Ondrejka Szmidt Yaconelli Principal Leadership Platform

I believe that all students deserve to be empowered to pursue their learning. Schools should provide an equitable, uplifting environment for students to safely gain knowledge, think critically, communicate effectively, and contribute to society in ways meaningful to themselves. I believe schools should prepare students for college and career, as well as self reflection and positive, respectful social interactions.

I believe this because I was amongst the many students who were not empowered by school. I attended schools in an affluent school district where access to many programs were determined by parent request. When I was in elementary school my friends all were involved in a GATE program that allowed them to miss classes one afternoon each week and take part in amazing programming on and off campus. I cried, complained, and begged my mother until she asked the school why I wasn’t in the GATE program. Although the other students were added to the program based on teacher recommendation, they agreed to test me for GATE. I was nervous to take the test in case I learned that I was not smart, but I passed the exam and had a meeting with the school administration. They agreed that I met the requirements of the GATE program, but explained that most of the additional programming required a financial contribution from the family. For a few months when the GATE teacher came to get the group of students I would get in line, but I would be sent back to my desk if the activities required a fee, which were most. Eventually it was too embarrassing to be sent back to my desk and I stopped getting in line. It was a relief to the teacher, and my participation in GATE was consequently ignored. My family was not wealthy, my father was a hard working immigrant, and my mother was not confident or as well educated as my friend’s parents. I was often overlooked for the programming that my friends enjoyed. And I internalized this as not being smart and being a burden to the school system. Despite these challenges, education proved to be the most impactful vehicle available to pursue my goals available to me.

I started teaching high school biology in 1998, and took ten years off when my children were young. Since returning to education 11 years ago I’ve continued to teach high school biology, and I’ve also had the opportunity to teach elementary science classes and 6th grade earth science. I have been Co-Principal and district Induction Coordinator for a year, while completing my Masters in Educational Leadership at San Diego State University. I was a member of the district Budget Advisory Committee for the two years of its existence, a curriculum adoption PLC for 6 years, and an a-g alignment PLC for 3 years. I have been WASC coordinator for two years, a union negotiator for 2 years, and high school a-g articulation manager for 3 years. I received my Certification in College Advising from UC Riverside in 2024 and have used my knowledge to improve college and career advising at my school, as well as offered workshops and individual advising in nearby counties through my private business. In addition to teaching biology I have been a Teacher of Record since 2014. Throughout my years in education, I’ve continued to expand my experience in leadership and my education towards the improvement of school systems. I have sought to better understand district budgeting and then utilized this new understanding as union negotiator. I have improved my understanding of a-g articulation and college and career advising, and then employed this knowledge to improve the college and career advising calendar for students at my school. I have pursued an understanding of the systems under which my district and school operate, and then put this to action as WASC coordinator. I look forward to continuing to positively impact school culture and student success as a school principal.

I aspire to a leadership style that is rooted in a student centered, shared purpose. Guided by a common school mission and vision the school must empower all students and be created by all stakeholders in order to provide equity in process and access to positive outcomes to all members of the school community. The process required to achieve learning requires relationships building and trust between students, teachers, administration, families, and the wider community. Communication within and between these groups increases the information available to make informed decisions, and creates an environment rich with diverse ideas. My leadership facilitates the communication and collaboration of student council, school advisory committees, and professional learning committees that are respected for their input and provide meaningful governance for school decisions. My leadership utilizes increased communication and distributed leadership to establish respect for an outcome as the next best decision. Additionally, I will support learning for all members of the school community. Meaningful professional development will align with schoolwide goals and individual goals established with teachers through the observation process. Input from stakeholders will inform my professional development goals, along with the school mission and vision. For all members of the school community mistakes will be viewed as opportunities for learning and improvement in ways that provide access to positive student outcomes for diverse student and school needs.

