Discover the revolution in school culture as we engage with Gerry Correa, Principal of Carr Intermediate School, who shares his journey towards creating an environment where every student's efforts and personal development are celebrated. In our conversation, we unveil the subtle yet impactful changes in aesthetics and the powerful practice of daily affirmations that have transformed Carr into a community where open communication and support thrive. Learn how embracing innovation and a forward-thinking philosophy are pivotal for educators to stay on the cutting edge, and why the traditional confines of a classroom no longer limit the scope of learning.
We then tackle the pressing issues of equity and innovation in the modern education sphere, specifically addressing the potential pitfalls of AI and its biases. Gerry and I dissect the importance of policies in maintaining transparency during the integration of new technologies, striking a balance that enhances rather than replaces the irreplaceable human touch in teaching. As we challenge the metrics of educational success in a post-COVID world, we celebrate leadership in its many forms and emphasize the influence of positive role models like Gerry in our communities. Tune in to gather inspiration on how to become a beacon of optimism and amplify your positive impact on those around you.
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
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Gerry Correa (00:08):
Welcome back Amplifiers, to the second part
of our insightful conversationwith Carr Intermediate School
Principal Jerry Correa.
We hope you enjoy theconclusion of his inspiring
story.
Bianca Barquin (00:21):
Now you mentioned the concept to me
before of celebrating studentsnot just academically but for
their efforts and improvements,so I have a question for you
related to that (00:31):
how has this approach transformed the school
culture at Carr?
Gerry Correa (00:38):
I want students to be seen, and so often there's
ways that we do this throughacademics, right?
There's honor roll, there'sstudent of the month, there's
different courses that gethighlighted because of the high
achievement, but if we reallythink about what percentage of
students that represents in aschool, it's pretty small.
So, as I thought about whatthis means for us, right, it's
(01:00):
like, well, we're onlycelebrating 10 to 15%, maybe 20%
of our kids.
What about the other 80%?
I'm sure they're doing greatthings, but why aren't they
being celebrated?
What around a school lets astudent know that they're valued
for the person that they are,not just because of their
academic standing but who theyare as people.
And I often think about thiswhen I go to visit schools, when
(01:24):
I'm on a WASC visit, or if Iget the privilege to go watch or
connect with another educatorand visit their site, is I look,
I wonder what on the walls,what around campus indicates
that students are valued?
When I got to Carr, it had alook, and I often wondered why
that look didn't reflect theidentity of our namesake, Gerald
(01:45):
P.
Carr, the astronaut from SantaAna.
How cool is that?
And there was really nothing.
And it bothered me because I'mlike, wait a minute, like I'm a
baseball fan, I go to a Dodgergame, I definitely know that I'm
at Dodger stadium, right, likeI see all the branding, I see
everything else that makes meknow like this is where baseball
gets played.
And so my attempt at reallybuilding this really inviting
(02:05):
environment was to add color,add murals, change the look of
the school aesthetically.
I can't build a new building,we know the challenges with that
.
But I figured, hey, some paint,some color, some life, that
could really do a lot to thepsyche of our kids.
And in doing that, I startednoticing the change, right?
They were more open.
I say good morning, theyacknowledge me.
(02:27):
I ask how they're doing, theyrespond and you know, this is
something I remember having aconversation with Hector Bustos
about, when he asked me, he'slike, what do you want Carr to
be?
And I said I want this to bethe place where kids can be
themselves, where they can findcomfort in being the people that
they wanna be, whatever thatmay be, right?
So how does that happen?
Warm, inviting environment,valuing them, acknowledging them
(02:51):
, letting them know like, hey,you made a mistake, but it's
okay, tomorrow's a new day,right, and that's something that
I often reflect on, too, when Italk to students.
I'm like today you didn't makegood choices, but tomorrow is a
new day and I'm not gonna holdonto this feeling that we're
having right now, becausetomorrow we get a new chance and
I think really taking thatapproach has really helped
strengthen the bonds that wehave with our kids at Carr.
(03:13):
But it's also something thatI'm now seeing is a school
climate effect where people arejust a little bit more open,
they're a little bit morewilling to approach somebody or
acknowledge them, and I thinkit's beautiful, because so often
we don't acknowledge eachother; only in these moments of
celebration, right, and it'slike, no, we can acknowledge
each other every day.
(03:33):
We can find value in what we do, just walking to class.
Bianca Barquin (03:37):
I think it's beautiful as well.
Thank you for doing that.
Now I want to shift andactually talk a little bit and
ask you some questions aroundinnovation and vision.
In our rapidly changing world,how do you stay ahead personally
, especially regardingeducational innovations like AI
(03:58):
and other things?
Gerry Correa (04:00):
You know I got to give a lot of credit to Jerry.
I know there's just been somuch that has happened in the
last, you know, four to fiveyears here in Santa Ana.
But one thing I take away fromhim and something he definitely
encouraged me to do early on asI started kind of building
myself up to be a principal orschool leader is build your
network.
Who do you have around you?
Who do you talk to?
Who do you surround yourselfwith?
(04:23):
I felt that I was very siloed, Iwas very much to myself and I
felt, well, I'm doing a good jobfor my school, but it wasn't
allowing me to evolve, it wasn'tallowing me to learn.
So being able to go toconferences, being able to build
my network, being able toutilize social media to connect
with other educators, has reallyopened my eyes to a lot of the
different things that arehappening.
And, as I mentioned earlier,I'm competitive.
(04:45):
I mean I want to succeed, Iwant our kids to do well, I want
to win.
So I'm always looking-- what isout there?
What else can we utilize to besuccessful?
Is there something we'remissing?
Is there a different approach?
Is there a new platform?
And, ultimately, how can we useit to support the learning?
So, for me, it's this desire towant to get better, no holds
(05:06):
barred, because you know, ourworld has evolved so much, it's
changed so much, that we can'thold on to these old ways of
thinking about oh, it's got tobe paper pencil, it's got to be
this way.
No, the classroom is everywherenow.
Learning can exist any placeand I think the more that we're
able to capitalize that, on thatas instructors, as school
leaders, as a district, the morewe're going to thrive, because
(05:27):
these old ideas of being in aroom, four walls, is the only
place that you will gainknowledge.
That's out the door, right?
Our kids come with so muchassets, so much knowledge.
But it's about reallyhighlighting that, hey, this is
something, but how can weamplify it more?
How can we bring this out more,right?
Sometimes it's easy, sometimesit's not, but I think that's
(05:50):
where we can look at technology,new trends, and say, okay, how
can this help us tell our story?
How can this help support ourlearning, right?
How will our specific communitybenefit from this?
Because I think that's onething that we don't often talk
about.
There are communities, to theirbenefit, they have resources,
they have assets.
This stuff is in their hands,but I think it's a comment about
(06:13):
people that work for ourdistrict, in our community, to
ensure that we recognize thesenew technologies, these new
things, these new ways ofthinking, and make sure our kids
have them, so they're not at adeficit, so they're not behind,
because the reality for them isthey're not competing against
each other.
They're competing against theworld now and it's our duty and
(06:35):
responsibility to make sure theyhave what they need to go
beyond Santa Ana and reallythink and compete globally.
Bianca Barquin (06:43):
I agree with you wholeheartedly and I want our
listeners to understand why weare talking about innovation
when we're engaging in thisconversation and immersive
technology and all of thesethings.
My goal, as you know, and I'veinvited you to be a part of it
after conducting an empathyinterview is to start a group or
(07:05):
to have a group form, and we'regoing to call it the Innovation
Catalyst Collective, SAUSD'sown ICC, and you are going to be
a key person and a key voice inthis collective, kind of
helping SAUSD move forward inthese areas.
It's directly aligned to ourFramework for the Future.
(07:28):
One of the drivers out there is, any time, any place learning
that's happening, so it's allreally connected.
As part of the Framework forthe Future, remember, one of the
things we recently worked on isour vision, our mission and our
values, and it was a speciallyselected group of people who
(07:50):
came together to work on that.
So tell me, what was it like tobe a part of that group and how
does that work align with whatyou're doing at Carr?
Gerry Correa (08:00):
Oh, you're going to get me.
.
.
I might get emotional.
I really am, because that hassuch a profound impact on me.
I don't know why I was selected.
I don't know what you all sawin me to make me worthy of being
part of this effort, but itreally highlighted the approach
that we're taking in Santa Anaof involving everybody, all
(08:21):
stakeholders.
It's not just a line itemreport, it's not just something
you see on a wall when you walkin a building, it's in action.
We had parents, we had Districtpersonnel that were not
administrators, classifiedstaff, and, most importantly,
and the beautiful part of it, wehad students.
Oh my goodness, it reallyhelped dispel this notion that
(08:42):
we have as school leaders andeducators that we know
everything.
We are the guides, we're thestewards, right, we're the
shepherds.
But if we don't include otherpeople in the conversation and
really genuinely involve theirthoughts, their ideas, their
feelings into the work, then dowe truly represent them?
Are we truly supporting them?
So the reason I tell you I getemotional is to see the
(09:06):
empowerment that our parents gotfrom having their words
validated, to see our studentsguide and lead the conversation.
I remember you and I, we satdown and we talked about, okay,
you know, how do we want to wordthis and, you know, how do we
want to apply this?
And here comes a student whosays, hold on a second.
You're thinking from yourperspective.
What about me?
(09:26):
Let me tell you how thisapplies to me, and that was a
huge shift in my thinking,because I'm like he's so right.
Here we're trying to determinethe vision, mission, and future
for Santa Ana Unified, and it'sme and you, two educational
leaders who don't live in thecommunity, who didn't grow up in
the community, yet we're goingto define what it means to be
(09:47):
part of this community.
And it was like wow, okay, Igot to take a step back and to
recall that last session that wehad, where the moms were just,
oh, there was tears, the kidswere feeling proud.
I felt like I was contributingsomething meaningful that was
really going to resonate butalso going to be impactful for
(10:09):
the community, for our district,and that will define SAUSD well
into the future.
I got to tell you I found a newsense of pride.
I wear my badge with that pridebecause I see the work.
It's not just about being partof the work, but recognizing
what the work is and who'sinvolved.
Oh man, to this day you talkabout that and it's just, it's
(10:31):
going to, it's going to evokeemotion.
I'm like, I'm trying to reallymanage my emotion right now
because I'm like that wasbeautiful and it really
exemplifies a lot of what we'reout to do.
And I hope it gets recognized,because I think when people hear
about some of the initiativesand just some of the different
approaches, it's great, right,but it kind of falls in line
with what a lot of things thatothers have said.
(10:51):
But when they see it, I thinkthat's where they're really
going to start to understandlike wow, this is more than just
words, this is really whatthey're really out to do.
And so I'm thankful for you,I'm thankful for our district
leadership to put this togetherand whoever decided to have me
on it, thank you, I'm soappreciative of that opportunity
.
Bianca Barquin (11:10):
It was a really powerful experience and I
remember that you and I weresitting at a table with this
diverse group of folks, allstakeholders represented, and we
were working on the vision partof it, and I remember that
moment as well.
It was David who was in ourgroup and he was our amazing
(11:32):
student who gave us that greatperspective, and people actually
have conversations with me allthe time and I try to explain,
it was David that actually, andother students, that crafted the
language that you actually seein our vision statement.
He is the one who said itshould start with an action
(11:53):
verb, forging, right, and evenexplain to us in detail why that
word was so compelling andpeople are like, really, and it
was an incredible, incredibleexperience and our parents
contributed so much.
So I wholeheartedly agree withyou.
Thank you for sharing.
Okay, now let's talk aboutethics a little bit.
(12:17):
In leveraging immersivetechnologies and things like
generative AI, what ethicalconsiderations do you think are
crucial for educators to keep inmind as we kind of move into
this new field or area?
Gerry Correa (12:34):
My training, my background is in history.
I was a history teacher.
I love it and for me,perspective is everything.
And looking at that kind ofthing, you also have to
acknowledge bias.
So that's a major concern Ihave, right?
Whenever I used to have towrite my term papers or whenever
I've done anything aroundhistory, it was about making
sure there was multipleperspectives involved and that
your sources were legitimate,that they were credible.
