Once a skeptic, now a believer, Gerry Correa joins us to unveil the remarkable impact AI has had on his life and career in education. His story, from navigating language barriers and stereotypes to becoming the principal of Carr Intermediate School, strikes at the heart of perseverance. Together, we unearth the power of technology, as Gerry recounts how ChatGPT transformed his approach to writing accreditation reports—proving that AI can indeed be a formidable ally in the realm of education.
Our conversation takes an emotional turn as Gerry shares the story of the teacher who saw a spark in a young boy, misconstrued by many as just another troublemaker. This act of faith redefined his trajectory, leading him to academic success and significant school involvement. It's a narrative that celebrates the undeniable influence educators possess, and how their belief can ignite students' potential, reminding us all that mentorship can pave the path to unimaginable heights.
Navigating the ebbs and flows of school administration, Gerry opens up about the 'bruising effects' of his journey in educational leadership, the resilience it demands, and the solace found in support networks. His candid reflection on the loneliness that can accompany leadership positions underscores the courage and dedication needed to steer a school towards success. Tune in and be inspired by Gerry's unwavering commitment to education and the human spirit that drives innovation and growth within our schools.
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
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Bianca Barquin (00:08):
Welcome back to SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership,
where we dive into the heartsand minds shaping our
educational landscape.
I'm your host, Bianca Barquin,and today we have a truly
inspiring episode for you.
Joining us is Gerry Correa, theinnovative and resilient
principal of Carr IntermediateSchool.
Gerry's story is one ofovercoming self-doubt, embracing
(00:32):
challenges and continuouslyexpanding his knowledge.
Today, we're not just talkingabout innovation in education,
but we're also uncovering thehuman spirit behind the
leadership.
So, Gerry, I know you and Ihave been having conversations
lately about immersivetechnology and innovation in
(00:52):
general, so I want to jump rightin.
You've mentioned that AI hasrecently become a significant
part of your journey.
Can you share more about yourinitial skepticism and what led
to the shift in your perception?
Gerry Correa (01:07):
Yeah.
Well, like a lot of newtechnology, there's always going
to be a lot of doubt or wonder.
How is this going to affect mylife, how is it going to impact
my work?
And, given a lot of thedifferent things that we know
about artificial intelligence, Iwas very worried.
Is this going to be somethingthat's going to replace me?
Is this going to be somethingthat I no longer will be useful
for, for my job?
But when I started hearing moreabout it, and I want to
(01:29):
highlight in particularly JerryAlmendarez who talked to us
about embracing this, not havingthe fear of the technology, but
seeing where can it fit in yourlife.
And so as I started dwellinginto it and kind of seeing, okay
, what is this chat GPT, whatdoes it do, how can it really
help me in my work?
It wasn't until I recently dida WASC visit.
(01:49):
I've done WASC for quite a fewyears now.
I really enjoy the work and I'ma chairperson and when I saw the
benefit of incorporating AI andChat GPT in particular, in
helping support the writing of areport, it blew my mind.
I would spend hours upon hourswriting these reports, reviewing
data, analyzing, summarizingand now, with this tool, and
(02:12):
having an idea of how to bestuse it really helped me
understand the benefit, and sonow I'm really excited.
I'm really thinking about whatelse can I apply this to?
What other aspects of my life,what other aspects of my job can
I start using this using thisto really benefit me?
And I don't necessarily see itas a fear anymore, I really am
embracing it.
And now I'm left with wonderingwhat else can I do with this?
(02:34):
Where else can we startincorporating this element, this
technology?
How soon can we get this in thehands of our kids?
Because it's a tool at the endof the day, and I think once
people start to recognize that,there's going to be more
acceptance and more of anembracing of it.
Bianca Barquin (02:48):
I agree with you , and I know that our
superintendent has talked aboutAI a lot.
For me, it's not just aboutgenerative AI.
We've had AI for a long time,right, but generative AI is
important.
But you and I have had manyconversations just about
innovation in general, but thisis one aspect of it.
(03:08):
For our listeners, I think it'sreally important: when AI, or
when ChatGPT in particular,generated the report for you,
helping you with the analyticsand everything else, you did and
you were, I'm sure, with yourteam able to review it, and you
still had to go in and make itmore nuanced and personalized,
(03:30):
but it saved a ton of time.
Is that true?
Gerry Correa (03:33):
That is absolutely correct.
And one thing, I kind of playeda trick on my team, on my
visiting committee, because Iknew this technology was out
there and it was actuallysomething that WASC supported,
but I didn't tell them or Ididn't specify to them to do it.
I said do the reporting your own, as we are used to doing it,
and then when we got to thevisit, I introduced it to them.
They went back to their hotelsand they did it.
(03:53):
And they came back superexcited the next day because
they said this was very close towhat I wrote and I did it
within a matter of seconds andit was exciting to see them now
feel what I felt when Iuncovered this tool and then
start talking about well, I canuse this in this element, or I
can use this in this area of myjob.
And I just thought see, this isit right?
As long as we present peoplewith the idea of what's possible
(04:16):
and, more importantly, givethem a real life example of how
this is going to benefit them,people are going to be more open
to using it.
Bianca Barquin (04:31):
Awesome.
I think that's a wonderful,wonderful example of just how
powerful this tool can be inhelping us with our everyday
work.
Now I want to shift gears alittle bit.
I am fascinated, Gerry, by yourpersonal story, especially the
part where you mentioned yourstruggles with self-doubt.
How did these experiences shapeyour approach to leadership and
education?
Gerry Correa (04:51):
Self-doubt has always been a problem for me
because, like a lot of us, youknow, this idea of imposter
syndrome exists and for a personlike me, first generation
background, there was a lot ofthings that were defined for me
early on as a kid and, as weknow, when adults tell students
or kids something, those thingstend to be ingrained.
And for me, having multipleadults try to define me as a
(05:15):
immigrant or a second languagelearner and really kind of
putting me in a box really did anumber on my psyche because
despite whatever successes I hadin life, whatever I was able to
accomplish in school orwhatever I was able just to do,
I always had those thoughts ofself-doubt.