As a school leader, my first non-negotiable is that students and families will know me and I will know them. If stakeholders don’t feel that they know me as a person, they aren’t as likely to share their position, ideas, and experiences with me. Without this fundamental connection I will not have the understanding necessary to achieve equitable outcomes for all students. This requires a focus on authentic communication with families, students, and community. It involves my presence in diverse committees. It also requires being present and striking up conversations at lunch time, sports, and other school events; some of my favorite aspects of education. Collaboration is my second non-negotiable. It’s essential that stakeholders are meaningfully involved in organized and open committees to share ideas and decision making. Within these committees there must be trust and open communication, and clarity when communication. The school community, beginning with myself, must listen and respect all ideas and beliefs with an open mind in order to gain access to the diversity of positions, needs, and expertise within the school community. Without this respect for communication and collaboration, real data can’t be collected to support the positive outcomes of all students. My final non-negotiable goal is to strive for a growth mindset. This involves reframing mistakes as opportunities for growth, for students and the school community as a whole. From this mindset observations, surveys, and schoolwide data can provide specific areas where growth can improve student learning.

Curriculum and Instruction

I believe that curriculum and instruction should provide the academic, social, and emotional skills that all students need to be successful in their goals after high school. It should be accessible to and inclusive of all students. This means that there is value in using data to evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum, instruction, and outcomes on student learning with the purpose of minimizing bias to ensure equity in learning.

I believe this because we are asking our students to dedicate four years of their lives in our care. They deserve an education that is relevant and effectively prepares them for their early adult years. This is the social contract of education. Educators must practice the growth mindset that we ask students to embrace in order to continually grow in the service of our young people.

Issues in the area of curriculum and instruction include alignment with Common Core and California State Standards, vertical and horizontal alignment, breadth versus depth, culturally responsive and differentiated instruction, equitable learning, and project based learning. In addition to what and how to teach, this area also includes the use of data to assess how well a school is achieving student learning and supporting the cycle of improvement. Schoolwide I have co-facilitated the piloting of new curriculum, created school to community college equivalency lists, and managed a-g articulation.

I’d like to highlight a solution to classroom instruction through design. Several years ago, amongst a budget crisis, our hybrid charter school was understaffed by an English teacher. Our high school Teachers of Record meet weekly with each student, and typically spend some of that time working on writing skills, but were stumped on how we could deliver individualized instruction that was aligned with the standards without adding significant time to our weekly meetings, if students didn’t have a class on campus. I had the idea that if we met with grade level groups in a homeroom to provide minilessons for an hour each week, we could still still meet for 45 minutes with students individually. We wondered if we could create a shared Google Classroom for all the English 9 students and collaborate to create projects across the other subjects the ninth graders were taking. I suggested that while we were at it, we could also create a shared English 10 GC and create vertical alignment. The week before students arrived our high school staff met to determine the content for both semesters of English 9 and English 10 that is aligned with Common Core. Then we assigned units to pairs of teachers to collaborate and align with the other subjects they taught in each grade. Throughout the year, our PLC met weekly for an hour to review and improve previous units, discuss upcoming units, and develop rubrics. All teachers and students were placed in the same English 9 or 10 class and teachers met with small, grade level groups to deliver instruction, have discussions, practice grammar, and even present student projects. Students still have 45 minutes of individual time with their Teacher of Record. We were able to create vertical and horizontal alignment, through interesting, standard aligned Google Classroom, with no loss of time to students. Our CAASPP results. We continued our work after seeing ELA scores rise by 25 points. This year I facilitated a PLC that examined student data to identify a problem and practice and evidence based strategy to improve student writing through rubrics as we continued our work with English 11 students.

Parent and Community Involvement

I believe that parents are their children’s first teachers and that schools benefit when they share their comprehensive understanding of their child. I believe that school is one element in the context of students’ rich community.

I believe this because my parents are quick to answer my “why” questions, and help me put school in the context of a student’s life. I believe that school should complement students’ lives by contributing to their learning and experiences within the framework of their family, friends, and other spaces that hold them.

Issues in the area of parent and community involvement include decision making committees such as advisory boards, cultural and community events, communication, academic partnerships, mentorships and internships. Importantly each of these must be driven by inclusive practices that support equitable engagement. I co-facilitate all advisory and foundation meetings, communicate through monthly newsletters, organize and attend after school functions, collaborate with CTE and college readiness programs with SCOE and CCGI, and manage academic advising. When families expressed frustration with a math curriculum being piloted, I created a presentation/workshop with families so that I, along with the math teachers, could explain why we were piloting the program, model what the students were doing through a minilesson, demonstrate how they can support their student, and provide additional feedback to the school. My administrative day starts and ends outside greeting students and families and seeking feedback on their day.

