They're both new to Sacramento. This is their first year on the job. They're listening, watching and learning how things are done here. They're in charge of Sacramento City's public schools and 101-year-old community college. And now they're starting to put their stamp on how education is handled in Sactown's classrooms.
Listen to our discussion with Jorge Aguilar, the new superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified District, and Michael Gutierrez, the new president of Sacramento City College, as they talk about schooling Sacramento students; their future plans and how they're going to roll them out; what they've learned this past year; how they're working together to make sure kids go from pre-K all the way to good-paying jobs; and what they've learned about Sacramento schools, students, parents and the city.
Recorded May 23, 2018 at Antiquite Midtown in Sacramento
PANELISTS
* Jorge Aguilar, superintendent of the Sacramento City Unified School District
* Michael Gutierrez, president of Sacramento City College
PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY
* 0 to 4:50 min - Intro to California Groundbreakers
* 4:50 min - Panelists introduce themselves, and share one thing they've found interesting about Sacramento since they moved there last summer
* 16 min - How education helped Aguilar rise from his farmworker-family roots in the Central Valley town of Parlier -- and how it affected him while attending UC Berkeley
* 20:45 min - Gutierrez explains how the role of community college has changed in the past few years, and how California's community colleges compare and contrasts to those in Texas (where he's from)
* 28:45 min - Initiatives that Aguilar is rolling out in Sac City Unified schools, including a data-tracking program for high school graduates, arts and sports programs in elementary schools, and the importance of new, expanded summer-school program
* 37:45 min - Initiatives that Gutierrez is rolling out at City College, including a just-opened maker space, an "Anyone Can Code" program, the California Promise initiative, and a revised placement program for new students
* 45 min - The importance of teaching STEM skills, and should workforce development be a priority?
* 55 min - Has there been a benefit of Sacramento's gentrification on its public schools?
* 1 hr, 4 min - Aguilar's plan to address the achievement gap for students with learning disabilities
* 1 hr, 10:50 min - Gutierrez' plan to ensure underrepresented students get access to the college's tech-forward programs
* 1 hr, 13:35 min - Addressing the "wealth gap" and college-loan debt in the schools, and adapting the school district for modern-day needs
* 1 hr, 25 min - How are you recruiting teachers and faculty to your schools?
* 1 hr, 32 min - Educating foster youth
* 1 hr, 36:40 min - Getting more technology in schools - how will you get students up to speed on using it in the classrooms?
* 1 hr, 42:10 min - How do you foster innovation and creativity as a leader - and who are the women that have inspired you?
* 1 hr, 50 min - In a time when school shooting are too numerous, how do you balance safety and security and letting your students still "just be kids?" And how do you encourage your students to be advocates who turn fear into empowerment and action?
