Since 2019, the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) has gathered students, family and community members, educators, researchers, and partners to forge meaningful connections across culturally and linguistically diverse communities, share best practices for community engagement, and support one another during challenging times—all while peer leading and learning to accomplish these goals. The stories highlighted below offer lessons and models for other schools and districts looking to engage their communities more deeply and effectively.
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This issue of Voices from the Field introduces the Cajon Valley Union School District (CVUSD), one of five CEI: Cohort I districts, and highlights the experiences, voices, and stories of three CEI district team members and an Afghan American family with children in the district. These stories center around their collaboration to rescue district students who were stranded in Afghanistan when US troops withdrew from the country. Through its participation in CEI, CVUSD is addressing its Problem of Practice:
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Based on the CVUSD Parent Gallup Survey 48% of families are indifferent about their child’s school education, not necessarily negative but neutral towards it, and 12% are actively disengaged with 39% of families fully engaged.
In an effort to increase family engagement and build relationships with our families, we would like to increase the percentage of engaged families by focusing on the first Gallup question in the Parent Survey: My child’s school always delivers on what it promises.
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Scroll down to learn more about the Cajon Valley Union School District
and listen to their Voices from the Field stories...
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Cajon Valley Union School District Voices from the Field... |
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Introduction by
Steven Sterling Mitchell
Assistant Director,
Community Engagement and System of Support,
California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (2:39)
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Dr. David Miyashiro
Superintendent (3:45)
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Tamara Otero
School Board President (4:32)
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Fraidoon Hashemi
Community Liaison (4:48)
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Afghan American Family
with children in the district (11:31)
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More information about the Cajon Valley Union School District... |
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Cajon Valley Union School District is located in El Cajon, California. Just 15 minutes east of San Diego, it is the fifth-largest city in San Diego County. The Cajon Valley Union School District is a direct reflection of the growing and richly diverse community in El Cajon.
In past years, CVUSD has been a TK–8 school district, with students transferring into the neighboring high school district. This year, they are happy to announce and now provide TK–12 schools for their students. The opening of their first new charter high school has provided this expansion. The high school, Bostonia Global, is proposed as a TK–14 charter school, with an educational model specifically designed to develop the unique strengths, interests, and values of each student on their pathway to gainful employment. The district is currently home to 27 schools: 15 elementary schools; 11 preschools, 10 of which are located on elementary school sites; 6 middle schools; 1 charter high school; 3 academies; and 1 dual language immersion school.
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The demographics of the Cajon Valley Union School District include:
- Approximately 16,366 Students
- 65% Low-SES Households
- 45% English Language Learners
- 37% Hispanic
- 14.5% Arabic/Chaldean
- 8% African American
- 5% Afghan
- Over 40 different languages represented
- 42% of newcomer students in the last 5 years have come from Afghanistan.
- As of March 31, 2022, the district has received 396 students from other countries, 58% of them from Afghanistan.
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Cajon Valley utilizes various research-based strategies to increase family engagement among all of the families they serve. Their strategies come from the four goals of their family engagement department: |
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Questions about
Cajon Valley’s Journey?
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Interested in being part of a statewide Peer Leading and Learning Network focused on family and community engagement?
We invite you to join CEI: Cohort III!
Applications are due May 17, 2022.
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What is CEI?
The Community Engagement Initiative is a five-year effort intended to strengthen the System of Support by building the capacity of school districts to authentically engage one another. This includes identifying effective models of community engagement, developing metrics to evaluate those models, having difficult conversations, building trusting relationships, and participating in the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) development process.
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Follow us on social media:
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Visit CEI Lead Agencies:
California Collaborative for Educational Excellence: ccee-ca.org
California Association for Bilingual Education: gocabe.org
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