CharterNation Podcast

California Charter Schools Association

The CharterNation Podcast is a monthly podcast produced by the California Charter School Association. Episodes feature our Changemakers interview series in which CCSA's President & CEO Myrna Castrejón interviews influential charter public school leaders and allies on high-priority topics in K-12 education. Hosted by Ana Tintocalis, a former K-12 education journalist, the CharterNation Podcast also features news/analysis, perspectives and uplifting charter school stories in the Golden State. The CharterNation Podcast is the only podcast dedicated California charter school movement! read less
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Episodes

S3 Ep1: Black History Month Special: Changemaker Maya Woods-Cadiz; An Affirming School Culture at Learning By Design; The Living Legacy of Julia Lee
Feb 15 2024
S3 Ep1: Black History Month Special: Changemaker Maya Woods-Cadiz; An Affirming School Culture at Learning By Design; The Living Legacy of Julia Lee
CCSA's CharterNation Podcast is back with Season 3 in 2024! In February, we bring you a special Black History Month episode featuring perspectives of dynamic Black charter school leaders in California.Changemakers: CCSA President and CEO Myrna Castrejón interviews Maya Woods-Cadiz, Superintendent of AIMS K-12 College Prep Charter District in Oakland. She became leader of AIMS-K12 about a decade ago and is credited with turning around that charter school. Under her leadership, AIMS now has three campuses – a elementary, middle, and high school – all of which consistently earns top honors for advancing the academic performance of its Black students.An Affirming School Culture for Black Students: CCSA Director of Local Advocacy Los Angeles David Ritcherson interviews Charla Austin-Harris, the Founder and Executive Director of Learning by Design. LBD is a charter public school that’s bringing a student-centered learning approach to families of color in South Los Angeles. She talks about the importance of cultivating a school environment in which Black students can thrive.Postcards from Charterland: For Season 3, we’re rolling out a new segment called Postcards from Charterland, short audio stories set to music featuring the voices of charter school students, parents, teachers and leaders across the state.Our first “postcard” comes from Tanya Lee-Taylor, Founder and CEO of Julia Lee Performing Arts Academy, a TK-8th grade charter that’s growing artistically-minded scholars in Riverside County.  The theme of national Black History Month this year is African Americans and the Arts. Tanya says that theme hits close to home because the inspiration behind her school is her great aunt, Julia Lee, a Kansas City Blues legend.
S2 Ep10: Changemakers feat. Marcos Aguilar, Anawakalmekak; Spreading the Joy of Tiny Houses; Learn4Life's Skip Hansen on Personalized Learning
Nov 30 2023
S2 Ep10: Changemakers feat. Marcos Aguilar, Anawakalmekak; Spreading the Joy of Tiny Houses; Learn4Life's Skip Hansen on Personalized Learning
Episode 10:Changemakers: To cap CCSA's observance of Native American Heritage Month, we’re bringing back a special Changemakers interview from Season 1 in which CCSA’s President and CEO Myrna Castrejon sits down with Marcos Aguilar, Head of School at Anawakalmekak International University Preparatory of North America. Anawakalmekak is a charter public school with three campuses in East Los Angeles. It’s one of the most unique charter schools because it focuses on indigenous cultures, histories, and native ways of knowing. Anawakalmekak also partners with local tribes on social justice issues such as land rights. Spreading the Joy of Tiny Houses: During the holidays, we often pause to reflect on what we’re grateful for, like having a place to call home. But owning a home is still out of reach for most individuals and families living in California. One charter public school helping alleviate the problem at a local level is The Learning Choice Academy (TLC), a public hybrid charter school in San Diego County. For the past four years, high school students enrolled in the school’s career tech program have been building and selling “tiny homes” as part of its “Tiny House Project.”My View From Here (audio commentary): Learn4Life is one of the most prominent charter public school networks in California that specializes in personalized learning. Its mission is to curb the state’s high school dropout rate by offering some of the most vulnerable students another chance to earn their diploma through a flexible, independent study option. In this “My View From Here” audio commentary, we hear from Skip Hansen, Co-Founder and President of Lifelong Learning, a nonprofit which manages the Learn 4 Life charter public school network. He says personalized learning is critical in K-12 public education because its transforming the lives of countless students who have given up hope.