In this compelling episode of Rising from the Margins, we take an in-depth look at Highland Elementary in Inglewood, California, as they navigate the challenges of receivership and embrace the transformative power of the Intensive Assistance Model. Through the voices of teachers, administrators, and educational leaders, this episode highlights the critical role of collaborative leadership, culture building, and coherence in driving meaningful change.

What You’ll Hear

• The reality of teaching in a system under receivership and the resilience of educators at Highland Elementary.
• The foundation of the Intensive Assistance Model: 51 days of coaching focused on leadership, collaboration, and content.
• The power of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to rebuild leadership, culture, and coherence from the ground up.
• Insightful commentary from educational leaders like Dr. Stephanie Gregson, Deputy Executive Director of CCEE, and Dr. Bernadette Lucas, Chief Academic Officer for Inglewood, on shifting school culture and empowering teachers.
• How shared meaning and a common language create sustainable systems of support for students and educators.

Key Highlights

• Resilience in Adversity: Despite systemic challenges, teachers at Highland continue to innovate and support each other, demonstrating unparalleled commitment to their students.
• Shared Leadership: The PLC model fosters teacher agency, empowering educators to lead and collaborate to solve classroom and schoolwide challenges.
• Sustainability and Coherence: Through a focus on essential standards and structured collaboration, Highland is embedding sustainable practices that will thrive beyond the three-year project.

Why It Matters
This episode underscores that change is not just about implementing new systems—it’s about creating a process that empowers individuals to take ownership and lead transformation from within. The Intensive Assistance Model offers a blueprint for how schools can shift from fragmented efforts to unified, coherent systems that support students and educators alike.

Listen Now
🎧 Tune in to Rising from the Margins: Episode 3 to hear the inspiring stories of Highland Elementary’ s educators and their journey toward creating a thriving school community.

Listen Here

Stay Connected
For more episodes and resources, visit CCEE. Don’t miss the next episode, where we explore a district in Sacramento implementing the Intensive Assistance Model.