(12:57):
I often worry about the sourcingthat's involved in AI, right,
whether it's going to besomething that's going to be
fair for communities like ours,if it's going to, you know,
bypass a bias, if that's goingto be involved, because, as we
know, there's so much out therethat, you know, explicit or
implicit, however you want tocall it, right, will come out.
(13:17):
And I worry, I really worry,that if it's not really thought
about or shaped in the right way, that's equitable for some
communities, for a lot ofcommunities, then, yeah, we're
going to see those biases.
And if people are really goingto lean on this technology for
guidance and support anddirection, if there's that bias
in there, what will that do forcommunities like ours?
(13:37):
You know, if we're reallytrying to work towards an
inclusive society, like, willthat help or will it hurt it?
So it's something I think about.
I think about that all the time, right, whenever I'm looking at
any source.
But now, knowing that this isout there, it's like okay, where
is it sourcing this from and isit completely fair to everybody
involved?
Or is there just a tinge ofbias involved?
Because, as we know we're,unfortunately, our communities
(14:00):
tend to be on the short end ofthat stick sometimes when it
comes to bias and perspective.
Bianca Barquin (14:14):
Really, looking at how we do this the right way
is going to be a huge part ofour work.
I think about bias as well.
I think about equity, just likeyou talked about.
I think about privacy issueswhen it comes to student
information, so making sure thateverybody is completely aware.
So I think all of those things,policy, we'll have to work on
(14:36):
all of those aspects.
Next question for you (14:37):
how do you ensure that educational
innovations are used responsiblyand equitably in your school
and in your educational setting?
Gerry Correa (14:49):
That's tough, because I will tell you that a
lot of people want to minimizethe work, right?
They're looking for shortcuts,efficiency, if you will, but do
they compromise anything, right?
And so now, when I'm hearingabout you know teachers using
something new, I wonder, okay,like, did that compromise you,
(15:10):
the teacher?
Because for me there's nothingthat's more important than that
teacher.
There's nothing more powerfulthat I can put in front of a
group of students than thatteacher.
And I wonder, as I walk throughclassrooms and I see what's
going on, like, are yousupplanting yourself?
Are you using things, you know,in place of your own
instruction?
(15:31):
In some cases it's probablyhappening, maybe not as
widespread as we may think, butI worry that that might be
something that will happen if wedon't, you know, we don't
notice it and we leave itunchecked.
So for us, the simple assurancethat we have is through
collaborations, as we talk aboutinstruction and the different
strategies and approaches thatwe take, there's a lot of
(15:51):
transparency.
And what does it look like foryou?
What are you using?
I think, you know, creating anenvironment like that with your
staff really will allow peopleto be, you know, open about the
different things that they'reusing, and also calling a
question like, hey, why are wedoing this?
Is this something that we couldbe doing ourselves, or are we
allowing this to take the placeof us, right?
(16:12):
So I don't know if there'sanything really, you know,
official, formal, but by justhaving the transparency, talking
about instruction, focusing oninstruction, as we all should be
, I think those things willnaturally come out.
Bianca Barquin (16:24):
I agree.
So now I'd like to move into anarea around support and
resources.
What support, resources, ortraining do you believe is
essential for educators andstudents to fully embrace and
benefit from these innovationslike generative AI?
Gerry Correa (16:51):
I think they just have to be open.
I really do.
I think, you know, That'swhere they're going to start to
see the possibilities and how itcan be applied.
One thing I'm always struck bywhen I hear folks talk about the
COVID era and everything thatimpacted us, is they talk about
learning loss.
Well, I was at home, I was withmy kids.
Did they learn?
Yeah.
Did they lose some things?
They did, but I don't think itwas the learning that was lost.
(17:12):
I think it was the connection.
I think it was the connectionlost more than anything, the
socialization.
But my kids learned.
They learned in a different way, and I think that's something
that we often fail to thinkabout when it comes to the
students that are in front of us, right?
Yeah, it wasn't traditionallearning, it wasn't in front of
the teacher, it wasn't in aclassroom, right, due to the
(17:34):
health concerns and the spacingthat we had to use.
But they learned.
And I wonder how many people arecapitalizing on this new
learning, this new approach,because it's there, right, they
didn't walk away as emptyvessels, like they gained
something.
But I think we failed in thatsense where we didn't recognize,
okay, what is it they learned?
How can we use that?
I think we're still using oldmetrics.
(17:55):
I still think we're looking atit through a different lens that
doesn't necessarily apply,right?
Are they behind?
Yeah, they're behind on thecurrent metric.
But if we use a different metricto measure their learning,
would it show us a differentthing?
Would it show us a differentway of thinking?
It's personal for me, because Iwill tell you, watching my son
do a worksheet and struggle, butthen see him do the same thing
(18:19):
gamified I'm like, oh no, heknows his stuff, he knows his
thing, but what you're givinghim is so antiquated that he
doesn't know how to apply hisnew way of thinking.
And I think that's so symbolicand representative of everything
that's going on in ourclassrooms across the state and
country.
So I think it behooves us aseducators to really examine that
like, okay, what did they learnand how can we use it?
(18:41):
Even though it's a few yearsremoved, I think it's still
valuable to understand what wasgained during the pandemic
during distance learning and howcan we kind of bring that back
out to really capitalize it?
Bianca Barquin (18:58):
I love that assets mindset, right, and that
assets approach and I thinkyou're absolutely right and it's
pretty compelling.
We do think about it in thisvery negative way, but it's
really based on traditionalmodels, right?
There are some things thatstudents have gained.
There are other things thatstudents may have gaps, right,
and our goal is to actually fillthose gaps but possibly look at
(19:19):
things in a very different way.
So, Gerry, it has beenenlightening to hear your story
and insights.
Your journey from self-doubt toleading with resilience and
innovation is truly inspiring tome.
Could you share one piece ofadvice for our listeners,
particularly those who may bestruggling to find their path or
voice in education?
Gerry Correa (19:41):
You know, we began talking about self-doubt, and
it's something that's alwayswith me.
I think we all have it to someextent.
But what I would really wantour listeners to take away from
this conversation is despitewhatever you might think you
don't have, try to look at whatyou do have.
