Ep. 00 | Introduction

Welcome to the Deeper Learning Podcast.

This is a podcast for people who want to think about life, learning, and education at a deeper level.  In each episode, you’ll hear stories about people who have pursued and experienced deeper learning in their lives.

Ep. 01 | Mendez v. Westminster

Hosted by Jeff Hittenberger, chief academic officer for the Orange County Department of Education, the first episode of the Deeper Learning Podcast centers on a profoundly significant court case that’s probably unfamiliar to most Americans. Mendez v. Westminster shattered many of the legal justifications for segregating public schools and laid the foundation for the famous Brown v. Board of Education decision. And it all started with one family from Orange County, Calif.

Ep. 02 | Aki’s Story: On Relocation and Resilience

Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Feb. 19, 1942, authorizing the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. In this edition of The Deeper Learning Podcast, we take a look at how this order connected the Mendez and Munemitsu families.

In our last episode, we learned how Sylvia Mendez and her family challenged school segregation in Orange County, Calif. Aki’s story serves as a prequel to the Mendez case, and it illustrates how the Munemitsu family — one of thousands to be relocated to internment camps during the war — persevered, rebuilt their lives and went on to make extraordinary contributions to American society through resilience, education and generosity.

Ep. 03 | Exploring Kindness

Why have societies historically placed a premium on kindness? How do human connections impact our physiology? Why do we keep needing to remind ourselves to be kind? And what would happen if an entire county were to embrace kindness?

These are some of the questions posed by Orange County Superintendent Dr. Al Mijares in the latest edition of The Deeper Learning Podcast.

In this first episode of 2018, Dr. Mijares takes listeners on a quest to learn more about kindness, reaching out to a number of prominent figures including neurosurgeon and author Dr. James Doty, Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait, Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, California State PTA President-elect Celia Jaffe and others.

Ep. 04 | Bilingual Education

Is fluency in more than one language a recipe for success in the 21st Century?   Across America, we are seeing a resurgence of bilingual education at an early age. Parents and educators are embracing the idea of our next generation growing up as multilingual, and multi-literate citizens in the world.  Here in Orange County,  California, we have some of the most exciting and innovative bilingual programs in the nation.

In this episode, OC Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Al Mijares, delves into the topic of bilingual education.   We take a look at the wild history of bilingual education in California, and what lessons we can learn from it.  Then, through the lens of some of Orange County’s exemplary bilingual programs, we’ll ask:  what does it look like in our public schools?  What are students, teachers, and parents taking away from these programs?  How can being multilingual and multiliterate improve both future opportunities for students and our society as a whole?

Ep. 05 | Public School Funding in the COVID-19 Era, Part 1

What started as a mysterious illness on the other side of the world quickly turned into a global pandemic that’s altered nearly every aspect of life. And it’s caused an economic shock that could have major consequences for public schools across California. 

In this episode, OC Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Al Mijares, talks with Mike Fine, CEO of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT), who shares his insight on how the COVID-19 downturn will affect K-12 budgets  — and whether there are any bright spots in the financial forecast. 

Ep. 06 | Public School Funding in the COVID-19 Era, Part 2

A collapsed tax base. A state shortfall of $54 billion. New investments to accommodate social distancing. What does it all mean for school budgets?

In this second look at our public school budgets during the COVID-19 downturn, Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Al Mijares reaches out to Dr. Molly McGee Hewitt, CEO and executive director of the California Association of School Business Officials, to discuss the latest budget developments and projections for the years ahead.