I’d like to highlight a situation with the advisory board. The advisory board at OVS is made up of administrators, teachers, parents, and students and has had increasingly meaningful decision making strength since the pandemic. Committee members are elected yearly, however all stakeholders are invited to attend monthly meetings. Meetings are well attended if the committee’s agenda includes a topic of interest such as the approval of the class schedule for the following year; however, meetings typically include 2-3 parents who are not part of leadership. I considered stakeholder voice as significant in impacting school-wide decisions. However in 2023 our advisory committee hosted an exciting fundraising potluck event, where student bowls, crafted in ceramics classes were sold on a sliding scale, or reusable bowls were available for those who wanted to take part in the potluck. There was an open-mic where students could sign up to perform during the event. It was a surprising fundraising success with every bowl being purchased and most members of the school community in attendance. However, a parent casually approached me to discuss concerns over the English 9 and 10 book choices. Her concern, as a parent of one of the few Black students at the school, was that both years began with a novel focusing on Black history in the United States. She felt that it was uncomfortable for her son to start the year with this challenging topic before there was trust established with the teacher and the students. Her son felt nervous daily because he felt that there hadn’t been enough discussion on race, history, or even language of respect. She also questioned why the books always focused on Black oppression rather than periods of strength or joy. When I suggested we find a way for her to give feedback to the English department through an advisory committee she expressed frustration that the meetings were held during school hours when she was unavailable due to her work schedule. When the advisory team and school staff gathered information from other parents, we realized that, although advisory did have a significant voice, there were only a handful of families who were contributing to the conversation. The English teachers did form a PLC to collect student and family concerns and made powerful changes to their book list, however we also moved the advisory committee meetings to hours after school. This increased parent participation in the advisory committee and diversified the voices heard when making important school decisions.

Positive School Culture

I believe that schools need to be a physically and emotionally safe place for all students and the greater community. I believe school culture that is welcoming and inclusive of all people is created through design and must be maintained.

I believe this because my elementary school was on the street where I lived. Even after school hours it was the place that I went to think, play, and meet new friends who were also there as an extension of their greater community. Early on I identified public schools as a rare opportunity for all members of the community to gather. Especially today, when many people feel disconnected from their community and vulnerable, schools need to be a place where social boundaries break down and all people are welcome.

Issues in the area of positive school culture include creating welcoming schools, social and emotional learning, equitable discipline, bullying, school safety, and police in schools. A school must create and maintain a welcoming, supportive, and equitable environment first since the culture of the school is the foundation upon which all other aspects of positive student outcomes are built. Maintaining school safety through the teaching and practice of emergency drills for school staff and students, and maintaining safety equipment is my administrative responsibility. Using restorative practices to identify and repair harm is my administrative practice, which supports social and emotional learning and belonging, shifting school culture toward respect and strengthening relationships.

I’d like to highlight my collaborative leadership success that improved school culture while also improving school wide chronic tardiness. Collecting data on chronic tardiness required me to videotape the first 10-15 minutes of class time, as well as the quad after break and lunch. Teachers agreed that this problem was impacting student learning, however their feedback focused on the bell schedule. My professional development began with a learning walk and shared observations on the distractions caused by the arrival of late students. I shared the problem of practice and equity gap that late students distract both students and the teacher who are on time to class and these distractions negatively impact all students, but especially students in historically disadvantaged subgroups. After sharing the many factors contributing to tardiness, I focused on the factors that can positively impact tardiness with the teacher’s control: areas that are relational (welcoming) and instructional (relevant and urgent). Then we watched the start of a welcoming class. Teachers brainstormed and shared welcoming activities and engaging opening activities and were given time to improve their lesson plans for the following week. The next week began with an email reminder to practice their relational and instructional strategies. It included the slide show presentation with examples, a recording of the PD for absent teachers, and a reminder that we would share our successes at the following staff meeting. We did change and monitor the bell schedule, and educate students and families on the importance of being on time. However the school culture was improved as teachers greeted students at their door, prepared to engage the students from the start.