And one thing that I remembertelling you a while back that
(05:37):
really hit home for me you knowyou were very complimentary on
some of the things that I hadhighlighted doing at Carr or
that I was doing you know mypersonal life and I had a hard
time with your compliments onthat because I said I still see
this nine-year-old little boywho's sitting in the principal's
office waiting for his parentsto pick him up after getting in
trouble, even standing on stageand talking to, you know,
(06:00):
students or parents oraddressing people at a
leadership conference, I stillsee this nine-year-old little
boy who struggled to speakEnglish and was wondering like,
what am I doing?
Like where's my place in life?
And so, as I've advanced myselfthrough my career and through
other different opportunities ofvolunteering to help students,
(06:21):
it's something that I've alwayskept close to me, not because I
feel like I'm less than theperson I am, but to remind
myself that the people that I'mlooking at in the audience
probably feel, a lot of themfeel a lot like me, right?
There's a nine-year-old boythere, even though I'm staring
at a grown professional.
We all deal with these thingsthat have affected us in our
(06:42):
life.
For me, the challenge has reallybeen not to let that negative
self-talk dominate the space inmy head when I'm trying to
really think about what I'mdoing, or if I'm trying to get
to a decision or come to aconclusion on something, to
really think okay, this is theguy that, or this is the person
that you're working from, butit's not the person you are
(07:02):
today.
So you know it's been astruggle to this day, still, I
will-- I won't lie to you.
It's still moments where I Iwonder, like, what am I doing?
Am I really the person thatpeople think I am?
But I think, after all thistime, and especially having you
know great mentors like yourselfand others like it's really
reinforced the fact that I amthis person.
But I don't want to lose thatthought though, because, again,
(07:24):
I don't know where people are intheir journey.
I don't know where, you know, aprofessional or a student might
be thinking, hey, I'm here, butI'm not really here.
And I think being able toconnect with them with my story
and talk about some of thechallenges I've had growing up
really humanizes the struggleand allows for them to say, well
, what you know, he kind of didit and I can relate to him, and
(07:44):
I think that's kind of thebeauty and the privilege I have
at working at Carr.
I feel I'm one of the students,I feel like parents there are
my parents, like there's so muchthere that I relate to that
every dayI just can't help but smile and
can't believe that I'm theprincipal at Carr, because I
came from where they came from.
I am what they are and it justit's such a privilege to be able
(08:08):
to represent them and to beable to advocate for them and to
be able to stand up and makesure that they're doing things
that are going to benefit theirfuture, whether it's a student
or a parent or a family, right?
So it's really something that Itry to use, from a negative to
a positive, to reinforce thework and to really, you know,
think on the daily as to who I'mserving and where they might be
(08:29):
, you know, in their life'sjourney and how I might be able
to support them with some wordsof positivity or encouragement,
or just to be an ear to listento some of the stuff they're
going through.
Bianca Barquin (08:39):
I so appreciate you and I meant exactly what I
said (08:42):
your optimism, your resilience--y ou are an amazing
leader and I am super happy thatyou feel comfortable enough to
be vulnerable with our listeners, because nobody would ever be
able to tell unless you shareyour story with us.
I see what you do every singleday and I don't see that
(09:04):
nine-year-old little boy thatyou are talking about, right?
We see this amazing, strongleader who's so connected to his
students, his school, histeachers, his families, so super
helpful, I think, for everybody, because I think everybody can
relate to exactly what you'resaying.
We all feel that in one way oranother, but we mask it and
(09:28):
we've kind of grown, right?
So thank you for sharing that.
I really appreciate it.
Now you shared a little bit,but can you take us back to a
moment in your childhood thatdefined your path?
How does that moment resonatewith your work today?
Gerry Correa (09:49):
You know, I came to this country at two years old
.
I didn't know English.
This is back in the late 70s,early 80s, and the world was a
lot different.
Our education system was a lotdifferent.
I do recognize now thereweren't a lot of supports for us
in terms of, you know, helpingsecond language learners.
It was basically sink or swim.
So not having the ability totruly learn English put me in
this box, as I say, and theadults around me really started
(10:10):
to make sure that I knew who Iwas by defining things about me.
You don't speak English, you'renot at grade level, you're
hanging around the neighborhood,and so hearing this day after
day after day, it started toreally cement these ideas in my
head that I wasn't a goodstudent, that I was a bad boy,
that I really wasn't going toamount to much, because that's
(10:33):
what the adults in my world weretelling me on a constant.
And so it almost kind of becamea self-fulfilling prophecy
where I'm like well, if theythink I'm bad, well, I guess I
got to be bad and it really putme in a bad place because I got
in trouble a lot at school.
I got sent to a coupledifferent programs for what we
call now at- promise youth, whatwe used to call at- risk, and
(10:54):
it wasn't until I was in sixthgrade where I was really facing
some serious consequences aboutwhether I was going to continue
in school at that particularschool, or if I was going to
continue in school at thatparticular school or if I was
going to be sent somewhere else.
And at that moment, my mostvulnerable, it was really the
make it or break it, right, forme.
In sixth grade, at 11, 12- yearsold, my sixth grade teacher,
Mrs.
(11:14):
O'Connell, pulled me aside andsaid I don't think you're the
person that everybody says youare.
And it really struck me likewhat is this lady talking about?
What do you mean?
Everybody says I'm this, butyou're telling me I'm not.
She said no, I think you'remuch smarter than you give
yourself credit for.
I see you do a lot of things,but I also see you get away with
a lot of things, so I knowthere's something there.
(11:34):
And she said I believe in you.
And it hit me like a ton ofbricks.
I'm like what?
What do you mean you believe inme?
You don't even know me, lady.
She says, no, I don't know youpersonally, but I think I know
your character, right, I seethings about you.
And I said, yeah, well, I don'tknow that I believe that.
And she said, no, I believe inyou and I'm going to show you
(11:54):
that you're not the person thateverybody says you are.
And it wasn't just words thatshe applied to me.
It was the opportunity toshowcase it, and, whether it was
a test or whether it was a taskthat I was given, because of
her guidance, I was able to dosomething different.
And in short time, I thoughtwait a minute, she's actually
(12:15):
right.
Like, I can do these things.
