Ben Lomond Elementary School Principal Ryan Price will represent the state of California as the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year in Washington D.C., from April 9-12, recognizing her as a standout administrator who has dedicated 25 years to serving Covina-Valley Unified School District’s students and families. Price previously served as an assistant principal at Sierra Vista Middle School for five years. She was named the 2024 Secondary Co-Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) for Region 15 in the 2023-24 school year. She will join middle and high school assistant principals from across the country at the NASSP National Educational Leadership Awards program, where she will participate in networking, workshops, and celebrations.
Fontana Unified’s new academy will provide students and families with access to small class sizes and high-quality academic instruction, supporting the District’s commitment to meeting the needs of its community, particularly the rapid growth in the north end of Fontana. The innovative three-in-one campus will serve as a school, community engagement hub, and gallery space, honoring the history of Fontana while showcasing original student work. Design features include STEM labs and maker spaces, robotics and fabrication labs, media production studios, outdoor learning areas, a graphic design studio, a research hub and study lounge, and a gymnasium.
For more than three decades, the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC) founder and CEO Dr. Brad Phillips has dedicated his career to advancing student success in higher education, developing various organizations, frameworks, and systems each designed to remove barriers and enhance the student experience. In recognition of his transformative work, Phillips has been awarded the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (RP Group). Each year, the RP Group honors a distinguished leader nearing the culmination of their career for outstanding contributions to institutional research, planning, and effectiveness within California’s community colleges. Phillips has long been a leader in these areas, championing data-driven approaches to improve student outcomes.
When La Serna High School Class of 2017 alumna Markie Wagner was in middle school, she was already coding and developing her own apps. After reading former Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ biography, Wagner’s desire for working in tech grew by leaps and bounds. When she arrived at La Serna, Wagner said she found the school’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) instruction lacking, and was determined to make meaningful changes to the curriculum. Today, Wagner is celebrated as the leading advocate and architect of La Serna’s award-winning computer science program, while continuing to advance her own career as a tech titan, artificial intelligence (AI) researcher, software engineer, Thiel Fellow, and founder and CEO of Forge.
Students in the Fontana Unified Theatre Conservatory will perform in the California Theatre of the Performing Arts’ upcoming showcase of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.” The FUSD Theatre Conservatory partners with Theatrical Arts International Foundation Inc. to provide students with the opportunity to showcase their talents and gain real-world stage experience in a professional production. The general public can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster or by calling 909-885-8263.
At the start of Caring Campus sessions with college and university faculty, Caring Campus coaches ask the participants to reflect on someone who inspired them to become educators. Time and again, faculty recall that it was a professor who impacted their lives. This spring, faculty members across Texas are taking part in Caring Campus, a framework designed to equip them with behavioral commitments that foster a strong sense of community and connection, both inside and outside the classroom. By creating an environment where students feel they belong, faculty can help inspire students to succeed and increase retention and persistence rates.
Laughter and excitement filled the air as families, community members, and local dignitaries celebrated the grand opening of El Monte Union High School District’s (EMUHSD) Family and Community Engagement Center on March 26, an event that featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony and marked the debut of a hub dedicated to empowering families and strengthening school-community partnerships.
FOHI’s theatre program was recognized for its excellence in its performance and production of “She Kills Monsters” at the 2024-25 California Educational Theatre Association (CETA) High School Festival. As a group, FOHI placed fourth in CETA’s Area 2, took second in the Festival’s Second Stage Competition, and won its third Artistic Merit Award at the event. Individually, four Fontana High students: Belen Cruz Flores, Hayley Shelly King, Cielo Tule, and Susanna Medina received Adjudicator Awards at the CETA Festival, while Lillian Flanagan and Brandon Nunez came away with Director’s Awards.
Texas A&M University – Central Texas (TAMUCT) and Temple College are forging a groundbreaking partnership that will allow students to earn an associate’s and bachelor’s degree from Temple College and TAMUCT while remaining on Temple College’s campus. This initiative strengthens the bond between the two institutions and supports Caring Campus Regions, a new effort designed to connect community colleges and universities in Texas to enhance student success. Funded by the Greater Texas Foundation (GTF), this regional approach aims to link and unify institutions across the state. Texas A&M universities and feeder community colleges in the three designated regions – Central, Kingsville, and San Antonio – will support the work, ensuring students experience a seamless transition between community colleges and universities.
Now in her 12th year, Ramona Middle School music teacher Caitlin Shaw has provided the crucial link between elementary school novice singers and Bonita High School’s prestigious Concert Choir and Chamber Singers. With more than 270 students in her program, Shaw teaches singers how to harmonize, read music, and prepare for auditions and live performances. Channeling Shaw’s mentorship and guidance, 11 Ramona music students, along with three Bonita High School freshmen, have been selected to join the Southern California Vocal Association’s (SCVA) 2025 Junior High Honor Choir, underscoring the hard work and dedication that epitomize Bonita Unified’s successful and award-winning Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) programs. Ramona placed more students in the honor choir than any other Southern California school. The SCVA Junior High Honor Choir 2025 spring performance will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 at Portola High School in Irvine.
