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COE Strengthens School District Partnerships to Support Future Educators and Address Critical Needs

The College of Education at聽糖心logo入口 (CSUDH) hosted its annual District Partners Collaborative (DPC), bringing together representatives from local K鈥�12 school districts to strengthen partnerships, share strategies, and address challenges facing education amid political and financial uncertainty.

The event focused on continuous improvement, aligning shared commitments, and deepening collaboration between the CSUDH College of Education and its district partners.

Before the session began, district representatives reflected on what they hoped to gain from the collaborative and offered advice to future educators.

Dr. Kelly Ann, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources at聽Long Beach Unified School District, emphasized her interest in learning from peer districts. 鈥淚鈥檓 really interested in learning about what other districts are doing and finding ways we can strengthen our partnership with Cal State Dominguez Hills,鈥� Ann said. She encouraged aspiring educators to stay authentic: 鈥淐ontinue to be who you are and bring that passion into the classroom and with students.鈥�

Andrew Kim, Teacher Development and Support Branch Specialist at聽Los Angeles Unified School District, echoed similar sentiments about collaboration. 鈥淚鈥檓 interested in better ways that LAUSD and Cal State Dominguez Hills can partner and collaborate to ensure student teachers have the best experience in their placement,鈥� Kim said. He advised future educators to stay grounded in purpose: understanding their 鈥渨hy鈥� can help them persevere through challenges in the profession.

Throughout the forum, presentations addressed key issues in teacher preparation and district needs. Dr. Devin Beasley, CalTPA Coordinator at CSUDH, presented data on the California Teaching Performance Assessment (CalTPA), a required exam for teacher candidates to obtain the preliminary teaching credential. Beasley outlined targeted support strategies, including program redesign, course alignment, a dedicated support course through the College of Continuing and Professional Education (CCPE), individual remediation, revised passing standards, instructional videos, and workshops. All of these efforts aim to strengthen candidate success and overall program outcomes.

Partner organizations also shared their priorities and initiatives. Dr. Peter Watts of the Watts of Power Foundation highlighted the importance of building a comprehensive educator support system. 鈥淚t鈥檚 moments like these where we ask the question: 鈥楬ow do we build an educator ecosystem that helps teachers enter the profession, stay in it, and thrive in the communities they serve?鈥欌�� Watts said.

Katherine Reed, Director of Talent at聽Aspire Public Schools, discussed efforts to expand equitable pathways into education. Through classified employee programs and targeted initiatives, Aspire aims to strengthen teacher pipelines, increase diversity in leadership, and improve retention. 鈥淲ith these ongoing goals, we are working to retain teachers and give them opportunities to gain more experience and skills,鈥� Reed said.

Representatives from Long Beach Unified School District also emphasized the importance of coaching-centered leadership, highlighting grant opportunities and potential doctoral program collaborations with CSUDH to further support educator development and student success.

Additionally,聽Lennox School District聽addressed the growing demand for special education services. District representatives emphasized the urgent need to recruit and hire more special education teachers to better support students with diverse learning needs, underscoring a critical workforce gap affecting many school systems.

Overall, the District Partners Collaborative meeting served as a vital space for dialogue, innovation, and shared commitment鈥攔einforcing the collective goal of preparing, supporting, and sustaining the next generation of educators.

Written by Desiree Arias, COE Communications & Public Relations Intern