here in the District.
Bianca Barquin (33:46):
Well, I appreciate it because, honestly,
it's changed the way we dothings.
Not only do we host listeningsessions frequently for
everyone-- for students,teachers, parents, staff but we
also include students and almostevery design meeting that we
have, because we know it's gonnaimpact them.
(34:06):
So they were a key part.
In fact, they contributed,along with our parents, the most
when we did our vision, mission, values, work.
So I think that's also becomepart of our culture.
Which is really helpful.
Okay, last question I have foryou, and then we'll get to our
Amplifier Acknowledgementsegment.
Your story is one ofinspiration and tenacity.
(34:30):
Can you share a part of yourjourney that has significantly
shaped who you are as a leadertoday?
Jerry Almendarez (34:38):
Oh, you know, I think it's an evolution.
I think the decisions I maketoday are different than the
decisions I made the firstcouple of years as
superintendent.
But, you know, I like to thinkthat I'm a product of my
environment.
And so, you know, people say,how do you do it?
Or you know, this is great work.
You know, it is.
(34:59):
.
.
i It's all about relationshipsand I'm, you know, I'd like to
say, when it comes to cooking,I'm the jack of all trades but
the master of none, right?
But what I do know is that ahuman relationship is the most
important aspect and there are alot of experts out there.
And if you identify thesepeople, give them the space to
(35:20):
thrive and then shine, thenthey're gonna do the work for
you.
And I think that's kind of how Ioperate as a superintendent,
especially coming into a newdistrict, not really knowing the
community and the people, butgetting to know them, putting
myself in spaces that got to, tomeet and to understand how
people operated, and thentapping into those experts and
(35:43):
then reaping the benefits oftheir success.
And you are a good example ofthat, because you were an
individual who wasn't evenlooking for a promotion or a job
.
You were completely contentdoing what you were doing.
But you know, we, I had enoughconversations and enough people
said, hey, you need to tap B.
(36:06):
on the shoulder and, and, and Iremember having a conversation
with you and I wasn't asking youa question, I was pretty much
telling you and you rose to theoccasion.
And you are amazing at what youdo, and so you know, if that is
a skill that people think Ihave, well, then I will take it,
(36:26):
because it's just the abilityto identify the, the, the spark
in people, and then allow themthe space to thrive.
Bianca Barquin (36:33):
Thank you, and I think that we are all trying to
build each other up as a resultof that and build capacity,
locking arms together and justreally focusing on making sure
that the individuals within ourorganization are able to rise
and do anything that they wantto be.
(36:54):
They could be anything theywant to be, achieve their full
potential.
So, before we sign off, it'stime for our Amplifier
Acknowledgement segment.
If you could amplify themessage or lesson of one
educator or leader who has madea significant impact in your
journey, who would it be andwhat is that resonating message?
Jerry Almendarez (37:16):
Well, I think you know there are a couple of
different frame of references.
You know, my dad always used tosay don't be the story, and
that was for completely otherpurposes, you know, because I
was not necessarily the beststudent in high school.
Don't be the story, Jerry.
There's always a person who'salways the story.
There's always a story aboutthat individual.
(37:38):
So I tried, growing up, I triednot to be the story, which
means reading the room, flyingunder the radar, don't make the
same mistakes as other people.
But also translating that intothe professional life is like
you know, you just want to.
.
.
it's all about the relationships, and I had mentors that say
don't take things personally.
And I think early on in mycareer I did, which had some
(38:01):
really negative health effectson me, and it wasn't until I
really started to listen andlearn that, you know, that's not
the important thing.
It's not important.
I could work 14-hour days if Iwanted to, but it's about making
the work that is done withinthose hours that you do work
meaningful, and that's where therelationships come in.
(38:22):
And so I would much rather beout at a campus, at a school
site, or with a community memberspending time working,
nurturing, and developingrelationships than in my office
on my computer, you know, doingthat type of stuff.
That's important too and it hasto get done.
But the priority, where youspend your time is what you
(38:43):
value.
And I spend my time more, youknow, interacting with people
and trying to nurture anddevelop that personal
relationship.
Bianca Barquin (38:53):
Your stories are not just inspiring but a
testament to the transformativepower of dedicated leadership.
Thank you for sharing yourjourney and vision with us today
, to our listeners.
Thank you for tuning in toSAUSD's Amplifying Leadership.
We hope today's conversationwith Superintendent Jerry
Almendarez has sparkedinspiration and excitement for
(39:16):
the future of our schools andcommunity.
Don't forget to subscribe toour podcast for more stories and
insights.
Until next time, keep leading,keep learning, and keep
amplifying the positive changesin SAUSD.
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