Tag Archives: Gevirtz Graduate School of Education

Raising S.B.’s Next Generation of Teachers 

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New Town-Gown Partnership Between UCSB and Public Schools 

SB's Next Generation of Teachers, From Schools of Thought, Santa Barbara Independent, November 7, 2019.

SB’s Next Generation of Teachers, From Schools of Thought, Santa Barbara Independent, November 7, 2019.

It takes a village to raise a child and an even bigger village to raise a community to new heights. The PEAC Community Fellows for Education is an innovative new program that does just that. 

This unprecedented collaboration — which stands for “Program for Effective Access to College” — is between UCSB and the Santa Barbara Unified School District, with support from the James S. Bower Foundation, Hazen Family Foundation, and the Helen and Will Webster Foundation. It kicked off this summer to fund teacher training at UCSB for four college graduates who, upon earning their teaching credentials, will receive an opportunity to teach in Santa Barbara public schools. 

First-generation college graduates Alejandrina and Maria Lorenzano, Evely Jimenez, and Monica Rojas have each received full funding to attend UCSB’s acclaimed Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, with scholarships in honor of beloved educator Jo Ann Caines. 

This fellowship embodies the mission of the Gevirtz School, said Dean Jeffrey Milem. “It stresses the important role that education plays in helping to build a democratic society that is becoming increasingly diverse,” he explained. “Our teacher candidates commit to an intensive 12-month program, and with teaching placements during the day and graduate classes at night, there is no time for them to work, too.” That’s where the foundations step in to ensure these students “get a first-class education without incurring large debt.” 

The four young women are now finishing up their first placements. Alejandrina Lorenzano, for instance, has been working at Santa Barbara High School with Joe Velasco in an English class. “Things are going great. We have settled into the rhythm of things a bit,” she said. “Every day is different, and every day I learn more about my students, about learning, and about teaching. As I worked more and more within the class, I have come to realize that this is the work I want to be doing.” 

Alejandrina’s twin sister, Maria Lorenzano enioyed her time at Dos Pueblos working with teacher Kelly Savio. “She was really able to challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone when it comes to instructing a class for the first time,” said Lorenzano. “I am excited to see what each day will have in store for me while I am there. Sure, there are times when stress would set in; however, I have enjoyed every moment I have experienced so far.” 

The twins bought their mother a “UCSB Mom” sweatshirt when they found out they were accepted into the program, which led to “a lot of happy tears.” They hope to serve the Santa Barbara community for as long as they can. “We are hoping to continue to get others interested in the PEAC Fellowship to help ensure it continues to help students who want to dedicate themselves to teaching,” they said. 

Click here to read this story as it originally appeared in the Santa Barbara Independent on November 7, 2019. SB Independent Schools of Thought Insert 11.7.19

UCSB Commencement 2019: Navigating the Vast Unknown

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Graduate Division keynote speaker uses her own journey to inspire and uplift others

In the Samala Chumash language, the word “kalašpi” means “breathe on.” It also is the title of the speech Nicolasa (Niki) Sandoval will deliver as the keynote speaker at the Graduate Division’s 2019 commencement ceremony. A lecturer in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, Sandoval earned her Ph.D. at UC Santa Barbara in 2007.

Niki Sandoval, courtesy UCSB Current.

Niki Sandoval, courtesy UCSB Current.

“Kalašpi,” Sandoval explained, is inspired by the work of graduate student and optical oceanographer James G. Allen. “As a scientist who draws from cartography, meteorology and geography, Allen’s research represents the currency and relevance of a rich, interdisciplinary graduate education that is unique to UC Santa Barbara,” Sandoval said. “I am utterly captivated by the fact that the ocean is breathing. The deeper the breath, the more turbulent the churning that happens in the darkness of the abyss, the more productive for life on earth.”

There are clear parallels with the process of engaging in advanced study and the extraordinary contributions of UC Santa Barbara’s graduates. “The churning they have set in motion through their work, their persistence through the enormous swells, and the new knowledge they are breathing into our world, illuminates our way forward,” she said.

Sandoval is no stranger to the concept of illuminating the way forward. As the first descendant of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians to earn a doctorate, she said she “learned to navigate a vast unknown, with the assistance of good-hearted people who held high expectations for me, and is committed to being of service to others.”

Twice appointed by former California Governor Jerry Brown to the State Board of Education, where she currently serves, Sandoval says that her perspective and voice as a Native person and a Latina from the Central Coast region are important, but her primary task is to listen to diverse stakeholders. “Through my life experience and advanced study at UC Santa Barbara, I am keenly aware of inequities and systemic dysfunction that have plagued our educational systems,” she noted. “I hold open the possibility that growth occurs through conflict and that addressing the root cause of the conflict has a restorative effect. This transforms the challenge into an opportunity for growth and positive change.”

She acknowledges this is an uncomfortable but necessary tension to hold. “As a member of the California State Board of Education I am one of 11 people who set policy for more than 6 million students in grades K-12,” Sandoval said. “We adopt curricular frameworks and materials you see in classrooms and we aspire to make sure that all students are graduating ready for college and a career.”

Sandoval is also the education director of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, where she oversees a staff of 47 and works with elected tribal officials to guide educational policies and strategic investments to improve academic outcomes, promote self-sufficiency and nurture the next generation of leaders from birth through career.

In addition, as a lecturer at UC Santa Barbara, she has worked with more than 1,000 students seeking to become teachers, school psychologists or guidance counselors.

“Inviting out each person’s gifts requires connection, deep listening, and a lot of time. It also requires an understanding that there are different pathways through the educational process that are valid,” Sandoval said. “The ability to help others advance in their education, career, and fulfillment is a powerful reward.”

The Graduate Division Commencement Ceremony will take place Friday, June 14, at 1 p.m. on the Commencement Green.

Originally published in The Current (UCSB) on June 11, 2019.