But for all this time, allthese adults are saying I can't
do it.
And it was literally thatmoment where she said no, you're
better than you realize and Iactually believe that you're
capable of doing so much more.
With her help and her guidanceand just everything she did for
me, I literally turned my lifearound.
I was able to then, you know,make better choices.
(12:38):
I was able to get on the honorstrack, which was, people could
not even believe that I wascapable of doing anything higher
than grade level work, right?
But she gave me that chance.
She made sure I was on thatpath and it came at a pivotal
moment because at middle school,as you know, unfortunately a
lot of things happen to ouryouth.
They have to decide who am I,what am I gonna be, what path am
(12:59):
I gonna follow?
And if they're not strongenough in their convictions,
there's a lot of influences thatcan shape and mold and take
them in a very, very, verydifferent place.
I was thankful that I had her,because a lot of my friends did
unfortunately succumb to that.
You know neighborhood stuff,and we know what that is, a lot
of us that are from theneighborhood.
So with her I just felt likewow, like she believed enough in
(13:21):
me.
She showed me that I could doit and that gave me the
confidence to continue, eventhough I had a lot of doubt
about, you know, being incertain classes or certain
spaces on campus, like, I didn'tquite fit in, right?
I was a little bit rough, but Icontinued because she said, no,
you're going to do it.
And before long, you know,being in high school, I got
really involved with school andsports and ASB and everything
(13:41):
else and it was like wow, shewas right and it had not been
for her really investing thetime in me and really taking me
aside and say, no, we're notgoing to do this, we're not
going to let you continue downthis path and we're going to try
to change some things with you,I probably wouldn't be here.
I, God,honestly, I really feel like my
life would have been so muchdifferent, and every time I go
(14:02):
visit my parents, you know, Iget reminded of that.
You know, and unfortunately I dosee a lot of friends from the
neighborhood, guys that I wentto school with and different
people that I grew up with thatthey stayed on that path and it
led them somewhere different.
I don't feel sorry for them,because everybody has their own
path to follow, but I justwonder why they couldn't have a
Mrs.
O'Connell in their life, whycouldn't they have somebody
(14:24):
champion them to say, hey,you're more than what people
tell you you are.
And how that relates to mebeing a principal and really how
I support my kids is that,despite whatever circumstances
somebody has, there's always gotto be hope.
How little there is, how littleit might appear, there's always
got to be hope that there couldbe something different.
And I really feel like, howevermuch that person buys into that
(14:47):
will ultimately result in thatsuccess, right?
But we got to offer people thechance to think differently.
We got to give them the chanceto think about the possibilities
that exist, because if not,they're going to be stuck in
that box, they're going to bestuck with those labels and
they're going to be stuck withthat mindset.
Bianca Barquin (15:09):
I love it and I think what you just said is key:
mindset.
It's all about mindset-- thatteacher having an open mindset
and a growth mindset andbelieving in you, which is a
perfect segueway into our nextquestion.
So thank you for sharing that.
Moving into your professionaljourney, what has been the
biggest challenge in integratingthings like generative AI or
other innovative technologies atCarr Intermediate School?
Gerry Correa (15:33):
I just talked about possibilities, right, and
that's something I really try touse.
Whenever we're talking aboutsomething new.
I think human nature in us isalways going to be to doubt
something, to have fear aboutsomething new.
Right, and educators are nodifferent.
Whether it's a new platform, anew approach, a new strategy,
there's always going to be doubt.
So what I try to do and the waythat I really try to embrace
(15:57):
and incorporate new technologiesand different things that we
can start using is I start toask what can we do?
What do you think might bepossible?
Let's not look at the negativeand let's not be so quick to cut
something off because we havethe fear of it, but let's
examine it, let's make sense ofit and then after that let's see
where it's applicable.
For some people it's going tobe very applicable and they're
(16:20):
going to be able to draw a lotfrom it, but from others it's
going to be a little bit.
But the idea is that there'ssomething of value there.
And right now I will tell you,I know that's a lot of
conversation that we're havingat our site and other educators
are talking about, like, whatdoes this mean for me, what harm
will this do for me, and I getit.
There's a lot of fear, right?
This will replace us, this willdo different things to supplant
(16:42):
the different things that we dowithin our job.
But if we stop and actuallythink about the possibilities,
what can this do for me?
What's the benefit of utilizingthis new technology or this new
platform in my instruction and,better yet, how will my
students benefit from this newtechnology?
Because the reality I think alot of our educators have to
(17:03):
face is that since COVID, we'veentered a new world and the
technology there isn't somethingto be feared, but rather to be
examined and then to be applied.
Bianca Barquin (17:13):
Wow, your answer really exemplifies for me both
leadership and empathy, right,all in the same breath and that
open and growth mindset that'snecessary so you can do exactly
what you said, imaginepossibilities.
Now, you've spoken about yourtransition from being seen as a
(17:40):
bad kid to becoming a mentor anda leader and I know that
mentorship is so important toyou.
Can you describe thattransition and the impact it has
on how you mentor students andteachers?
Gerry Correa (17:48):
Yeah, I've been lucky because I've had some
amazing people come into my life.
I mentioned my sixth gradeteacher, but when I was in high
school I had a great ASB advisor, Diane Zykwcia, who connected
me with the leadershipconference called the Chicano
Latino Youth Leadership Project.
This is in 1994.
And if anybody has anyrecollection of 1994 politics,
(18:09):
you might remember somethingcalled Proposition 187.
I had this awakening when I hada chance to attend this
conference.
It was a high school leadershipconference in Sacramento.
I learned all about not justhow to be a leader, but I
learned how to apply myleadership, how to incorporate
that in the work that I do toserve my community and really to
develop that thought, right,that it's not just about
(18:29):
becoming a leader for thebenefit of myself, but really
looking at how this leadershipplays into benefiting my
community, my family.
And, given the climate at thetime, I couldn't help but to get
involved because I was animmigrant and, given some of the
resources and training that Iwas provided, it empowered me.
It made me realize that,despite being 17 years old, that
(18:50):
I could do a lot, I couldinfluence a lot.
It started with, you know,really educating my friends
about the law and theproposition that was going to
affect us, because a lot of uswere immigrants.
