In a new podcast out this week, Orange County Superintendent Al Mijares talks about decision-making and leadership during the pandemic and breaks down OCDE’s role supporting school reopenings.
The Schools on the Frontlines podcast is hosted by Carl Cohn, the former superintendent of the Long Beach and San Diego unified school districts who has also served as a member of the state Board of Education and executive director of the California Collaborative for Education Excellence. The series is sponsored by EdSource and the Ball/Frost Group.
While locally elected school boards and superintendents approved plans for their districts, OCDE collaborated with 27 districts to develop the “Orange County Together” reopening guide, which offers recommendations for in-person instruction. Meanwhile, the state is directing schools to continue with distance learning as long as their counties remain on a monitoring list for elevated COVID-19 rates.
In the podcast, Mijares talks to Cohn about navigating Orange County’s diverse political landscape and basing decisions on the health and safety of students, employees and communities.
Episode seven of Schools on the Frontline is about 20 minutes long and can be accessed through Apple’s iTunes service or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.