In early August, Alliance
College-Ready Public School's first-ever
podcast, Reimagining the Alliance Educator, will be available
at no cost the public, along with music playlists to support
scholar engagement and school culture
LOS
ANGELES, Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --
Alliance College-Ready Public Schools announced today that it
will launch OneAlliance Radio, a hub of podcasts that
feature innovations in teaching and education. Beginning
August 5, listeners will have free
access to Alliance's first-ever podcast, Reimagining the
Alliance Educator, an 8-part series hosted by Alliance VP of
Network Initiatives Sonja Grant, designed to address the ongoing
teacher burnout crisis seen across California and the country, especially since
the global pandemic. The podcast features principals, teachers, and
scholars from two Alliance middle schools and one high school who
have piloted a new schedule change program tailored specifically
for each school community. Listeners will also have access to
curated music playlists that support learning and wellness in the
classroom.
![Reimagining the Alliance Educator: The Podcast - Practical discussions and advice on finding greater balance for teachers and better outcomes for scholars. Reimagining the Alliance Educator: The Podcast - Practical discussions and advice on finding greater balance for teachers and better outcomes for scholars.](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2474200/Alliance_College_Ready_Public_Schools.jpg)
The charter network's views OneAlliance Radio as a new way to be
creative with how they impact the lives of the communities they
serve. "Since our founding in 2004, we've always prioritized using
science backed tools and techniques to teach and innovate," says
Jass Stewart, Chief of Innovation
and Strategy at Alliance, and one of the OneAlliance Radio
producers.
In the US, teachers on average have less time for preparation
relative to other countries where students experience high academic
outcomes. Through an exhaustive, research-based process, the
Reimagining the Alliance Educator pilot gives teachers at
Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy
4, in the South L.A. Watts neighborhood, and Alliance Valera Middle
Academy in the Sun Valley, more
time for lesson planning and scholar intervention. The schools have
more than doubled planning time for teachers; from 4-5 hours to
between 10-12 hours per week. They've also created new, targeted
intervention opportunities for each school, and significantly
expanded enrichment opportunities for scholars – everything from
in-house electives to programs where scholars earn college credit
while in high school. Alliance is offering this dual enrollment at
Dr. Olga Mohan High School, the
first high school to join the pilot program.
The schools are already seeing a significant difference in their
sustainability and well-being, which is directly affecting scholar
outcomes. Considering many scholars enter Alliance schools three
grade levels behind, one of the ambitious goals principals have is
for their scholars to grow two years in reading and math
development in just one year. The preliminary data is showing that
they have been able to do just that. As Jonathan Tiongco (JT), the founding principal
and Executive Director of Valera MIT remarked in an episode, "I've
really gotten to see more joy, more excitement, more enthusiasm and
engagement at our school from both the students, the staff, as well
as family levels."
The podcast also dives into the details of how this pilot
program can be done through schedule shifts, teacher collaboration,
as well as the creative funding that can be utilized to make these
changes happen. Their hope is that other schools in the Alliance
network and beyond will be inspired to explore and implement
similar programs.
As Natalie Hickman, a teacher at
Mohan High School, featured on the podcast remarked, "Needless to
say, teaching is very difficult. I've often wondered about my
future, how long I would stay in teaching with the way things were
and have been. So this [Reimagining the Alliance Educator pilot] is
really a breath of fresh air where I can imagine myself being a
teacher for a really long time, even retiring if I'm given the time
and the respect professionally, and have the support from
Alliance."
The Reimagining the Alliance Educator podcast, along with
OneAlliance Radio, are examples of Alliance prioritizing the staff
and scholars' mental health and wellbeing, while
using data-driven tools like curated music playlists for
focus, productivity, or to ease test anxiety. "We know research
shows that music can have all sorts of positive effects on the body
and mind, everything from slowing heart rates and lowering blood
pressure, to improving memory, and changing the overall mood of a
room," added Jass Stewart. "And
knowing that the staff and families at Alliance listen to Spotify,
like millions of other people, it just felt like a perfect
opportunity to meet them where they already are, and enhance their
learning and study experience even more."
The network is encouraging their 26 schools across Los Angeles, to stream these playlists in
classrooms, at lunch, or over the P.A. system, and have plans in
place for contests and special scholar curated lists, as they
continue to listen to the voices of their school communities. These
playlists, combined with Reimagining the Alliance Educator: The
Podcast, make them a leader in Los
Angeles public schools, academically as well as in the
social-emotional learning for K-12. As Pablo Villavicencio, Alliance's CEO says, "We've
set out to sense and respond to a new post-pandemic reality. We
aren't simply interested in a new normal. Instead, our plan and
early actions are creating a better one."
OneAlliance radio is available at
laalliance.org/one-alliance-radio, and will feature the
Reimagining the Alliance Educator: The Podcast and curated scholar
and educator playlists starting on August 5,
2024.
About Alliance
Alliance
College-Ready Public Schools is one of the largest and most
successful nonprofit public charter school networks in the nation,
operating 26 high-performing, public charter middle and high
schools that educate nearly 13,000 scholars from Los Angeles' most underserved communities.
Alliance schools have been recognized as among the best in the
nation by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, the
U.S. Department of Education, and the California Department of
Education. Since opening our first school in 2004, 95% of Alliance
scholars have graduated from high school and been accepted to
college. We strive to uplift our scholars and their communities by
fostering unparalleled educational opportunities that encourage
scholarly thought, resilient learning, powerful communication,
mind-body wellness, and community advocacy. To learn more, visit
www.LAalliance.org.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/la-charter-school-network-announces-launch-of-onealliance-radio-a-podcast-hub-for-educators-302212960.html
SOURCE Alliance College-Ready Public
Schools