What kind of role model do you want to be to your students? The board for the West Contra Costa Unified School District unanimously selected Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Sr., Wednesday as the District's next superintendent. Dr. Hurst earned his Doctorate in Education, K-12 Leadership (Magna Cum Laude), at the University of Southern California in 2011, and his Master of Arts Degree in Educational Administration (Magna Cum Laude) in 2008, and his Bachelor of Science, a degree in Mathematics in 1997 at California State University, San Marcos. Hurst is only one of a tiny number of Black superintendents among the states 1,000-plus school districts. Dr. Hurst also tripled the number of children enrolled in preschool and increased the percent of preschool students prepared for kindergarten from 30 percent to more than 98 percent. He earned a master of arts in educational administration in 2008 and a Doctorate in Education in K-12 Leadership, at the University of Southern California in 2011. But that means a lot of work needs to happen within the district, because right now, as I look at our district, West Contra Costa Unified School District, were not set up for success. Kenneth Chris Hurst, who will take over as the first permanent African American superintendent of West Contra Costa Unified School District within a few weeks, has his sights set on closing longstanding achievement gaps between Black, Latino and white students at the 30,000-student district. Board president Mister Phillips noted in an interview that West Contra Costa Unified is a mid-sized district relative to others in California, saying Hursts transition to the Bay Area is a natural progression. What happens is when kids arent being read to, theyre not reading, they come into kindergarten already behind. Weve been married for almost 40 years, 39 years in December. They didnt in 2019 or after or didnt say they did? College and Covid: Freshman Year Disrupted, Education During Covid: Families Struggle to Learn. Richmond Confidential assumes no liability for comments posted to the site and no endorsement is implied; commenters are solely responsible for their own content. Superintendent Hurst is WCCUSD's 10th permanent superintendent and first permanent African American superintendent. His military service includes Maintenance Supervisor at Camp Pendleton (19911993), Combat Duty (Desert Storm), Saudi Arabia (19901991), Communications Instructor/Supervisor at Camp Pendleton (19881990), Drill Instructor, San Diego (19861988), and Communications Specialist at Camp Pendleton (19821986). The board of trustees approved a three-year contract that begins May 17 for. Please check your entries and try again. At Oceanside High School, Dr. Hurst led double-digit growth in the schools academic growth performance. So, another piece that Ive talked to people about is instituting threat-assessment teams at every level of the organization, at the district level but also at the school level. Next, he worked as a principal under former San Diego Unified Superintendent Alan Bersin. The District also gathered more than 6,000 responses from the community on the next Superintendents qualities and qualifications. And ultimately, our parents and our communities, they want to see their children succeed. Shomik Mukherjee covers Oakland, with a focus on local politics, developments and activism. He will succeed Matthew Duffy, who announced in November that he would be leaving the district at the end of the school year after five years in his post. Prior to his long career in education, he served 12 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Hurst got his start in the education field in San Diego County, after serving 12 years in the Marines; he served combat duty in Desert Storm and was a drill instructor, communications specialist and maintenance supervisor at Camp Pendleton. I believe that every person, including you, has a big vision in store for them, and what I believe is that its my responsibility to give people the tools to unlock, like what is that vision, what is my purpose in life, what was I designed to do. Hurst said he assisted in Bersins effort to transform three schools whose students were lagging significantly in test scores and other measures San Diego, Kearny and Crawford high schools. Ive learned to work within the constraints of a budget; its not an excuse to exclude students from these types of experiences, Hurst said. So shes going to be working for California School for the Blind in Fremont, and shes going to be working in the tech department, and helping students with technology. Following that, he received his doctorate in education at the University of Southern California in 2011. Dr. Hurst joins WCCUSD after spending the past five years as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington where he significantly increased graduation rates and decreased chronic absenteeism rates for students. So I would say COVID safety and overall safety is a big component. But Hurst doesnt just want to throw things at people, he said in an interview with EdSource. Email [emailprotected]Copyright (C) 2015, by Don Gosney and Felix Hunziker. And I really am now interested in making sure that that doesnt happen to kids, which is why Im really invested in education but especially in systemic inequities and vertical