But it sent me on this journeyto understand that I had a
bigger responsibility with whatI was given, and none of the
people that were at thisconference knew who I was before
I got there.
(19:11):
But they selected me, they gaveme a chance to learn and
develop and evolve.
I felt that it was my duty, myresponsibility, to take that and
to apply it, the most immediatebeing my school.
But then it was really about mycommunity.
How can I use these things thatI got, that others didn't, to
really help them, whether it bejust sharing knowledge or just
(19:32):
actually spending time withpeople talking through problems,
especially youth, and that'sbeen my life's work.
I really feel that thatexperience benefited me both
personally-- I grew as a person,as a leader, but it benefited
my family because that politicalawakening, if you will, really
motivated my family to becomemore engaged in the civic
(19:53):
process.
My mom, since 1995, has notmissed one election, local, city
, state or national.
She became a citizen, shelearned English, and other
family members because of thisaction did the same, and I
recognize the power of doingthis kind of stuff, right,
investing in your community,using these tools to then serve,
(20:13):
and that's how I see myself asa leader.
I serve.
I'm at the front of the table alot of times, but I'm there to
serve, I'm there to help, I'mthere to say, hey, I got
something, but I don't want tohold onto it.
I want to use it to benefitothers, and so, whether it's my
own direct students, whetherit's high school students or
different things that I'mworking on, I'm always thinking
(20:34):
about how I can use what I haveto give back, because I feel so
blessed.
Given the experiences and thedifferent people who've helped
me, how could I not pay it back?
Because this means such animpact on my life that I know
that if I can just do a littlebit, it might do the same for
others.
Bianca Barquin (20:51):
So thank you for that very thoughtful response
and I've seen it in action.
I see how you mentor just bybeing on the campus with you and
how you're talking to studentsand you're so relatable and you
have these connections with themand you just ask probing
questions.
You're interested in whatthey're interested in.
(21:12):
So I'm sure you deeplyunderstand the importance of
ethnic studies and I'm sureyou're excited about that and
how our students are actuallysaying they want to be part of
this social justice movement andeverything else.
Are you making connections likethat on your campus as well?
Gerry Correa (21:31):
Definitely.
I think just what you mentionedis a big thing in helping
students find value, right?
Just knowing that somebody'sinterested in their world, that
they have a genuine interest inhow they're doing their
well-being.
A lot of times when I approacha student I ask, how are you
doing?
And they say, oh, I'm passingon my classes.
I'm like, okay, that's great,but that's not what I'm
concerned about.
I want to know, like are youdoing okay today?
(21:53):
Like, are you feeling good?
Are you feeling fine?
Is there anything that'saffecting you?
It's interesting to see theirreaction when I ask those
questions, because they're like,you're really asking me this?
Yes, I genuinely want to knowhow you're doing today.
It's helped me build a lot ofthose connections.
It's helped me build bonds withmy kids because now I feel they
(22:13):
think that they have somebodywho's there for them and it's
not just an act, it's not just ashow, it's genuinely the way I
feel.
I really often relate it to myown kids.
You know I have an eight and anine-year-old and I don't spend
as much time with them becauseobviously I'm serving the
students here of Santa Ana, butI think about them and I think,
wow, I hope that somebody caninvest the time with them that I
(22:35):
invested with my own students,because I feel that connection
right, they're the same age orclose to that and I give to my
students what I would hopesomebody would give to my own
children at their school.
So, even if they're not feelingthe love, I want my own
students to feel the lovethrough just simple interactions
.
Bianca Barquin (22:54):
And they do every single day, so thank you.
Now, every leader facessetbacks.
Could you share a significantchallenge you've encountered in
your career and how did youovercome that challenge?
Gerry Correa (23:18):
I've always been the kind of person who just
tries hard, right?
Like I am goal-oriented, I wantto achieve things, I want to be
successful, but I know thatmaybe I don't have the expertise
or maybe I don't have certainqualities that other people have
or talents that other peoplehave.
But I got effort and I'm alwaysgoing to put my effort.
I'm always going to try my bestat whatever I do.
A lot of times it's successful.
Sometimes it's not, but I foundthat I was making my way as an
administrator and I was facedwith a lot of different
challenges.
(23:43):
And you know, people that don'tserve in this capacity may not
recognize the toll that it takeson you, right, if you want to
do the job good, you got toinvest a little bit of yourself
in it.
You got to wear your heart onyour sleeve sometimes, and you
know that's not always easy.
And a lot of the differentexperiences I had, you know,
being assistant principal had, Icall, bruising effects.
They were challenges, they weredifferent things that I was
like, wow, that was hard, right,man, that was a challenge,
(24:05):
right, like that was an easyconversation or hey, I don't
know how to handle that and I'mdoubting myself as to whether I
did the right thing.
And I feel I got to a certainplace in my professional career
where I thought, wow, like isthis really what it is?
Like, this is the job?
Like I don't know if I canhandle this, like I want to
serve but I want to know thatI'm making an impact.
(24:27):
And if all I feel like is I'mserving but I'm not having much
of an impact, maybe this is notthe thing that I want to do.
And I had serious thoughts aboutleaving, leaving Santa Ana,
leaving the profession, leavingall the things that I had really
enjoyed doing to this point inmy life, because I didn't know
if I could continue it.
Thankfully, that changedbecause I got some mentorships,
(24:48):
I got some differentopportunities to help me
recognize that we all go throughthese things, that everybody
takes their knocks, right, it'sjust about how we respond to
them that will ultimately makethe difference as to whether we
want to continue or not.
And I firmly believe, you know,like the old quote says, that
without struggle there's noprogress.
And that was something that Ihad to remind myself, like, okay
(25:10):
, it's not easy, but there willbe better days, right, it's not
always going to be like this,and so, thankfully, I kept the
course.
I got some great advice, somegreat mentorship and, and that's
what allowed me to then refocusmy energy and ultimately
propelled me to want to become aprincipal and, you know,
allowed me to get to where I'mat today.
Bianca Barquin (25:31):
Amazing.
I don't think that peoplerecognize that leadership
sometimes is very lonely.
