Empowered Educational Conversations with Elin and Christina

In this episode, Elin & Christina unpack their reflections and takeaways from the 2023 National School Counseling Leadership Conference. School Admin, this is a good episode for you to understand the power of counseling departments and a valuable professional development opportunity to invest in.

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In this episode, Elin and Christina have a conversation with their former colleague, Michael Ray. Their school leader journey crossed paths when they were secondary site leaders in Oakland Unified School District. Take a listen as they catch up with a former colleague as he shares his educator journey from transitioning from a classroom teacher to a site-level administrator to his current role as a site-level instructional coach.

After five years as a school leader in Northern California, Michael made the difficult decision to relocate to be closer to his family during the height of the pandemic; stepping back into the classroom at that time to reconnect authentically to the realities of his new home. Currently, he serves as an Instructional Coach at Carver STEAM Academy in Atlanta, and supports male educators of color through Profound Gentlemen, using mindfulness-based strategies to develop teacher self-awareness and resilience.

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⁠Buy our Book: The Power of Reflection⁠

⁠Book a Clarity Call with Us

Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠: @elinandchristina

⁠Facebook⁠: Empowered Conversations with Elin & Christina

Check out our website at ⁠www.empowereducationalconsulting.com 

In this episode, Elin and Christina have a conversation with their former OUSD colleague, Diana Carty. When Elin and Christina were high school assistant principals, Diana worked at the district level as a College Readiness Specialist. Take a listen as they catch up with a former colleague as she shares her educational journey and how it impacts her equity-focused leadership practices today.

Diana Carty is currently a high school counselor for a comprehensive high school in St. Vrain Valley School District. Prior to her current position, Diana’s educator experience includes non-profit work supporting college-preparatory graduation requirements for high school students in school districts across CA,  a college readiness specialist in Oakland Unified School District;  a coach and program implementation support for digital curriculum, and as an alternative high school counselor in Milpitas Unified School District. Diana has a MS in Counseling as well as a credential in school counseling in California and Colorado. For self-care, Diana is either reading, traveling, or spending time with family and friends.

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Buy our Book: The Power of Reflection

Book a Call with Us for 1:1 Coaching

Follow us on Instagram: @elinandchristina

Facebook: Empowered Conversations with Elin & Christina

Check out our website at www.empowereducationalconsulting.com 

In this episode, Elin and Christina give three reasons why school counselors are key players in student success. This is a replay of their Instagram Live event that took place on February 14, 2023, while they were in San Diego for the National School Counseling Leadership Conference. They end the episode with some important questions for school leaders to reflect on. 

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Buy our Book: The Power of Reflection

Book a Call with Us for 1:1 Coaching

Follow us on Instagram: @elinandchristina

Facebook: Empowered Conversations with Elin & Christina

Check out our website at www.empoweredconversationspodcast.com

In this episode, Elin and Christina have a conversation with Josue Diaz Jr. Josue is a life-long learner and insightful educator. We all started our admin careers in Oakland around the same time. He is now at the district office down in San Diego. He has learned a lot on his path and our listeners will take away a lot from this conversation.

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Buy our Book: The Power of Reflection

Book a Call with Us for 1:1 Coaching

Follow us on Instagram: @elinandchristina

Facebook: Empowered Conversations with Elin & Christina

Check out our website at www.empoweredconversationspodcast.com

In this episode, Elin and Christina talk about what it truly means to be an equity-driven leader. They share some article reflections and suggestions for school leaders. This is a replay from their first Instagram Live of 2023.

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Buy our Book: The Power of Reflection

Book a Call with Us for 1:1 Coaching

Follow us on Instagram: @elinandchristina

Facebook: Empowered Conversations with Elin & Christina

Check out our website at www.empoweredconversationspodcast.com

In this episode, Elin and Christina have a conversation about data. Not just talking about how data can be used and understood to do our job as educators but how it can make REAL change. Join them as they talk with Rattana Yeang, a data analyst for a large school district. 

Rattana Yeang, a data analyst from Oakland Unified School District's department of Research, Assessment & Data. Rattana has served Oakland schools since 2008 and his day-to-day involves helping educators make more informed, data-driven decisions that empower Oakland Unified kids.

Outside of OUSD, Rattana has devoted much of his time to community and advocacy work. December 2022 marks his official retirement from serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for foster youth in Alameda County. As a CASA Rattana provided one-on-one court advocacy to abused, neglected, and abandoned children who are dependents of the juvenile court. Before that, he served 6 years on the Board of Directors for the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), the only national civil rights organization that focuses on the needs of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese American communities and in 2016, Rattana Co-Chaired the Nisei Student Relocation Commemorative Fund (NSRCF) which awarded $50,000 worth of scholarship money to college-bound Southeast Asian American students from the Bay Area.

With most of his volunteer commitments behind him, he's devoting most of his time and energy to memoir writing.

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Buy our Book: The Power of Reflection

Book a Call with Us for 1:1 Coaching

Free Vision & Mission Guide

Follow us on Instagram: @elinandchristina

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Check out our website at www.empoweredconversationspodcast.com

In this episode, Elin & Christina review their year and celebrate their wins of 2022. They also reflect on what they learned and what they want to accomplish in 2023. 

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Buy our Book: The Power of Reflection

Book a Call with Us for 1:1 Coaching

Free Vision & Mission Guide

Follow us on Instagram: @elinandchristina

Facebook: Empowered Conversations with Elin & Christina

Check out our website at www.empoweredconversationspodcast.com

In this episode, Elín and Christina have a conversation with a former teacher they once worked with when they were admin. There is a lot to learn from this educator's journey from teacher to director. 

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Buy our Book: The Power of Reflection

Book a Call with Us for 1:1 Coaching

Free Vision & Mission Guide

Follow us on Instagram: @elinandchristina

Facebook: Empowered Conversations with Elin & Christina

Check out our website at www.empoweredconversationspodcast.com

In this episode, Elin & Christina have a conversation with Dr. Heather Michel, creator of the Instagram account @teachersofcolor_matter. There was a post that got us talking and we wanted to have a bigger conversation about what it meant and what we can learn from it. 

Dr. Heather Michel, is a teacher educator, educational consultant, and instructional coach. She currently works as the Statewide Clinical Practice Coordinator at

National University. Before she became faculty, she was an instructional coach for the Chula Vista Elementary School District at a dual immersion school.

She was a 2nd grade teacher and was a part of Teach for America before that, teaching in Houston, TX! She has her masters in Early Childhood Literacy.

She received her Doctorate in Teaching and Learning from the University of California San Diego in 2013. Her current research interests include Teachers of Color and how to keep them in the classroom past five years. Outside of education, she is happily married and a mom to three children (18, 11, and 7 years old).

Fun fact, she enjoys cooking- she has even written her own cookbook and has plans of opening a café.

Learn more about Dr. Heather Michel.

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Buy our Book: The Power of Reflection

Book a Call with Us for 1:1 Coaching

Free Vision & Mission Guide

Follow us on Instagram: @elinandchristina

Facebook: Empowered Conversations with Elin & Christina

Check out our website at www.empoweredconversationspodcast.com