News

National City Middle School recently celebrated its official launch as a community school, showing their commitment to shared leadership and community connection to learning both inside and outside of the classroom.

This celebration featured student performances, community leaders, and food vendors. On display was a beautiful tile centerpiece of the National City Middle family names who are committed to being a part of the collaborative work of their Community School.

Since August 2025, Community School coordinators across our region have been gathering monthly in a vibrant and growing Community of Practice (CoP)—a collaborative space designed to strengthen implementation efforts, deepen learning, and build meaningful connections across school communities.

This fall, SDCOE launched a Community School Principal Community of Practice to bring together principals and assistant principals in a space designed for learning, connection, collaboration, and coherence. 

In November, the Southern Coast R-TAC hosted their second session of the year-long webinar series. Webinar #2, titled Catalyzing Change by Centering the Voices of Youth and Community, was facilitated by team members at CSLX, OCDE, and SDCOE. 

Most traditional opportunities for student voice are left to “safe” activities like planning homecoming, prom, or fundraising events instead of decisions around curricula, climate, and funding. Moving from typical to transformational requires LEAs to reflect on the structures and power dynamics within their school communities.

Mi Escuelita is a therapeutic preschool located in Chula Vista that provides wraparound, supportive services for children and families with the goal of empowerment and self-sufficiency. The preschool serves families with children ages 2-5 years old, who have been exposed to trauma or experienced serious risk factors combined with family instability or safety threats. The preschool program design has recently been updated to broaden eligibility and currently enrolling.

The 10th Annual Live Well Advance Conference & School Summit brought nearly 2,000 educational partners together in an all-day event at the San Diego Convention Center to network, learn about new tools and best practices, and participate in breakout sessions. Leaders from every sector come together to participate in efforts to advance our shared vision of a healthy, safe, and thriving San Diego region. More than 70 partner organization booths and 39 breakout sessions provided attendees with countless opportunities to network and share best practices.