Ethics, Integrity, Equity Driven Leadership

I believe that equity driven leadership requires removing barriers in educational systems so that every student has the ability to learn, demonstrate their understanding, and thrive in the pursuit of their goals.

I believe this because my work as a college advisor allows me the privilege of guiding students in historically minoritized subgroups, such as first generation, English learners, and Hispanic students, in their pursuit of college degrees. Many of these students would be fantastic contributors to the career they aspire to. However, many suffer the consequences of a system that has inequity baked into it. Their grades do not reflect their understanding of material and they suffer the consequences of inequitable discipline policies. However, those students who can access higher education, when connected with support at their university, thrive.

Issues in the area of ethics, integrity, and equity driven leadership include inequitable discipline policies and practices, biased assessments and grading practices, disproportionate resource allocation, barriers to learning, and underrepresentation of historically marginalized groups in decision making. Leaders must examine and dismantle systems that don’t support student equity. This requires using data to support decisions and identifying areas of systemic bias.

I’d like to highlight my work in creating an equitable grading system while working as co-principal this year. Over the summer I worked with my principal partner to create a plan to introduce equitable grading at our school and support teachers by aligning our Google Classrooms and Aeries systems so that teachers' equitable work in the classroom was supported. We began with a four day training on equitable grading and the adoption of the practices in my biology classroom. Using my biology class as a pilot to identify and dismantle systems that are barriers to equitable grading we created a protocol for these systems that supported equitable grading, ensuring the technology that teachers use would not be a barrier to adoption of the program. I led professional development on creating and communicating learning targets, designing rubrics that promote self-assessment, Universal Design for Learning assessments, and scaffolding for mastery. My co-principal and I organized groups of teachers to participate in equitable grading training with embedded work time each day to redesign their curriculum. We provided staff meetings for teachers to work together to evaluate grades for accuracy, bias resistance, and intrinsic motivation. I then attended an administrative workshop to deepen my understanding and capacity to coach teachers through the implementation of equitable grading. My coprincipal and my efforts continue to support a sustainable, schoolwide practice of equitable grading through systemic support.

Assessment and Accountability

I believe that assessment and accountability systems for teachers and students should be equitable, accurate, bias resistant, and intrinsically motivating. They should be tied to learning and school goals. They should provide opportunities for continuous learning and growth.

I believe this because inequitable and punitive systems of assessment and accountability negatively affect school culture, emotional wellbeing, and learning. For one year I worked in a school that was both inequitable and punitive. It did not encourage growth and it was an intolerable workplace. School culture suffered, as did student and teacher learning.

Issues in the area of assessment and accountability include bias, compliance rather than continuous improvement, misalignment and overreliance, and “teaching to the test”. In my administrative work I have supported teachers in the development of equitable grading rubric that allow students to self assess and identify how to progress their learning forward. I have completed a teacher coaching cycle and evaluated speciality teachers. I have coordinated our new district teacher induction program through NCSOE. As WASC coordinator I facilitated a school-wide self study and improvement goals resulting in a six year full accreditation.

I’d like to highlight my experience with teacher evaluations. As co-principal I was given the responsibility of evaluating classified, specialty teachers. Specialty teachers were evaluated in ten skill areas at underdefined rating levels 0-4. Those evaluated at level 0 or 1 required additional documentation. Noticing that there was no rubric I developed one for each of the ten areas clearly defining the skills that should be demonstrated at each level so that teachers could identify how to improve in each area. I introduced the rubric at our first meeting, describing each area of the rubric, and asked the teachers to self evaluate. Together we identified two areas of focus for improvement throughout the year and prior to their formal evaluation. I provided professional learning opportunities for teachers throughout the first semester and visited their classrooms weekly to build trust, normalize feedback, and provide evidence of improvement or supportive coaching. Before winter break it was clear that no teacher would receive a 0 or 1 and I already had evidence of growth for all teachers. After the first semester when teachers reassess, they will see their improvement in their focus areas. I have modelled equitable grading practices and continuous growth for teachers, who have a greater impact on student learning that I have.