Try to reflect on the thingsaround you that you can use,
(20:04):
because so often we're lookingand we're comparing and we're
wondering why don't I have this?
Why am I not at the same placeas that person and we don't
recognize just how far we'vecome or who we are and what
we've overcome.
And I say that to you becausethat's what I use when I'm
having my moments of doubt, whenI'm starting to think about
like, oh, I'm not measuring up.
(20:25):
Or hey, I see what this otherperson is doing at their school
and man, I just so feelinadequate because I'm not doing
that.
Or man, like, I wish I could dowhat they do.
It's in those moments that Ihave to stop and really be
mindful of the fact that I gotthings.
I may not have what they have,but I have my own things and I
can use those things to reallyhelp myself and to move forward,
(20:47):
to help my school, to help mycommunity.
And I really want our folks,whoever's listening, to remember
that, like, you got something,there's something in you.
Maybe the world, maybe theadults have pushed it down and
try to bury it, but you gotsomething and I want us to
recognize that because it givesus hope, right?
(21:07):
It allows us to think aboutwhat's possible, just knowing
that there's something there,however big or small, right,
just focus on that thing you dohave and see what you can do
with it.
You know you might end up beinga principal one day, you might
end up leading a company, butfocus on what assets and what
things you do have, as opposedto the things that you don't or
you perceive that you don't.
Bianca Barquin (21:28):
Your optimism is so inspiring.
Thank you for sharing that withour listeners.
Now, before we sign off, it'stime for our Amplifier
Acknowledgement segment.
If you could amplify themessage or lesson of one
educator or leader who's made asignificant impact in your
journey, who would it be andwhat is that resonating message?
Gerry Correa (21:53):
This is where.
.
.
wow, this is really hard,because I've had so many people
who've helped me on my way andhave been such a critical part
of shaping and molding me intothe person I am.
But the person I think about alot in my current role and
what's ultimately got here, isEddie Bustamante.
(22:14):
I know a lot of people know whohe is, the principal at
Saddleback High School.
But what I want to reallyamplify about Eddie and what he
has done for me is he gave mevalidation and I'll just share
it with you in as brief as I can, because I can go on forever.
But I wasn't in a good place afew years back.
It had nothing to do with thepeople that I was working with.
(22:36):
They were great.
I was at a great site, did alot of great work there, but I
took a beating.
The work was not easy and thedays were long and it affected
my personal life.
It affected my ability to be athome, to be around my family.
I basically felt like I wasmarried to my job and I got to a
really bad place where I justthought, man, this isn't worth
(22:57):
it, like I'm not really good,like I'm struggling.
This isn't.
.
.
t his isn't the thing I want todo, because I wasn't seeing a
lot of success in it, right, atleast the way that I looked at
it.
But Eddie came along and Idon't really believe in
accidents.
I do believe in a lot of, a lotof things happen for a reason,
right, and Eddie had anopportunity for me and he called
me and, and you know, asked ifI would be interested in coming
(23:20):
to Saddleback.
And I would tell you, had thatcall not come, I wouldn't be in
Santa Ana, I would be in a, Iwould be in a different place, I
might not even be in education.
But what Eddie did, by allowingme to come back to Saddleback
and working with him, is heallowed me to see what I was
capable of.
Yes, he encouraged me.
Yes, they were great words andthere was always, you know,
(23:40):
these positive reinforcements.
But I had such huge self-doubtthat he had a hard time kind of
seeing it.
Like, what do you mean youdon't feel like you can do this?
You're crazy, like, I don't seethe person you're talking about
.
But here's what really did thething for me: he put me in
positions to lead.
He gave me opportunities toshowcase my leadership.
And I remember specifically onetime because, if you know Eddie
(24:03):
, you know he's always beingcalled and there's always things
that people want to know fromhim.
He's a great resource, right?
So he gets pulled away a lotfrom site.
And I found myself at Saddlebacka lot by myself, and I wondered
like, wow, does this guy notworry?
Like, I'm by myself?
And I asked him, like, Eddie,like, you leave me alone a lot,
(24:24):
does that not make you worry?
Like you're off site and youknow, like, you leave me in
charge, like, I don't know if Iwould feel so comfortable
leaving myself in charge.
And he said I don't lose oneounce of sleep, not one night of
sleep I lose over it.
And I said, why?
He's like, cause you're good,you know what you're doing and I
trust you.
Having those opportunities ofhim putting me in positions to
(24:44):
lead and show it and validate it, Bianca, I gotta tell you, it
just did wonders for me.
I felt reborn.
I felt like, wow, this guy seesit, he's showing me.
It took me back to sixth grade.
It took me back to my sixthgrade teacher saying I believe
in you.
That's essentially what it was.
It was him finding me at a lowplace in my professional life,
(25:06):
saying, no, I believe in you, Idon't understand why you're
doubting yourself.
Like you got more than yourealize and I'm going to show
you and I'm going to give youopportunities to showcase it.
And when the opportunity cameto to apply to be principal,
he's like, I love having you asan AP and you do so much for me,
but you'd be crazy not to go onand do this.
(25:28):
It was the biggest complimentfor me.
And so to this day, like I oftenthink about the lessons, his
words, just everything he did,because he may not recognize
just what he did for me by justgiving me an opportunity.
And that's something that Ireally use in my life in terms
of themes and ideas about how Iwant to support people is give
(25:51):
them a chance.
Give them an opportunity toshowcase what they can do, allow
them to really see the assetsthey have and you never know,
you might just change their life.
So, Eddie Bustamante, man, wow,what an amazing experience.
I feel beyond blessed to haveworked with him and to be
associated with him.
I hope I'm making him proud andI hope I can follow in his
(26:13):
footsteps and be a greatresource to people like he is to
so many.
So thank you, Eddie, foreverything.
It's just, whether you knew itor not, like man, what a
difference this has made for mein becoming the leader that I am
today.
Bianca Barquin (26:27):
Such a powerful acknowledgement and I agree,
Eddie is truly amazing andextremely supportive.
Remember, listeners, leadershipis not just about guiding, but
also celebrating andacknowledging those who've paved
the way.
Thank you, Gerry, for sharingyour heart and wisdom with us
today.
Thank you for tuning inlisteners to SAUSD's Amplifying
(26:51):
Leadership.
Remember, the path toleadership is filled with
challenges, but it's alsobrimming with opportunities for
growth and innovation, as Gerryhas shown us.
His optimism is inspiring andwe have to imagine the
possibilities and what we can doand the assets that we all have
(27:12):
.
Until next time, stay inspired,stay motivated, and continue to
amplify the positive impact youhave on those around you.
Welcome back Amplifiers, to the second part
of our insightful conversationwith Carr Intermediate School
Principal Jerry Correa.
We hope you enjoy theconclusion of his inspiring
story.
Bianca Barquin (00:21):
Now you mentioned the concept to me
before of celebrating studentsnot just academically but for
their efforts and improvements,so I have a question for you
related to that (00:31):
how has this approach transformed the school
culture at Carr?
Gerry Correa (00:38):
I want students to be seen, and so often there's
ways that we do this throughacademics, right?
There's honor roll, there'sstudent of the month, there's
different courses that gethighlighted because of the high
achievement, but if we reallythink about what percentage of
students that represents in aschool, it's pretty small.
So, as I thought about whatthis means for us, right, it's
(01:00):
like, well, we're onlycelebrating 10 to 15%, maybe 20%
of our kids.
What about the other 80%?
I'm sure they're doing greatthings, but why aren't they
being celebrated?
What around a school lets astudent know that they're valued
for the person that they are,not just because of their
academic standing but who theyare as people.
And I often think about thiswhen I go to visit schools, when
(01:24):
I'm on a WASC visit, or if Iget the privilege to go watch or
connect with another educatorand visit their site, is I look,
I wonder what on the walls,what around campus indicates
that students are valued?
When I got to Carr, it had alook, and I often wondered why
that look didn't reflect theidentity of our namesake, Gerald
(01:45):
P.
Carr, the astronaut from SantaAna.
How cool is that?
And there was really nothing.
And it bothered me because I'mlike, wait a minute, like I'm a
baseball fan, I go to a Dodgergame, I definitely know that I'm
at Dodger stadium, right, likeI see all the branding, I see
everything else that makes meknow like this is where baseball
gets played.
And so my attempt at reallybuilding this really inviting
(02:05):
environment was to add color,add murals, change the look of
the school aesthetically.
I can't build a new building,we know the challenges with that
.
But I figured, hey, some paint,some color, some life, that
could really do a lot to thepsyche of our kids.
And in doing that, I startednoticing the change, right?
They were more open.
I say good morning, theyacknowledge me.
(02:27):
I ask how they're doing, theyrespond and you know, this is
something I remember having aconversation with Hector Bustos
about, when he asked me, he'slike, what do you want Carr to
be?
And I said I want this to bethe place where kids can be
themselves, where they can findcomfort in being the people that
they wanna be, whatever thatmay be, right?
So how does that happen?
Warm, inviting environment,valuing them, acknowledging them
(02:51):
, letting them know like, hey,you made a mistake, but it's
okay, tomorrow's a new day,right, and that's something that
I often reflect on, too, when Italk to students.
I'm like today you didn't makegood choices, but tomorrow is a
new day and I'm not gonna holdonto this feeling that we're
having right now, becausetomorrow we get a new chance and
I think really taking thatapproach has really helped
strengthen the bonds that wehave with our kids at Carr.
(03:13):
But it's also something thatI'm now seeing is a school
climate effect where people arejust a little bit more open,
they're a little bit morewilling to approach somebody or
acknowledge them, and I thinkit's beautiful, because so often
we don't acknowledge eachother; only in these moments of
celebration, right, and it'slike, no, we can acknowledge
each other every day.
(03:33):
We can find value in what we do, just walking to class.
Bianca Barquin (03:37):
I think it's beautiful as well.
Thank you for doing that.
Now I want to shift andactually talk a little bit and
ask you some questions aroundinnovation and vision.
In our rapidly changing world,how do you stay ahead personally
, especially regardingeducational innovations like AI
(03:58):
and other things?
Gerry Correa (04:00):
You know I got to give a lot of credit to Jerry.
I know there's just been somuch that has happened in the
last, you know, four to fiveyears here in Santa Ana.
But one thing I take away fromhim and something he definitely
encouraged me to do early on asI started kind of building
myself up to be a principal orschool leader is build your
network.
Who do you have around you?
Who do you talk to?
Who do you surround yourselfwith?
(04:23):
I felt that I was very siloed, Iwas very much to myself and I
felt, well, I'm doing a good jobfor my school, but it wasn't
allowing me to evolve, it wasn'tallowing me to learn.
So being able to go toconferences, being able to build
my network, being able toutilize social media to connect
with other educators, has reallyopened my eyes to a lot of the
different things that arehappening.
And, as I mentioned earlier,I'm competitive.
(04:45):
I mean I want to succeed, Iwant our kids to do well, I want
to win.
So I'm always looking-- what isout there?
What else can we utilize to besuccessful?
Is there something we'remissing?
Is there a different approach?
Is there a new platform?
And, ultimately, how can we useit to support the learning?
So, for me, it's this desire towant to get better, no holds
(05:06):
barred, because you know, ourworld has evolved so much, it's
changed so much, that we can'thold on to these old ways of
thinking about oh, it's got tobe paper pencil, it's got to be
this way.
No, the classroom is everywherenow.
Learning can exist any placeand I think the more that we're
able to capitalize that, on thatas instructors, as school
leaders, as a district, the morewe're going to thrive, because
(05:27):
these old ideas of being in aroom, four walls, is the only
place that you will gainknowledge.
That's out the door, right?
Our kids come with so muchassets, so much knowledge.
But it's about reallyhighlighting that, hey, this is
something, but how can weamplify it more?
How can we bring this out more,right?
Sometimes it's easy, sometimesit's not, but I think that's
(05:50):
where we can look at technology,new trends, and say, okay, how
can this help us tell our story?
How can this help support ourlearning, right?
How will our specific communitybenefit from this?
Because I think that's onething that we don't often talk
about.
There are communities, to theirbenefit, they have resources,
they have assets.
This stuff is in their hands,but I think it's a comment about
(06:13):
people that work for ourdistrict, in our community, to
ensure that we recognize thesenew technologies, these new
things, these new ways ofthinking, and make sure our kids
have them, so they're not at adeficit, so they're not behind,
because the reality for them isthey're not competing against
each other.
They're competing against theworld now and it's our duty and
(06:35):
responsibility to make sure theyhave what they need to go
beyond Santa Ana and reallythink and compete globally.
Bianca Barquin (06:43):
I agree with you wholeheartedly and I want our
listeners to understand why weare talking about innovation
when we're engaging in thisconversation and immersive
technology and all of thesethings.
My goal, as you know, and I'veinvited you to be a part of it
after conducting an empathyinterview is to start a group or
(07:05):
to have a group form, and we'regoing to call it the Innovation
Catalyst Collective, SAUSD'sown ICC, and you are going to be
a key person and a key voice inthis collective, kind of
helping SAUSD move forward inthese areas.
It's directly aligned to ourFramework for the Future.
(07:28):
One of the drivers out there is, any time, any place learning
that's happening, so it's allreally connected.
As part of the Framework forthe Future, remember, one of the
things we recently worked on isour vision, our mission and our
values, and it was a speciallyselected group of people who
(07:50):
came together to work on that.
So tell me, what was it like tobe a part of that group and how
does that work align with whatyou're doing at Carr?
Gerry Correa (08:00):
Oh, you're going to get me.
.
.
I might get emotional.
I really am, because that hassuch a profound impact on me.
I don't know why I was selected.
I don't know what you all sawin me to make me worthy of being
part of this effort, but itreally highlighted the approach
that we're taking in Santa Anaof involving everybody, all
(08:21):
stakeholders.
It's not just a line itemreport, it's not just something
you see on a wall when you walkin a building, it's in action.
We had parents, we had Districtpersonnel that were not
administrators, classifiedstaff, and, most importantly,
and the beautiful part of it, wehad students.
Oh my goodness, it reallyhelped dispel this notion that
(08:42):
we have as school leaders andeducators that we know
everything.
We are the guides, we're thestewards, right, we're the
shepherds.
But if we don't include otherpeople in the conversation and
really genuinely involve theirthoughts, their ideas, their
feelings into the work, then dowe truly represent them?
Are we truly supporting them?
So the reason I tell you I getemotional is to see the
(09:06):
empowerment that our parents gotfrom having their words
validated, to see our studentsguide and lead the conversation.
I remember you and I, we satdown and we talked about, okay,
you know, how do we want to wordthis and, you know, how do we
want to apply this?
And here comes a student whosays, hold on a second.
You're thinking from yourperspective.
What about me?
(09:26):
Let me tell you how thisapplies to me, and that was a
huge shift in my thinking,because I'm like he's so right.
Here we're trying to determinethe vision, mission, and future
for Santa Ana Unified, and it'sme and you, two educational
leaders who don't live in thecommunity, who didn't grow up in
the community, yet we're goingto define what it means to be
(09:47):
part of this community.
And it was like wow, okay, Igot to take a step back and to
recall that last session that wehad, where the moms were just,
oh, there was tears, the kidswere feeling proud.
I felt like I was contributingsomething meaningful that was
really going to resonate butalso going to be impactful for
(10:09):
the community, for our district,and that will define SAUSD well
into the future.
I got to tell you I found a newsense of pride.
I wear my badge with that pridebecause I see the work.
It's not just about being partof the work, but recognizing
what the work is and who'sinvolved.
Oh man, to this day you talkabout that and it's just, it's
(10:31):
going to, it's going to evokeemotion.
I'm like, I'm trying to reallymanage my emotion right now
because I'm like that wasbeautiful and it really
exemplifies a lot of what we'reout to do.
And I hope it gets recognized,because I think when people hear
about some of the initiativesand just some of the different
approaches, it's great, right,but it kind of falls in line
with what a lot of things thatothers have said.
(10:51):
But when they see it, I thinkthat's where they're really
going to start to understandlike wow, this is more than just
words, this is really whatthey're really out to do.
And so I'm thankful for you,I'm thankful for our district
leadership to put this togetherand whoever decided to have me
on it, thank you, I'm soappreciative of that opportunity
.
Bianca Barquin (11:10):
It was a really powerful experience and I
remember that you and I weresitting at a table with this
diverse group of folks, allstakeholders represented, and we
were working on the vision partof it, and I remember that
moment as well.
It was David who was in ourgroup and he was our amazing
(11:32):
student who gave us that greatperspective, and people actually
have conversations with me allthe time and I try to explain,
it was David that actually, andother students, that crafted the
language that you actually seein our vision statement.
He is the one who said itshould start with an action
(11:53):
verb, forging, right, and evenexplain to us in detail why that
word was so compelling andpeople are like, really, and it
was an incredible, incredibleexperience and our parents
contributed so much.
So I wholeheartedly agree withyou.
Thank you for sharing.
Okay, now let's talk aboutethics a little bit.
(12:17):
In leveraging immersivetechnologies and things like
generative AI, what ethicalconsiderations do you think are
crucial for educators to keep inmind as we kind of move into
this new field or area?
Gerry Correa (12:34):
My training, my background is in history.
I was a history teacher.
I love it and for me,perspective is everything.
And looking at that kind ofthing, you also have to
acknowledge bias.
So that's a major concern Ihave, right?
Whenever I used to have towrite my term papers or whenever
I've done anything aroundhistory, it was about making
sure there was multipleperspectives involved and that
your sources were legitimate,that they were credible.
(12:57):
I often worry about the sourcingthat's involved in AI, right,
whether it's going to besomething that's going to be
fair for communities like ours,if it's going to, you know,
bypass a bias, if that's goingto be involved, because, as we
know, there's so much out therethat, you know, explicit or
implicit, however you want tocall it, right, will come out.
(13:17):
And I worry, I really worry,that if it's not really thought
about or shaped in the right way, that's equitable for some
communities, for a lot ofcommunities, then, yeah, we're
going to see those biases.
And if people are really goingto lean on this technology for
guidance and support anddirection, if there's that bias
in there, what will that do forcommunities like ours?
