AUHSD Future Talks

In this episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda interviews Shana V. White, Director of CS Equity Initiatives at the Kapor Center. During the talk, Dr. White discusses her workshop at the AI Summit, equity and technology, teaching methodologies, the Kapor Center, working collaboratively, meeting schools and teachers where they are, empowering students and helping them find their identity, algorithm bias, expenses in artificial intelligence, and words of advice for education leaders.

Dr. White is working on Equitable CS Initiatives, supporting both CSforCA and CSforGA, and working with stakeholders in Georgia to improve teacher professional development and increase participation and success for students of color in K12 CS courses. Prior to joining the Kapor Center, she worked for sixteen years in K12 education, serving in both public and private schools as a teacher and instructional technology specialist in metro Atlanta. 

In this episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda talks with AUHSD's Principal/Coordinator of Alternative Education, Jose Lara. During the talk Principal Lara discusses his journey, equity and social justice, strategies and the Community Schools model at Gilbert High School, civic engagement projects, the future of alternative education, and the new schools equity advisory board.

Steven Butschi is the Director of the North American Google Education Sales team, which works with school districts, universities, and colleges to leverage Google’s Workspace and Chromebook products to personalize learning.  During the talk, Mr. Butschi discusses his journey that led him to Google, A.I. to help foster a human connection,  efficiency and familiarity with A.I., responding to concerns of students cheating with A.I., understanding how to use new tools effectively, prompt engineering, A.I in the workforce, addressing the costs of accessing new tools, and the A.I. K12 Deeper Learning Summit.

After working in IT consulting and volunteering as an adult English Language Learner (ELL) teacher, Steven combined his interests in education and technology by joining the Google Education team in 2009.  During his 13+ years at Google, he has helped universities migrate to Google Workspace for Education; worked on the founding team to bring Chromebooks to the education market, which have become the #1 device in K-12 education in the U.S.; and launched Google’s efforts to bring Google Cloud Platform to researchers, universities and EdTech companies.  

In this episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda interviews Jean-Claude Brizard, President and CEO of Digital Promise. During the talk, Mr. Brizard discusses Digital Promise, equity and technology, the promise/problems of artificial intelligence, the cost of artificial intelligence, collective powers of school districts/states, A.I. as a partner in teaching, and the A.I. Summit.

Jean-Claude Brizard is President and CEO of Digital Promise, a global, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on accelerating innovation in education. He is the former Senior Advisor and Deputy Director in U.S. Programs at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he focused on PK-16 education across five communities in four states. He also led several strategies to help close the racial and economic achievement gaps in Washington State’s educational system, as well as to support the growth and sustainability of the state’s public charter school sector. He is the former Chief Executive of Chicago Public Schools. Prior to his appointment in Chicago, he was Superintendent of Schools for the Rochester City School District in New York. 

In this episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda interviews Hafsa Kaka, Sr. Advisor of Homelessness in the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsome. During the talk, Kaka discusses her journey, the profile of homeless people, support systems for homeless people, nimbyism, the tiny homes movement, demography of homelessness, mental health and substance abuse in homelessness, and housing and homelessness as priority issues in California.

Kaka has a history of government, public, non-profit human services, executive leadership & direct practice positions & experiences that utilize post MSW experience and evidence-based practices in effective macro and micro level interventions in implementing success for at-risk populations. She is seasoned in systemic transformation of services, community outreach, strategic partnerships with an emphasis and passion to educate and advance racial and social justice through inclusive lens & equity driven approaches. 

Episode 100: AUHSD A.I. Panel Special Episode

In this special 100th episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda has gathered an AUHSD panel, including teachers Rob Gaudette, Paola Rosenberg, Tyler Sherman, and Ray Solorzano to discuss the role of artificial intelligence in education and the AUHSD A.I. Summit. During the talk, the panel discusses the why behind the A.I. Summit, building a more humanized A.I. approach, a personalized education via artificial intelligence, the benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence, and advice to A.I. Summit participants.

