Jurupa Hills High School theatre director James Griffin, Jurupa Hills High drama teacher Nathan Cabrera, and Jurupa Hills High senior Matthew Lopez discuss the Players of the Palace, Jurupa Hills’ 15-year anniversary production of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” what drew them into the Fontana Unified program, how theatre and stagecraft help students in college and career, participating in the California Educational Theatre Association’s annual High School Festival, their favorite all-time Players of the Palace production, and which former Jurupa Hills High alum has won an Emmy award.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”