(13:37):
You know, if we're reallytrying to work towards an
inclusive society, like, willthat help or will it hurt it?
So it's something I think about.
I think about that all the time, right, whenever I'm looking at
any source.
But now, knowing that this isout there, it's like okay, where
is it sourcing this from and isit completely fair to everybody
involved?
Or is there just a tinge ofbias involved?
Because, as we know we're,unfortunately, our communities
(14:00):
tend to be on the short end ofthat stick sometimes when it
comes to bias and perspective.
Bianca Barquin (14:14):
Really, looking at how we do this the right way
is going to be a huge part ofour work.
I think about bias as well.
I think about equity, just likeyou talked about.
I think about privacy issueswhen it comes to student
information, so making sure thateverybody is completely aware.
So I think all of those things,policy, we'll have to work on
(14:36):
all of those aspects.
Next question for you (14:37):
how do you ensure that educational
innovations are used responsiblyand equitably in your school
and in your educational setting?
Gerry Correa (14:49):
That's tough, because I will tell you that a
lot of people want to minimizethe work, right?
They're looking for shortcuts,efficiency, if you will, but do
they compromise anything, right?
And so now, when I'm hearingabout you know teachers using
something new, I wonder, okay,like, did that compromise you,
(15:10):
the teacher?
Because for me there's nothingthat's more important than that
teacher.
There's nothing more powerfulthat I can put in front of a
group of students than thatteacher.
And I wonder, as I walk throughclassrooms and I see what's
going on, like, are yousupplanting yourself?
Are you using things, you know,in place of your own
instruction?
(15:31):
In some cases it's probablyhappening, maybe not as
widespread as we may think, butI worry that that might be
something that will happen if wedon't, you know, we don't
notice it and we leave itunchecked.
So for us, the simple assurancethat we have is through
collaborations, as we talk aboutinstruction and the different
strategies and approaches thatwe take, there's a lot of
(15:51):
transparency.
And what does it look like foryou?
What are you using?
I think, you know, creating anenvironment like that with your
staff really will allow peopleto be, you know, open about the
different things that they'reusing, and also calling a
question like, hey, why are wedoing this?
Is this something that we couldbe doing ourselves, or are we
allowing this to take the placeof us, right?
(16:12):
So I don't know if there'sanything really, you know,
official, formal, but by justhaving the transparency, talking
about instruction, focusing oninstruction, as we all should be
, I think those things willnaturally come out.
Bianca Barquin (16:24):
I agree.
So now I'd like to move into anarea around support and
resources.
What support, resources, ortraining do you believe is
essential for educators andstudents to fully embrace and
benefit from these innovationslike generative AI?
Gerry Correa (16:51):
I think they just have to be open.
I really do.
I think, you know, That'swhere they're going to start to
see the possibilities and how itcan be applied.
One thing I'm always struck bywhen I hear folks talk about the
COVID era and everything thatimpacted us, is they talk about
learning loss.
Well, I was at home, I was withmy kids.
Did they learn?
Yeah.
Did they lose some things?
They did, but I don't think itwas the learning that was lost.
(17:12):
I think it was the connection.
I think it was the connectionlost more than anything, the
socialization.
But my kids learned.
They learned in a different way, and I think that's something
that we often fail to thinkabout when it comes to the
students that are in front of us, right?
Yeah, it wasn't traditionallearning, it wasn't in front of
the teacher, it wasn't in aclassroom, right, due to the
(17:34):
health concerns and the spacingthat we had to use.
But they learned.
And I wonder how many people arecapitalizing on this new
learning, this new approach,because it's there, right, they
didn't walk away as emptyvessels, like they gained
something.
But I think we failed in thatsense where we didn't recognize,
okay, what is it they learned?
How can we use that?
I think we're still using oldmetrics.
(17:55):
I still think we're looking atit through a different lens that
doesn't necessarily apply,right?
Are they behind?
Yeah, they're behind on thecurrent metric.
But if we use a different metricto measure their learning,
would it show us a differentthing?
Would it show us a differentway of thinking?
It's personal for me, because Iwill tell you, watching my son
do a worksheet and struggle, butthen see him do the same thing
(18:19):
gamified I'm like, oh no, heknows his stuff, he knows his
thing, but what you're givinghim is so antiquated that he
doesn't know how to apply hisnew way of thinking.
And I think that's so symbolicand representative of everything
that's going on in ourclassrooms across the state and
country.
So I think it behooves us aseducators to really examine that
like, okay, what did they learnand how can we use it?
(18:41):
Even though it's a few yearsremoved, I think it's still
valuable to understand what wasgained during the pandemic
during distance learning and howcan we kind of bring that back
out to really capitalize it?
Bianca Barquin (18:58):
I love that assets mindset, right, and that
assets approach and I thinkyou're absolutely right and it's
pretty compelling.
We do think about it in thisvery negative way, but it's
really based on traditionalmodels, right?
There are some things thatstudents have gained.
There are other things thatstudents may have gaps, right,
and our goal is to actually fillthose gaps but possibly look at
(19:19):
things in a very different way.
So, Gerry, it has beenenlightening to hear your story
and insights.
Your journey from self-doubt toleading with resilience and
innovation is truly inspiring tome.
Could you share one piece ofadvice for our listeners,
particularly those who may bestruggling to find their path or
voice in education?
Gerry Correa (19:41):
You know, we began talking about self-doubt, and
it's something that's alwayswith me.
I think we all have it to someextent.
But what I would really wantour listeners to take away from
this conversation is despitewhatever you might think you
don't have, try to look at whatyou do have.
Try to reflect on the thingsaround you that you can use,
(20:04):
because so often we're lookingand we're comparing and we're
wondering why don't I have this?
Why am I not at the same placeas that person and we don't
recognize just how far we'vecome or who we are and what
we've overcome.
And I say that to you becausethat's what I use when I'm
having my moments of doubt, whenI'm starting to think about
like, oh, I'm not measuring up.
(20:25):
Or hey, I see what this otherperson is doing at their school
and man, I just so feelinadequate because I'm not doing
that.
Or man, like, I wish I could dowhat they do.