So having your network and yourpersonal "board of directors
right folks that you can go tofor advice and talk to about the
daily challenges, is the onlyway that we can get through this
work sometimes because it'sreally hard, right?
(25:53):
So I am super happy that youstayed and your ultimate
decision was different, becauseI can see just how happy and how
our students at Carr areflourishing, so super grateful
for that.
Gerry Correa (26:08):
Hey, there Amplifiers Our amazing
conversation with CarrIntermediate School Principal
Jerry Correa isn't over yet.
Bianca Barquin (26:21):
Join us Friday, March 12th for part two of this
episode.
See you then.
Welcome back to SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership,
where we dive into the heartsand minds shaping our
educational landscape.
I'm your host, Bianca Barquin,and today we have a truly
inspiring episode for you.
Joining us is Gerry Correa, theinnovative and resilient
principal of Carr IntermediateSchool.
Gerry's story is one ofovercoming self-doubt, embracing
(00:32):
challenges and continuouslyexpanding his knowledge.
Today, we're not just talkingabout innovation in education,
but we're also uncovering thehuman spirit behind the
leadership.
So, Gerry, I know you and Ihave been having conversations
lately about immersivetechnology and innovation in
(00:52):
general, so I want to jump rightin.
You've mentioned that AI hasrecently become a significant
part of your journey.
Can you share more about yourinitial skepticism and what led
to the shift in your perception?
Gerry Correa (01:07):
Yeah.
Well, like a lot of newtechnology, there's always going
to be a lot of doubt or wonder.
How is this going to affect mylife, how is it going to impact
my work?
And, given a lot of thedifferent things that we know
about artificial intelligence, Iwas very worried.
Is this going to be somethingthat's going to replace me?
Is this going to be somethingthat I no longer will be useful
for, for my job?
But when I started hearing moreabout it, and I want to
(01:29):
highlight in particularly JerryAlmendarez who talked to us
about embracing this, not havingthe fear of the technology, but
seeing where can it fit in yourlife.
And so as I started dwellinginto it and kind of seeing, okay
, what is this chat GPT, whatdoes it do, how can it really
help me in my work?
It wasn't until I recently dida WASC visit.
(01:49):
I've done WASC for quite a fewyears now.
I really enjoy the work and I'ma chairperson and when I saw the
benefit of incorporating AI andChat GPT in particular, in
helping support the writing of areport, it blew my mind.
I would spend hours upon hourswriting these reports, reviewing
data, analyzing, summarizingand now, with this tool, and
(02:12):
having an idea of how to bestuse it really helped me
understand the benefit, and sonow I'm really excited.
I'm really thinking about whatelse can I apply this to?
What other aspects of my life,what other aspects of my job can
I start using this using thisto really benefit me?
And I don't necessarily see itas a fear anymore, I really am
embracing it.
And now I'm left with wonderingwhat else can I do with this?
(02:34):
Where else can we startincorporating this element, this
technology?
How soon can we get this in thehands of our kids?
Because it's a tool at the endof the day, and I think once
people start to recognize that,there's going to be more
acceptance and more of anembracing of it.
Bianca Barquin (02:48):
I agree with you , and I know that our
superintendent has talked aboutAI a lot.
For me, it's not just aboutgenerative AI.
We've had AI for a long time,right, but generative AI is
important.
But you and I have had manyconversations just about
innovation in general, but thisis one aspect of it.
(03:08):
For our listeners, I think it'sreally important: when AI, or
when ChatGPT in particular,generated the report for you,
helping you with the analyticsand everything else, you did and
you were, I'm sure, with yourteam able to review it, and you
still had to go in and make itmore nuanced and personalized,
(03:30):
but it saved a ton of time.
Is that true?
Gerry Correa (03:33):
That is absolutely correct.
And one thing, I kind of playeda trick on my team, on my
visiting committee, because Iknew this technology was out
there and it was actuallysomething that WASC supported,
but I didn't tell them or Ididn't specify to them to do it.
I said do the reporting your own, as we are used to doing it,
and then when we got to thevisit, I introduced it to them.
They went back to their hotelsand they did it.
(03:53):
And they came back superexcited the next day because
they said this was very close towhat I wrote and I did it
within a matter of seconds andit was exciting to see them now
feel what I felt when Iuncovered this tool and then
start talking about well, I canuse this in this element, or I
can use this in this area of myjob.
And I just thought see, this isit right?
As long as we present peoplewith the idea of what's possible
(04:16):
and, more importantly, givethem a real life example of how
this is going to benefit them,people are going to be more open
to using it.
Bianca Barquin (04:31):
Awesome.
I think that's a wonderful,wonderful example of just how
powerful this tool can be inhelping us with our everyday
work.
Now I want to shift gears alittle bit.
I am fascinated, Gerry, by yourpersonal story, especially the
part where you mentioned yourstruggles with self-doubt.
How did these experiences shapeyour approach to leadership and
education?
Gerry Correa (04:51):
Self-doubt has always been a problem for me
because, like a lot of us, youknow, this idea of imposter
syndrome exists and for a personlike me, first generation
background, there was a lot ofthings that were defined for me
early on as a kid and, as weknow, when adults tell students
or kids something, those thingstend to be ingrained.
And for me, having multipleadults try to define me as a
(05:15):
immigrant or a second languagelearner and really kind of
putting me in a box really did anumber on my psyche because
despite whatever successes I hadin life, whatever I was able to
accomplish in school orwhatever I was able just to do,
I always had those thoughts ofself-doubt.
And one thing that I remembertelling you a while back that
(05:37):
really hit home for me you knowyou were very complimentary on
some of the things that I hadhighlighted doing at Carr or
that I was doing you know mypersonal life and I had a hard
time with your compliments onthat because I said I still see
this nine-year-old little boywho's sitting in the principal's
office waiting for his parentsto pick him up after getting in
trouble, even standing on stageand talking to, you know,
(06:00):
students or parents oraddressing people at a
leadership conference, I stillsee this nine-year-old little
boy who struggled to speakEnglish and was wondering like,
what am I doing?
Like where's my place in life?