inequities within the system. Vancouver Public Schools superintendent candidates, from left, Dr. Karen Cheser, Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Dr. Hector Rico and Dr. Jeff Snell (Provided photos) Educators, students and. Chris Hurst is a Superintendent of Education - Ajax at Durham Catholic District School Board based in Oshawa, Ontario. Diablo Unified, Kyla Johnson-Trammell of Oakland Unified, Vincent Matthews of San Francisco Unified and Harry Doc Ervin of Bakersfield City School District. Dr. Hurst joins WCCUSD after spending the past five years as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington. Dr. Hurst also served as an administrator in the San Diego Unified and Poway Unified school districts. Othellos student population this year is 91% Latino; 32% are English learners, and 75% qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. Because Im so busy, anytime that I can spend with my wife I do that. So I just love spending time with her. At USC, I had a professor that showed me how to challenge the system, and that you cant just go on to public education and accept the condition that its in, that we have to literally rewrite the script. He also facilitated instructional rounds for the Oceanside high school network and the LCAP development. Linsi Crain Public Affairs Manager, Chevron Richmond Refinery. Education | General | Kennedy High School | community. And its not been happening, especially with our Black and our Latinx students, so thats a big concern as well. "This morning, I tried to reach Delegate-elect Jason Ballard to congratulate him on last night's results and I hope we have the chance to talk soon. He also boosted the districts linked learning programs, which integrate academics with real-world work experiences. She actually contracted encephalitis at 9, which is a virus, and we believe it was an insect like a mosquito that was carrying the virus, but shes had to go through a lot in her life and to prove to people that she can do anything, because sometimes people view people who are visually impaired as being disabled and not being able to do certain things. Subscribe to Richmond Confidential to get the latest news sent straight to your inbox. Hurst got his start in the education field in San Diego County, after serving 12 years in the Marines; he served combat duty in Desert Storm and was a drill instructor, communications specialist and maintenance supervisor at Camp Pendleton. Kenneth Chris Hurst Sr. is the new leader of the West Contra Costa Unified School District,replacing Matthew Duffy, who led WCCUSD for five years. Im equally excited about deepening our understanding of equity and systemic inequities and also moving toward what it should look like, feel like, and sound like to have an equitable and culturally responsive education for all students.. Christopher Hurst, 99th Security Forces Squadron superintendent, Chief Master Sgt. (Courtesy of West Contra Costa Unified). I always share the story of my experience as an African American adolescent; I never saw in the curriculum anyone who looked like me or resembled me, Hurst said. So theres a lot of studies based on it, especially out of Stanford, and I was reading one a couple of months ago that actually addresses how teachers will bring in biases and implicit biases into the classroom. All Rights Reserved. Superintendent: Dr. Kenneth C. Hurst Superintendent (510) 231-1101 chris.hurst@wccusd.net. Superintendent Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Sr. is WCCUSD's 10th permanent superintendent. Marvin Parker, 99th Logistics Readiness Squadron superintendent, Chief Master Sgt. He Read More. If you are using a VPN, try disabling it. I really believe that especially urban systems are fundamentally broken and are failing Black and brown students across the United States. Find Us . You cant just change the organizational structure and expect change to happen. Were trying to build expert teachers and expert leaders as well. So really, my concept is that we get to the point where were planning individual learning plans for our students, starting from pre-K going through the 12th grade. Its general assembly is made up of elected business leaders and acts to represent and defend the interests of businesses with public authorities, as well as taking positions . So its almost like if we do this, we can do this and we can better support our students. 2023 EdSource. Hell get better at his craft, but he is a sitting superintendent with a track record of success, not just where he currently is, but everywhere hes gone, from what I can see.. Despite that, those districts have all been able to creatively offer engaging curriculum and programs like maker-spaces in which students can bring in materials from the house for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) projects. Hurst is apparently just another neoliberal, protecting the wealthy by betraying his students and their families, when he asserts that his out of the box ideas (in fact, common buzzwords for years now) can change change educational outcomes without addressing wealth inequality. I think its important for African-American, Latinx and students of color to see other people of color in leadership positions, Hurst said. So a big reduction so our counselors could check in more. And the research says once kids are