It's in those moments that Ihave to stop and really be
mindful of the fact that I gotthings.
I may not have what they have,but I have my own things and I
can use those things to reallyhelp myself and to move forward,
(20:47):
to help my school, to help mycommunity.
And I really want our folks,whoever's listening, to remember
that, like, you got something,there's something in you.
Maybe the world, maybe theadults have pushed it down and
try to bury it, but you gotsomething and I want us to
recognize that because it givesus hope, right?
(21:07):
It allows us to think aboutwhat's possible, just knowing
that there's something there,however big or small, right,
just focus on that thing you dohave and see what you can do
with it.
You know you might end up beinga principal one day, you might
end up leading a company, butfocus on what assets and what
things you do have, as opposedto the things that you don't or
you perceive that you don't.
Bianca Barquin (21:28):
Your optimism is so inspiring.
Thank you for sharing that withour listeners.
Now, before we sign off, it'stime for our Amplifier
Acknowledgement segment.
If you could amplify themessage or lesson of one
educator or leader who's made asignificant impact in your
journey, who would it be andwhat is that resonating message?
Gerry Correa (21:53):
This is where.
.
.
wow, this is really hard,because I've had so many people
who've helped me on my way andhave been such a critical part
of shaping and molding me intothe person I am.
But the person I think about alot in my current role and
what's ultimately got here, isEddie Bustamante.
(22:14):
I know a lot of people know whohe is, the principal at
Saddleback High School.
But what I want to reallyamplify about Eddie and what he
has done for me is he gave mevalidation and I'll just share
it with you in as brief as I can, because I can go on forever.
But I wasn't in a good place afew years back.
It had nothing to do with thepeople that I was working with.
(22:36):
They were great.
I was at a great site, did alot of great work there, but I
took a beating.
The work was not easy and thedays were long and it affected
my personal life.
It affected my ability to be athome, to be around my family.
I basically felt like I wasmarried to my job and I got to a
really bad place where I justthought, man, this isn't worth
(22:57):
it, like I'm not really good,like I'm struggling.
This isn't.
.
.
t his isn't the thing I want todo, because I wasn't seeing a
lot of success in it, right, atleast the way that I looked at
it.
But Eddie came along and Idon't really believe in
accidents.
I do believe in a lot of, a lotof things happen for a reason,
right, and Eddie had anopportunity for me and he called
me and, and you know, asked ifI would be interested in coming
(23:20):
to Saddleback.
And I would tell you, had thatcall not come, I wouldn't be in
Santa Ana, I would be in a, Iwould be in a different place, I
might not even be in education.
But what Eddie did, by allowingme to come back to Saddleback
and working with him, is heallowed me to see what I was
capable of.
Yes, he encouraged me.
Yes, they were great words andthere was always, you know,
(23:40):
these positive reinforcements.
But I had such huge self-doubtthat he had a hard time kind of
seeing it.
Like, what do you mean youdon't feel like you can do this?
You're crazy, like, I don't seethe person you're talking about
.
But here's what really did thething for me: he put me in
positions to lead.
He gave me opportunities toshowcase my leadership.
And I remember specifically onetime because, if you know Eddie
(24:03):
, you know he's always beingcalled and there's always things
that people want to know fromhim.
He's a great resource, right?
So he gets pulled away a lotfrom site.
And I found myself at Saddlebacka lot by myself, and I wondered
like, wow, does this guy notworry?
Like, I'm by myself?
And I asked him, like, Eddie,like, you leave me alone a lot,
(24:24):
does that not make you worry?
Like you're off site and youknow, like, you leave me in
charge, like, I don't know if Iwould feel so comfortable
leaving myself in charge.
And he said I don't lose oneounce of sleep, not one night of
sleep I lose over it.
And I said, why?
He's like, cause you're good,you know what you're doing and I
trust you.
Having those opportunities ofhim putting me in positions to
(24:44):
lead and show it and validate it, Bianca, I gotta tell you, it
just did wonders for me.
I felt reborn.
I felt like, wow, this guy seesit, he's showing me.
It took me back to sixth grade.
It took me back to my sixthgrade teacher saying I believe
in you.
That's essentially what it was.
It was him finding me at a lowplace in my professional life,
(25:06):
saying, no, I believe in you, Idon't understand why you're
doubting yourself.
Like you got more than yourealize and I'm going to show
you and I'm going to give youopportunities to showcase it.
And when the opportunity cameto to apply to be principal,
he's like, I love having you asan AP and you do so much for me,
but you'd be crazy not to go onand do this.
(25:28):
It was the biggest complimentfor me.
And so to this day, like I oftenthink about the lessons, his
words, just everything he did,because he may not recognize
just what he did for me by justgiving me an opportunity.
And that's something that Ireally use in my life in terms
of themes and ideas about how Iwant to support people is give
(25:51):
them a chance.
Give them an opportunity toshowcase what they can do, allow
them to really see the assetsthey have and you never know,
you might just change their life.
So, Eddie Bustamante, man, wow,what an amazing experience.
I feel beyond blessed to haveworked with him and to be
associated with him.
I hope I'm making him proud andI hope I can follow in his
(26:13):
footsteps and be a greatresource to people like he is to
so many.
So thank you, Eddie, foreverything.
It's just, whether you knew itor not, like man, what a
difference this has made for mein becoming the leader that I am
today.
Bianca Barquin (26:27):
Such a powerful acknowledgement and I agree,
Eddie is truly amazing andextremely supportive.
Remember, listeners, leadershipis not just about guiding, but
also celebrating andacknowledging those who've paved
the way.
Thank you, Gerry, for sharingyour heart and wisdom with us
today.
Thank you for tuning inlisteners to SAUSD's Amplifying
(26:51):
Leadership.
Remember, the path toleadership is filled with
challenges, but it's alsobrimming with opportunities for
growth and innovation, as Gerryhas shown us.
His optimism is inspiring andwe have to imagine the
possibilities and what we can doand the assets that we all have
(27:12):
.
Until next time, stay inspired,stay motivated, and continue to
amplify the positive impact youhave on those around you.
Popular Podcasts
1. Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
2. Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
3. Crime Junkie
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.