And so, as I've advanced myselfthrough my career and through
other different opportunities ofvolunteering to help students,
(06:21):
it's something that I've alwayskept close to me, not because I
feel like I'm less than theperson I am, but to remind
myself that the people that I'mlooking at in the audience
probably feel, a lot of themfeel a lot like me, right?
There's a nine-year-old boythere, even though I'm staring
at a grown professional.
We all deal with these thingsthat have affected us in our
(06:42):
life.
For me, the challenge has reallybeen not to let that negative
self-talk dominate the space inmy head when I'm trying to
really think about what I'mdoing, or if I'm trying to get
to a decision or come to aconclusion on something, to
really think okay, this is theguy that, or this is the person
that you're working from, butit's not the person you are
(07:02):
today.
So you know it's been astruggle to this day, still, I
will-- I won't lie to you.
It's still moments where I Iwonder, like, what am I doing?
Am I really the person thatpeople think I am?
But I think, after all thistime, and especially having you
know great mentors like yourselfand others like it's really
reinforced the fact that I amthis person.
But I don't want to lose thatthought though, because, again,
(07:24):
I don't know where people are intheir journey.
I don't know where, you know, aprofessional or a student might
be thinking, hey, I'm here, butI'm not really here.
And I think being able toconnect with them with my story
and talk about some of thechallenges I've had growing up
really humanizes the struggleand allows for them to say, well
, what you know, he kind of didit and I can relate to him, and
(07:44):
I think that's kind of thebeauty and the privilege I have
at working at Carr.
I feel I'm one of the students,I feel like parents there are
my parents, like there's so muchthere that I relate to that
every dayI just can't help but smile and
can't believe that I'm theprincipal at Carr, because I
came from where they came from.
I am what they are and it justit's such a privilege to be able
(08:08):
to represent them and to beable to advocate for them and to
be able to stand up and makesure that they're doing things
that are going to benefit theirfuture, whether it's a student
or a parent or a family, right?
So it's really something that Itry to use, from a negative to
a positive, to reinforce thework and to really, you know,
think on the daily as to who I'mserving and where they might be
(08:29):
, you know, in their life'sjourney and how I might be able
to support them with some wordsof positivity or encouragement,
or just to be an ear to listento some of the stuff they're
going through.
Bianca Barquin (08:39):
I so appreciate you and I meant exactly what I
said (08:42):
your optimism, your resilience--y ou are an amazing
leader and I am super happy thatyou feel comfortable enough to
be vulnerable with our listeners, because nobody would ever be
able to tell unless you shareyour story with us.
I see what you do every singleday and I don't see that
(09:04):
nine-year-old little boy thatyou are talking about, right?
We see this amazing, strongleader who's so connected to his
students, his school, histeachers, his families, so super
helpful, I think, for everybody, because I think everybody can
relate to exactly what you'resaying.
We all feel that in one way oranother, but we mask it and
(09:28):
we've kind of grown, right?
So thank you for sharing that.
I really appreciate it.
Now you shared a little bit,but can you take us back to a
moment in your childhood thatdefined your path?
How does that moment resonatewith your work today?
Gerry Correa (09:49):
You know, I came to this country at two years old
.
I didn't know English.
This is back in the late 70s,early 80s, and the world was a
lot different.
Our education system was a lotdifferent.
I do recognize now thereweren't a lot of supports for us
in terms of, you know, helpingsecond language learners.
It was basically sink or swim.
So not having the ability totruly learn English put me in
this box, as I say, and theadults around me really started
(10:10):
to make sure that I knew who Iwas by defining things about me.
You don't speak English, you'renot at grade level, you're
hanging around the neighborhood,and so hearing this day after
day after day, it started toreally cement these ideas in my
head that I wasn't a goodstudent, that I was a bad boy,
that I really wasn't going toamount to much, because that's
(10:33):
what the adults in my world weretelling me on a constant.
And so it almost kind of becamea self-fulfilling prophecy
where I'm like well, if theythink I'm bad, well, I guess I
got to be bad and it really putme in a bad place because I got
in trouble a lot at school.
I got sent to a coupledifferent programs for what we
call now at- promise youth, whatwe used to call at- risk, and
(10:54):
it wasn't until I was in sixthgrade where I was really facing
some serious consequences aboutwhether I was going to continue
in school at that particularschool, or if I was going to
continue in school at thatparticular school or if I was
going to be sent somewhere else.
And at that moment, my mostvulnerable, it was really the
make it or break it, right, forme.
In sixth grade, at 11, 12- yearsold, my sixth grade teacher,
Mrs.
(11:14):
O'Connell, pulled me aside andsaid I don't think you're the
person that everybody says youare.
And it really struck me likewhat is this lady talking about?
What do you mean?
Everybody says I'm this, butyou're telling me I'm not.
She said no, I think you'remuch smarter than you give
yourself credit for.
I see you do a lot of things,but I also see you get away with
a lot of things, so I knowthere's something there.
(11:34):
And she said I believe in you.
And it hit me like a ton ofbricks.
I'm like what?
What do you mean you believe inme?
You don't even know me, lady.
She says, no, I don't know youpersonally, but I think I know
your character, right, I seethings about you.
And I said, yeah, well, I don'tknow that I believe that.
And she said, no, I believe inyou and I'm going to show you
(11:54):
that you're not the person thateverybody says you are.
And it wasn't just words thatshe applied to me.
It was the opportunity toshowcase it, and, whether it was
a test or whether it was a taskthat I was given, because of
her guidance, I was able to dosomething different.
And in short time, I thoughtwait a minute, she's actually
(12:15):
right.
Like, I can do these things.
But for all this time, allthese adults are saying I can't
do it.
And it was literally thatmoment where she said no, you're
better than you realize and Iactually believe that you're
capable of doing so much more.
With her help and her guidanceand just everything she did for
me, I literally turned my lifearound.
I was able to then, you know,make better choices.
(12:38):
I was able to get on the honorstrack, which was, people could
not even believe that I wascapable of doing anything higher
than grade level work, right?
But she gave me that chance.
She made sure I was on thatpath and it came at a pivotal
moment because at middle school,as you know, unfortunately a
lot of things happen to ouryouth.