behind, they typically stay behind. Only the JLAC, County COE, or school district can ask for a FCMAT investigation not individuals nor CDE. Dr. Hursts first call should be to Sen. Nancy Skinner to ask her to get over to Sen. Josh Beckers office to talk about a regional cost supplement to LCFF. In his new role, Dr. Hurst will bear the distinction of the being the WCCUSD's first permanent African American superintendent. I grew up all over the place. Its an unhealthy system. So there has to be a big investment in preschool to make sure that we close that early literacy gap. I look forward to working with him, and I have confidence in the experience and ability that he is bringing to this table.. Contact. Is it really a tribute to Supt. Silent. UPDATE 10:06 a.m.: Incumbent Del. I think thats a big concern. But WCCUSD spent just $450 (3%) more per student than Oceanside did last year yet (a) Oceanside has only 61% disadvantaged vs 71% in WCCUSD, and (b) San Diego County is just a hair over the statewide average cost of living. So if there is some trauma thats happening with a child at the home that our teachers know precisely the steps to take to get help or to refer to that child. Ive been to France and Italy and Austria. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. Vancouver Public Schools has. He also holds an Associate of Arts degree from National University, San Diego. Should Richmond shelter unhoused people in hotels during severe weather. So its going to be really important that our teachers check in individually with our students and really find out whats happening. We hired 20 counselors, additional counselors, so the case loads were at 750 per counselor but now weve reduced that down to 350. And their whole theory of action is, if we can really transform the central office, like people that work up here with me, and if we put the right people in place to have the right tools, then we could better go down to the school sites and support them and build capacity with the leaders. He also boosted the districts linked learning programs, which integrate academics with real-world work experiences. Dr. Hurst joins WCCUSD after spending the past five years as the Superintendent of the Othello District in Othello, Washington where he significantly increased graduation rates and decreased chronic absenteeism rates for students. Dr. Hurst has 23 years of experience teaching and leading equity in urban, suburban, and rural K-12 districts. Keep it simple and focused on a few aligned professional practices. A lengthy search process involved 50 listening sessions with staff and families, and the district fielded over 6,000 comments from the community, according to the release. All rights reserved. Im not sure if youre familiar with the High Tech High School System, mainly in the San Diego area, but they do whats called learn by doing. In Oceanside, Dr. Hurst collaborated with ConnectEd California, implementing Linked Learning to establish K-12 industry-aligned pathways to prepare students to succeed in college and career. Before his career in education, Dr. Hurst served 12 years in the Marines. Its really a framework Im using and its called Central Office Transformation Toolkit and its out of the University of Washington. Ive been looking over the trend data over the past several years and Ive seen that, especially our Black students and our Latinx students have struggled in especially mathematics and English language arts, but also a number of suspensions, expulsions; we have a high chronic absenteeism rate. I think warning signs are important so our teachers receiving training on how to identify those warning signs of any type of abuse thats happening, and then the referral process as well. Smith-Folds added that her biggest reason for choosing Hurst was hearing him speak about his wife, Crystal, a special education teacher who Hurst turns to as a sounding board for major decisions. I am honored and excited to be the new Superintendent of West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), and to partner with students, educators, families, community, and business partners to ensure we are meeting the districts mission to prepare students for post-secondary education and to be responsible, thinking, contributing members of our global society. Sylvester Greenwood and Dr. Cynthia LeBlanc each served one-year terms as interim . Were able to hire more counselors as well. So anything that involves her is what I like to be involved in. Hurst should identify a few professional practices such as Explicit Instruction or Formative Assessment with Descriptive Feedback and develop a plan to implement, monitor, and hold everyone accountable for the execution of these aligned practices at very high performance levels. Anyone reading articles, research and more, both academic and not, knows this. We request that commenters consistently use the same login name. Hurst is apparently just another neoliberal, protecting the wealthy by betraying his students and their families, when he asserts that his "out of the Read More. That doesnt happen. First day of school. Watching superintendents fail in LCFF-funded districts in high-cost counties has become routine. School board trustee Jamela Smith-Folds also expressed enthusiasm Wednesday about hiring Hurst and assured him that the responsibility of turning