California School News Radio
California School News Radio is a weekly podcast focused on education issues at public school districts hosted by Kevin Ausmus and Drew Schlosberg. Peruse our library of clips from past shows.
Can You Hear Me Now: Inside Covina-Valley Unified’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program
Released: December 3, 2025 • Duration: 1:01:02
Covina-Valley Unified School District Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Program Coordinator Christine Sadler and Educational Audiologist Carolyn Collins discuss the district’s DHH program, which serves students ages 0-22 from Claremont to Baldwin Park in the East San Gabriel Valley SELPA region, the various hearing disorders seen throughout the district, the range of services that the district provides, the intricacies of sign language and how it changes from region to region, and South Hills High School senior and DHH student Francisco Morales, who is a star offensive lineman for the South Hills football team.
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Season 8 Podcasts
Listen to our older podcasts from this season:
| Date | Episode | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 3, 2025 | Can You Hear Me Now: Inside Covina-Valley Unified’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program | Covina-Valley Unified School District Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Program Coordinator Christine Sadler and Educational Audiologist Carolyn Collins discuss the district’s DHH program, which serves students ages 0-22 from Claremont to Baldwin Park in the East San Gabriel Valley SELPA region, the various hearing disorders seen throughout the district, the range of services that the district provides, the intricacies of sign language and how it changes from region to region, and South Hills High School senior and DHH student Francisco Morales, who is a star offensive lineman for the South Hills football team. | 1:01:02 |
| November 20, 2025 | Talk to Me: Exploring Whittier Union’s Student Well-Being Program | Whittier Union High School District School Psychologist Stephanie Murray and Student Well-Being Liaison Tanya Gavino de Flores discuss the District’s student well-being program, what inspired them to choose their respective professions, partnering with local colleges to bring in grad students to work as interns, creating districtwide suicide prevention protocols, why it’s important to talk to young children about suicide, how they talk to students about social media, and bringing mental wellness into the mainstream. | 1:04:03 |
| November 6, 2025 | Full Circle: Inside Fontana High School’s Award-Winning AVID Program | Fontana High School principal Joe Malatesta, AVID co-coordinator Kevin Escobar and AVID teacher Mario Echeverria discuss the school’s award-winning AVID program, the importance of being an AVID Showcase and National Demonstration School, FOHI’s AVID-inspired, Golden Bell Award-winning College Application Day, how AVID culture has spread throughout the campus, and how AVID changed the lives of FOHI graduates and former AVID students Escobar and Echeverria, who returned to the school to help teach the next generation of AVID scholars. | 1:05:23 |
| October 22, 2025 | Working Together: A Chat with Bonita, Covina-Valley CTE Coordinators | Bonita Unified CTE Coordinator Vanessa Tilford and Covina-Valley Unified CTE Coordinator and AVID District Director Harmonie Redding discuss their processes for bring career technical education programs to their districts, the benefits of collaborating and sharing information, how data and assessments help students find career paths, working with local employers to develop programs, and the importance of employment companies such as America’s Job Center of California. | 1:04:31 |
| October 8, 2025 | New Beginnings: A Conversation with Lynwood Unified’s Top Administrators | Lynwood Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Patrick Gittisriboongul and Asst. Superintendent of Educational Services Dr. Maribel Martinez discuss their new roles in the district as top administrators, implementing a 100-day plan, the four pillars that make up the District’s strategic plan, their focus on mental wellness and commitment to students and families, and the personal journeys they took that inspired them to become educators. | 1:02:22 |
| October 1, 2025 | Breaking Barriers: Dual Language Immersion and Award-Winning Schools in Covina-Valley | Manzanita Elementary School Principal Amanda Vanessa Noriega discusses the Covina-Valley Unified school’s Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, its designation as a National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) 2025 Top Schools Award winner, administering DLI programs across the United States, growing up as an English learner, what training and education is needed to teach a DLI class, and how she came to love the Los Angeles Dodgers. | 57:37 |
| September 17, 2025 | Precious Resources: A Day in the Life of an Award-Winning Resource Specialist | Live Oak Elementary School Resource Specialist and Fontana Unified School District 2024–25 Teacher of the Year Michelle Vazquez discusses developing Individualized Education Programs (IEP) for students with a wide range of disabilities, preparing students to transition to middle school and encouraging them to advocate for themselves, talking with parents about the need for services, collaborating with classroom teachers and aides, assisting SPED teachers through her Stepping Into Special Education podcast, and her experience as a contestant on “American Idol.” | 1:00:32 |
| September 11, 2025 | Many Oceans to Cross: The Amazing Journey of El Monte Union Principal Jose Bañas | Mountain View High School Principal Jose Relson Bañas left a small farm village in the Philippines more than 20 years ago, traveling to Southern California to teach mathematics. The El Monte Union administrator retraces the steps of his journey, from the Philippines to Compton to El Monte, and discusses the metaphorical oceans he had to cross to be successful, those of fear, doubt, and insecurity. Bañas also discusses assimilating to American pop culture, his fascination with numerology, and how he found his community in Southern California. | 1:00:03 |