They have to decide who am I,what am I gonna be, what path am
(12:59):
I gonna follow?
And if they're not strongenough in their convictions,
there's a lot of influences thatcan shape and mold and take
them in a very, very, verydifferent place.
I was thankful that I had her,because a lot of my friends did
unfortunately succumb to that.
You know neighborhood stuff,and we know what that is, a lot
of us that are from theneighborhood.
So with her I just felt likewow, like she believed enough in
(13:21):
me.
She showed me that I could doit and that gave me the
confidence to continue, eventhough I had a lot of doubt
about, you know, being incertain classes or certain
spaces on campus, like, I didn'tquite fit in, right?
I was a little bit rough, but Icontinued because she said, no,
you're going to do it.
And before long, you know,being in high school, I got
really involved with school andsports and ASB and everything
(13:41):
else and it was like wow, shewas right and it had not been
for her really investing thetime in me and really taking me
aside and say, no, we're notgoing to do this, we're not
going to let you continue downthis path and we're going to try
to change some things with you,I probably wouldn't be here.
I, God,honestly, I really feel like my
life would have been so muchdifferent, and every time I go
(14:02):
visit my parents, you know, Iget reminded of that.
You know, and unfortunately I dosee a lot of friends from the
neighborhood, guys that I wentto school with and different
people that I grew up with thatthey stayed on that path and it
led them somewhere different.
I don't feel sorry for them,because everybody has their own
path to follow, but I justwonder why they couldn't have a
Mrs.
O'Connell in their life, whycouldn't they have somebody
(14:24):
champion them to say, hey,you're more than what people
tell you you are.
And how that relates to mebeing a principal and really how
I support my kids is that,despite whatever circumstances
somebody has, there's always gotto be hope.
How little there is, how littleit might appear, there's always
got to be hope that there couldbe something different.
And I really feel like, howevermuch that person buys into that
(14:47):
will ultimately result in thatsuccess, right?
But we got to offer people thechance to think differently.
We got to give them the chanceto think about the possibilities
that exist, because if not,they're going to be stuck in
that box, they're going to bestuck with those labels and
they're going to be stuck withthat mindset.
Bianca Barquin (15:09):
I love it and I think what you just said is key:
mindset.
It's all about mindset-- thatteacher having an open mindset
and a growth mindset andbelieving in you, which is a
perfect segueway into our nextquestion.
So thank you for sharing that.
Moving into your professionaljourney, what has been the
biggest challenge in integratingthings like generative AI or
other innovative technologies atCarr Intermediate School?
Gerry Correa (15:33):
I just talked about possibilities, right, and
that's something I really try touse.
Whenever we're talking aboutsomething new.
I think human nature in us isalways going to be to doubt
something, to have fear aboutsomething new.
Right, and educators are nodifferent.
Whether it's a new platform, anew approach, a new strategy,
there's always going to be doubt.
So what I try to do and the waythat I really try to embrace
(15:57):
and incorporate new technologiesand different things that we
can start using is I start toask what can we do?
What do you think might bepossible?
Let's not look at the negativeand let's not be so quick to cut
something off because we havethe fear of it, but let's
examine it, let's make sense ofit and then after that let's see
where it's applicable.
For some people it's going tobe very applicable and they're
(16:20):
going to be able to draw a lotfrom it, but from others it's
going to be a little bit.
But the idea is that there'ssomething of value there.
And right now I will tell you,I know that's a lot of
conversation that we're havingat our site and other educators
are talking about, like, whatdoes this mean for me, what harm
will this do for me, and I getit.
There's a lot of fear, right?
This will replace us, this willdo different things to supplant
(16:42):
the different things that we dowithin our job.
But if we stop and actuallythink about the possibilities,
what can this do for me?
What's the benefit of utilizingthis new technology or this new
platform in my instruction and,better yet, how will my
students benefit from this newtechnology?
Because the reality I think alot of our educators have to
(17:03):
face is that since COVID, we'veentered a new world and the
technology there isn't somethingto be feared, but rather to be
examined and then to be applied.
Bianca Barquin (17:13):
Wow, your answer really exemplifies for me both
leadership and empathy, right,all in the same breath and that
open and growth mindset that'snecessary so you can do exactly
what you said, imaginepossibilities.
Now, you've spoken about yourtransition from being seen as a
(17:40):
bad kid to becoming a mentor anda leader and I know that
mentorship is so important toyou.
Can you describe thattransition and the impact it has
on how you mentor students andteachers?
Gerry Correa (17:48):
Yeah, I've been lucky because I've had some
amazing people come into my life.
I mentioned my sixth gradeteacher, but when I was in high
school I had a great ASB advisor, Diane Zykwcia, who connected
me with the leadershipconference called the Chicano
Latino Youth Leadership Project.
This is in 1994.
And if anybody has anyrecollection of 1994 politics,
(18:09):
you might remember somethingcalled Proposition 187.
I had this awakening when I hada chance to attend this
conference.
It was a high school leadershipconference in Sacramento.
I learned all about not justhow to be a leader, but I
learned how to apply myleadership, how to incorporate
that in the work that I do toserve my community and really to
develop that thought, right,that it's not just about
(18:29):
becoming a leader for thebenefit of myself, but really
looking at how this leadershipplays into benefiting my
community, my family.
And, given the climate at thetime, I couldn't help but to get
involved because I was animmigrant and, given some of the
resources and training that Iwas provided, it empowered me.
It made me realize that,despite being 17 years old, that
(18:50):
I could do a lot, I couldinfluence a lot.
It started with, you know,really educating my friends
about the law and theproposition that was going to
affect us, because a lot of uswere immigrants.
But it sent me on this journeyto understand that I had a
bigger responsibility with whatI was given, and none of the
people that were at thisconference knew who I was before
I got there.
(19:11):
But they selected me, they gaveme a chance to learn and
develop and evolve.
I felt that it was my duty, myresponsibility, to take that and
to apply it, the most immediatebeing my school.
But then it was really about mycommunity.
How can I use these things thatI got, that others didn't, to
really help them, whether it bejust sharing knowledge or just
(19:32):
actually spending time withpeople talking through problems,
especially youth, and that'sbeen my life's work.