the district around wont fall solely on him. Kenneth Chris Hurst, 60, who served as a superintendent at a school district in Washington state, will be West Contra Costa Unifieds first permanent Black superintendent. Its going to be a community conversation. Were not going to let anyone hosannah you in and crucify you out, Smith-Folds told Hurst at the meeting, said, alluding to an often typical pattern of welcoming incoming superintendents as a savior for all the districts problems, before disillusionment sets in, and they are forced out. What are your top priorities for the school district in the coming year? Here are our challenges, they are real, and we need to have a strategy, have a plan as to how to address those challenges.. If your browser is out of date, try updating it. We really want to make sure that we have structures in place for every school, every classroom, so that were meeting the social, emotional, learning needs of our students. I was a drill instructor and I was a communications instructor as well. So how do we really present curriculum in a way that really entices the student and engages the student. If you continue to be blocked, please send an email to secruxurity@sizetedistrict.cVmwom with: https://richmondstandard.com/community/education/2021/04/15/wccusd-selects-charles-hurst-as-new-superintendent/, Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 15_3_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/15.3 Mobile/15E148 Safari/604.1, A summary of what you were doing and why you need access to this site. I enjoyed it. Before his career in education, Dr. Hurst served 12 years in the Marines. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Superintendent Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, Sr. is the 10th permanent superintendent in West Contra Costa Unified School District History. We think thats important to check in with the families. It really means that we have to have our teachers trained in culturally responsive teaching, but also we have to look at the curriculum that were putting in front of our kids. , and the number of children enrolled in preschool tripled, the news release said. Hurst is the districts 10th leader and its first non-interim African American superintendent. Chris Hurst (D) officially conceded to Jason Ballard (R) Wednesday morning in the race for the House of Delegates' 12th District. of Schools, Tony Thurmond, to do likewise. Californias Community Colleges: At a Crossroads, Adjuncts gig economy at CA community colleges, College And Covid: Freshman Year Disrupted, Education during Covid: California families struggle to learn, Tainted Taps: Lead puts California Students at Risk, Full Circle: California Schools Work To Transform Discipline, Californias Homeless Students: Undercounted, Underfunded And Growing, Eyes on the Early Years Newsletter Archive, California Association for African American Superintendents and Administrators, funded in part by millions of dollars in grants, mostly from the Gates foundation, West Contra Costa Unified School District, Click here for EdSource's Comments Policy. Superintendent West Contra Costa Unified School District View Chris' full profile . Two-thirds of the students qualify for free and reduced price meals. as well as their lower graduation rates and higher rates of expulsions and suspensions. So those are the things that Im going to be bringing from Othello to here. Dr. My long-term goal is to really transform our system so that we are ensuring that a high number of our students are prepared for college and career. Dr. Hurst, who will leave his role as superintendent of the Othello School District in Othello, Wash. to lead the WCCUSD, will commence his three-year contract May 17. Find him taking walks around town; he is always looking for story tips. Welcome, Dr. Hurst. It was a close decision, he added. Something went wrong. WCCUSD's new Superintendent Dr. Kenneth "Chris" Hurst's first official day was May 17. Read More . The district has hired a new superintendent, Kenneth "Chris" Hurst, who will begin May 17. This is kind of a lengthy response, but what I will say, first we have to build a healthy system, which means looking at our organization and how we are structured. CAAASA is pleased that school boards are continuing to recognize the benefits of having a racially diverse administration by selecting persons of color to lead the district.. He needs to acknowledge or review the abuse of the lowest performing students not given lunches, substitutes and other such things I witnessed myself. What is your biggest concern heading into the school year? Richmond Confidential is an online news service produced by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism for, and about, the people of Richmond, California. Hurst said he was drawn to West Contra Costa for a similar reason he was drawn to Othello: wanting to improve educational systems to ensure student success. So thats really our growth. I want to be the type of role model where Im pushing everyone, Im pushing adults and pushing professionals and pushing students to be their best. So I think, just to go back to your question, I think success is going to be individually defined by our students. But Im also a big proponent in culturally relevant teaching as well. 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