In this special episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda talks with youth leaders, Alyssa Muldong and Luqman Mohammed from the National Healthy Schools Collaborative Youth Council (NHSC) sponsored by Kaiser Permanente.   In addition, Staci Boretsky, from Kaiser Permanente, a long time supporter of AUHSD, discusses why Kaiser Permanente believes it is important to invest in youth voice and leadership.

During the talk, participants discuss their interest in student mental health, the 5Cs versus test scores, recommendation for teachers/curriculum, workshops with Kaiser Permanente, why Kaiser Permanente launched National Healthy Schools Collaborative Youth Council. For the last year, the NHSC youth council, made up of 17 students from around the country, have been studying how to improve the mental health of students in schools.  The youth leaders have developed 15 recommendations for K12 schools on this important topic.

Three of our talented students, Luqman Mohammed (Oxford Academy), Michelle Bacilio Guzman (Savanna High School), and Alyssa Muldong (Magnolia High School), have been appointed to the National Healthy Schools Collaborative Youth Council. Luqman is addressing mental health and school transportation, Michelle focuses on body image and mental health, and Alyssa is improving school food quality and promoting sustainability. This opportunity, backed by Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools, empowers them to shape healthier school environments nationwide.

In this episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda talks with Christian Pinedo who serves as the Chief of Staff at aiEDU and leads strategic initiatives for the organization. During the talk, Mr. Pinedo discusses his journey, his role at aiEDU, aiEDU's purpose, using A.I. for equity, challenges to resistance in A.I. in education, policy initiatives around artificial intelligence, A.I. literacy and ethical considerations, the costs of artificial intelligence, the purpose of the A.I. Summit, and a hope for education and A.I. integration.

Mr. Pinedo works with school district leaders, nonprofit partners, and other stakeholders who help advance aiEDU's mission to create equitable educational experiences to excite and empower learners everywhere with AI literacy. He is an educator with classroom experience teaching STEM and developing programs that implement equitable education. Most recently, he worked at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI where he collaborated with the multidisciplinary communities surrounding artificial intelligence to pursue cutting-edge research, create useful and responsible AI, and respond thoughtfully to the societal and ethical implications of AI. He believes in a commitment to driving effective social and societal change via equitable AI education.

In this episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda talks with Dr. Mette Miriam Boell, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Systems Awareness and research director at the MIT Systems Awareness Lab. During the interview Dr. Boell discusses her journey, the misalignment between public education and testing, the disconnection between public education and the real world, having conversations on the purpose of education, compassion in education, and preparing young people for emotional resiliency. 

Dr. Boell is a biologist and researcher with a specialization in the evolution of complex social systems, mammalian play behavior, and philosophy of nature. She holds a Ph.D. in organizational ethology and has extensive training in contemplative leadership and the philosophy and history of science. Boell's work primarily focuses on understanding how emotions and feelings influence social relations and, in turn, shape larger human systems, particularly in the context of education. She co-founded the Center for Systems Awareness with Peter Senge, emphasizing the integration of contemplative social-emotional learning and systems thinking in education. Boell also played a pivotal role in the Triple Focus Initiative and the Garrison Global Collaboration for Integrative Learning. In 2018, she joined MIT as a Visiting Research Scientist, working with The Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab (J-WEL) and later co-founded The MIT Systems Awareness Lab in 2022, where she is the Research Director. Her work at the Lab involves studying compassionate systems change in education and developing Systems Awareness methodology. Previously, Boell was head of research at Metropol University College and taught neuroscience of emotions. She is a key figure in various research and educational initiatives, focusing on generative social fields and living systems change.

In this episode of AUHSD Future Talks, Superintendent Matsuda talks with Dr. Edgar Lampkin, CEO of CABE. During the talk, Dr. Lampkin discusses his journey from Mexico to the United States, the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE), navigating a polarized community, equity in education, assets-based education, and the CABE conference.

Dr. Edgar Lampkin is a highly respected leader in the field of bilingual education, renowned for his visionary approach and tireless advocacy for equitable learning opportunities. With an extensive background in linguistics, multicultural education, and educational leadership, Dr. Lampkin brings a unique blend of expertise to his role as CEO of CABE.