Most superintendents don’t cover disaster response in any of their preparation programs. Superintendent Antonio Shelton learned on the job at the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District that preparedness begins with building relationships before the crisis occurs.
In his case, it was a series of wildfires and mudslides that struck the Santa Monica-Malibu region, displacing students and staff both in and outside the district and knocking out power to some of his buildings. Students who lost their homes needed transportation to other districts while Santa Monica-Malibu USD also had to accommodate students forced out of neighboring school systems by the fires.
A key to rallying the community around the district is working ahead of time to establish a core group of supporters, says Shelton, who just completed his second year as superintendent.
“Have a core grouping in your community that you can reach out to—to make sure that they are aware of why you’re doing what you’re doing,” Shelton tells District Administration. “The more families who understand why you’re doing what you’re doing, the better understanding the community will have.”
He also maintains close working relationships with city leaders, first responders and the local utility companies, who provide him with information he can pass on to district families in the case of planned power outages, road closures or other developments.
“You’ve got to know your community,” he notes. “Some communities, they love for you to just put out the facts and list what’s going on. I work in a community where we need to be empathetic about why we’re making our decision—and we need to be detailed.”
Blending choice and student achievement
Here’s a fun fact about Santa Monica-Malibu USD—it is not a contiguous school district. The two communities and their 8,500 students are divided by a stretch of Los Angeles USD.
Educators in the high-achieving district are now focused on empowering students by building their curiosity and inquiry skills through project- and career-based learning at all grade levels. The district has a specialized, PBL-centered pre-K through 8 building whose educators can train others in the district on the project-based approach.
DA Awards of Distinction: We’re now accepting applications for our National Awards Program, honoring outstanding school districts and visionary leaders.
Career prep begins in elementary school with visits from directors, producers and city leaders, among others, and continues with hands-on career exploration in middle school and career-based academies in high schools.
Voters in the two communities recently approved a $495 million bond in Santa Monica and a $395 million bond in Malibu to expand those initiatives with expanded learning spaces.
“This is under the umbrella of transformative practices,” Shelton says. “We’re able to give kids the experiences that they want to have, that the teachers want to have, while also meeting the state standards. “It’s pretty cool to see that you can have achievement and also have choice in that process.”