I really feel that thatexperience benefited me both
personally-- I grew as a person,as a leader, but it benefited
my family because that politicalawakening, if you will, really
motivated my family to becomemore engaged in the civic
(19:53):
process.
My mom, since 1995, has notmissed one election, local, city
, state or national.
She became a citizen, shelearned English, and other
family members because of thisaction did the same, and I
recognize the power of doingthis kind of stuff, right,
investing in your community,using these tools to then serve,
(20:13):
and that's how I see myself asa leader.
I serve.
I'm at the front of the table alot of times, but I'm there to
serve, I'm there to help, I'mthere to say, hey, I got
something, but I don't want tohold onto it.
I want to use it to benefitothers, and so, whether it's my
own direct students, whetherit's high school students or
different things that I'mworking on, I'm always thinking
(20:34):
about how I can use what I haveto give back, because I feel so
blessed.
Given the experiences and thedifferent people who've helped
me, how could I not pay it back?
Because this means such animpact on my life that I know
that if I can just do a littlebit, it might do the same for
others.
Bianca Barquin (20:51):
So thank you for that very thoughtful response
and I've seen it in action.
I see how you mentor just bybeing on the campus with you and
how you're talking to studentsand you're so relatable and you
have these connections with themand you just ask probing
questions.
You're interested in whatthey're interested in.
(21:12):
So I'm sure you deeplyunderstand the importance of
ethnic studies and I'm sureyou're excited about that and
how our students are actuallysaying they want to be part of
this social justice movement andeverything else.
Are you making connections likethat on your campus as well?
Gerry Correa (21:31):
Definitely.
I think just what you mentionedis a big thing in helping
students find value, right?
Just knowing that somebody'sinterested in their world, that
they have a genuine interest inhow they're doing their
well-being.
A lot of times when I approacha student I ask, how are you
doing?
And they say, oh, I'm passingon my classes.
I'm like, okay, that's great,but that's not what I'm
concerned about.
I want to know, like are youdoing okay today?
(21:53):
Like, are you feeling good?
Are you feeling fine?
Is there anything that'saffecting you?
It's interesting to see theirreaction when I ask those
questions, because they're like,you're really asking me this?
Yes, I genuinely want to knowhow you're doing today.
It's helped me build a lot ofthose connections.
It's helped me build bonds withmy kids because now I feel they
(22:13):
think that they have somebodywho's there for them and it's
not just an act, it's not just ashow, it's genuinely the way I
feel.
I really often relate it to myown kids.
You know I have an eight and anine-year-old and I don't spend
as much time with them becauseobviously I'm serving the
students here of Santa Ana, butI think about them and I think,
wow, I hope that somebody caninvest the time with them that I
(22:35):
invested with my own students,because I feel that connection
right, they're the same age orclose to that and I give to my
students what I would hopesomebody would give to my own
children at their school.
So, even if they're not feelingthe love, I want my own
students to feel the lovethrough just simple interactions
.
Bianca Barquin (22:54):
And they do every single day, so thank you.
Now, every leader facessetbacks.
Could you share a significantchallenge you've encountered in
your career and how did youovercome that challenge?
Gerry Correa (23:18):
I've always been the kind of person who just
tries hard, right?
Like I am goal-oriented, I wantto achieve things, I want to be
successful, but I know thatmaybe I don't have the expertise
or maybe I don't have certainqualities that other people have
or talents that other peoplehave.
But I got effort and I'm alwaysgoing to put my effort.
I'm always going to try my bestat whatever I do.
A lot of times it's successful.
Sometimes it's not, but I foundthat I was making my way as an
administrator and I was facedwith a lot of different
challenges.
(23:43):
And you know, people that don'tserve in this capacity may not
recognize the toll that it takeson you, right, if you want to
do the job good, you got toinvest a little bit of yourself
in it.
You got to wear your heart onyour sleeve sometimes, and you
know that's not always easy.
And a lot of the differentexperiences I had, you know,
being assistant principal had, Icall, bruising effects.
They were challenges, they weredifferent things that I was
like, wow, that was hard, right,man, that was a challenge,
(24:05):
right, like that was an easyconversation or hey, I don't
know how to handle that and I'mdoubting myself as to whether I
did the right thing.
And I feel I got to a certainplace in my professional career
where I thought, wow, like isthis really what it is?
Like, this is the job?
Like I don't know if I canhandle this, like I want to
serve but I want to know thatI'm making an impact.
(24:27):
And if all I feel like is I'mserving but I'm not having much
of an impact, maybe this is notthe thing that I want to do.
And I had serious thoughts aboutleaving, leaving Santa Ana,
leaving the profession, leavingall the things that I had really
enjoyed doing to this point inmy life, because I didn't know
if I could continue it.
Thankfully, that changedbecause I got some mentorships,
(24:48):
I got some differentopportunities to help me
recognize that we all go throughthese things, that everybody
takes their knocks, right, it'sjust about how we respond to
them that will ultimately makethe difference as to whether we
want to continue or not.
And I firmly believe, you know,like the old quote says, that
without struggle there's noprogress.
And that was something that Ihad to remind myself, like, okay
(25:10):
, it's not easy, but there willbe better days, right, it's not
always going to be like this,and so, thankfully, I kept the
course.
I got some great advice, somegreat mentorship and, and that's
what allowed me to then refocusmy energy and ultimately
propelled me to want to become aprincipal and, you know,
allowed me to get to where I'mat today.
Bianca Barquin (25:31):
Amazing.
I don't think that peoplerecognize that leadership
sometimes is very lonely.
So having your network and yourpersonal "board of directors
right folks that you can go tofor advice and talk to about the
daily challenges, is the onlyway that we can get through this
work sometimes because it'sreally hard, right?
(25:53):
So I am super happy that youstayed and your ultimate
decision was different, becauseI can see just how happy and how
our students at Carr areflourishing, so super grateful
for that.
Gerry Correa (26:08):
Hey, there Amplifiers Our amazing
conversation with CarrIntermediate School Principal
Jerry Correa isn't over yet.
Bianca Barquin (26:21):
Join us Friday, March 12th for part two of this
episode.
See you then.
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