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.
Precious Resources: A Day in the Life of an Award-Winning Resource Specialist
Released: September 17, 2025 • Duration: 1:00:32
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.”
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Season 8 Podcasts
Listen to our older podcasts from this season:
| Date | Episode | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |