Discussion on Equity- Interview with Dr. Cherina Betters, SBCSS Chief of Equity and Access

Featuring Dr. Cherina Betters, Chief of Equity, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.

Transcript

Discussion on equity with Dr. Cherina Betters

SUMMARY KEYWORDS

betters, san bernardino county, equity, students, people, kids, understand, folks, schools, allowed, honor, incredible, absolutely, education, sheriff, classroom, life, communities, children, energy

SPEAKERS

Don, Dr. Betters

Don  00:01

Hello, my name is Don English Director of Children Deserve Success and Exective Director of the San Bernardino County Wide Gangs and Drugs Task Force and I want to welcome you to our Children Deserve Success Podcast. Twice a month we will be sending out these recordings regarding all things related to child welfare attendence, school attendance Review Board, foster youth services, McKinney-Vento homeless programs in our county, and the San Bernardino County Wide Gangs and Drugs Task Force. It is my distinct privilege that I bring to you today our gift. And this month focus will be an interview with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, Chief of Equity and Access. Dr. Cherina. Betters, Dr. Betters good morning. How are you? 

Dr. Betters  00:51

Morning, sir, I'm blessed. Thank you for allowing me to be here with you today.

Don  00:55

Absolutely. So Dr. Better. Let's jump right into it. If you would please share your background as it relates to your career in education.

Dr. Betters  01:03

Well, my career in education has spanned a couple of decades now. So working both as a teacher and Ontario-Montclair School District and for San Bernardino County, specifically Yucaipa-Calimesa, Joint Unified School District, and then all the way over to Riverside County, did some administration work out there. And then right here in the county of San Bernardino, I was very honored to be named the first Chief of Equity and Access. So it it's been an incredible ride an incredible journey. And I feel like it's been successful. And just excited to be able to work with children across different demographics, class, you know, social standings. So all those demographics have allowed me I think, to be very informed in where I think education should be and how it should be.

Don  01:57

Thank you so much for that. Dr. Betters, what are three areas of need, that have been illuminated by the pandemic,

Dr. Betters  02:06

Immediately, it's going to be mental health services. So we understand that schools serve as a place where kids just don't go for academics, they go for socialization, and but but more specifically, they go as a as a space to really capture the greatest amount of need. And as society, our greatest amount of need, is dealing with anxiety, dealing with depression, right? We're all going through a lot. So when you have children who are going through the same thing, they're reflectors, right of society, when they're going through a lot of things, then schools become a safe haven, when the school buildings close, so not the schools, but the school building close, it didn't allow adults to have eyes on children. So things that you pick up normally, dispositions, a week ahead being lowered. You don't get that in the virtual setting. Or if the cameras off. So mental health services is the number one thing that we have to be very observant of, and that we have to account for and make sure we're responsible for the next thing is going to be social emotional, right? I think we talked about it holistically, but having kids be able to, to self regulate, deal with frustration deal with change how they are able to we talk about resiliency, but build that resiliency, see that resiliency model, not just in the school setting. But in society, educators are able to point to things in the world and say, Hey, listen, this is a good example. And I think we are able to anker ourselves as as as people to say, Oh, I see myself in that. And we need to make sure that we are developing school systems or institutions that are catering to the whole child. So not just, again, not just the academic frame, but the academic frame, the behavioral frame, and the social emotional frame. That is how I think that we are going to be able to really shift the dynamic of education that's only been situated in academics. So the third thing, and I think this is probably the most important thing, we got to bring back this, this positioning of joy in our classrooms. And I know that might sound a little bit different when you're talking about equity. But you have some students who are coming into the school environment, excited about learning, excited about opportunity. And then you have other students who schools are the most begrudging place that they can ever step foot into. All that's tied to how much joy they are having in those environments. That becomes the I think the connection between life success if I feel safe, if I feel honored, if I feel valued, if I feel affirmed, all of those are equity issues, right? Some students are receiving that some are not And I would probably venture to say that we have a lot of places. And this can be happening in the same school district and the same school, listen in the same classroom, right? So some of those things can be occurring all at the same time, and have two vastly different experiences. So Joy absolutely has to be something that we are rooted in how we're bringing and introducing various cultures, various differences, how we're honoring those things, and therefore honoring the students. So if I had to pick three, those are my three.

Don  05:30

You hit you nailed it. Dr. Better. All right. Next question. You work with San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department? Who are this our partner as it relates to the San Bernardino County Wide Gangs, Drugs Task Force? How has that work shaped your view of law enforcement?

Dr. Betters  05:47

My goodness? So that's a hard hitting question. So my position? Well, let me back up. First of all, I want to give a shout out to my boss's Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre for allowing me to engage at the level that I'm able to engage with, with our partners, I want to give a shout out to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department because they before I even existed in their world, we're already doing work that I consider equitable, and I'm gonna give you an a for instance. So I was at this meeting that they had called The Next Generation thing that they're doing, they're really trying to have outreach for youth and, and try to change the ideas of what policing looks like, and go from the idea that we're just situated in communities, to community policing, where we believe and we love the folks who we are taking care of. So as I was at one of these meetings, one of the participants asked about homelessness. And Sheriff McMahon said something so incredible, he said, what we have done is really tried to systematically identify not only where people are experiencing homeless homelessness at the most in our county, but know them by name. That's an equity issue. That wasn't a conversation that I had with him. That is what was already on his heart and under his leadership, right? So it's little things like that, that when you ask, how has that, you know, connection helped you I feel proliferate the work that I do, and connect with folks, I get to say stuff like that, I get to say that Sheriff McMahon under his leadership is telling all his folks, his leaders, anybody within his organization, that this is a priority to us, we're going to not just understand that there's homelessness, and that there's phone calls being made. And we're going to go over there and pick folks up and you know, maybe throw them in jail or do this, we're going to know them by name, we're going to know them by need. And once we know those things, then we can be more accountable to how we care for them. Right? And that's a different level of leadership, right? When you're taking responsibility at that level, because it's not about why are they here, it's how can I support them in my role, with limited resources, right? To make sure that whatever is happening, that they are still safe, they are still honored as human beings, their humanity is still being recognized. So when I see things like that, I'm so invested. So it's been a pleasure to see them from a different light to see policing from a different light. And it might not be true of all, you know, policing institutions. And that's fine. But seeing what they're doing is absolutely incredible. I have also been  and invited in by Corporal Garcia and, and his team over there, you know, Deputy, will shoot, what's her last name? Her first name is Danny, I came to think of her her last name right now, I probably couldn't pronounce it anyway. So I'm not gonna butcher it, because that would be embarrassing right now. But I'm looking at, you know, Deputy Jones, and I'm looking at these folks who have allowed me to partner with them over the last eight months to a year. And they already do a cultural awareness, diversity, equity and inclusion training. It's a four day training. And they do that for all their, their trainees before they send them out into the wild, right. And they brought me in and they've allowed me to have a session where I really go deeply into showing that connection, having a sense of what does it mean to belong in this society? And what the role of that, you know, from my purview, and especially on an educational purview, of what that looks like for our kids, what that looks like for our young adults, right? And how we do we reach back and go back to understand that it's not about why we are here, it's what are we going to do about why we are here? So from that angle, you know, just being a part of that and hanging out with them and, and seeing the hard work that they are putting forth every single day to be protective of this community. Despite the challenges It's inspiring, right? It's inspiring. So what an honor what a blessing to go and be able to do that work with them and to really engage in and shift narratives. Because we got people who talk about what should be done. And then we got people who are actually doing that work. The Sheriff's Department is doing that work. So an honor and a pleasure to work with those folks.

Don  10:18

Wow. When you talk about protecting serve, you really illuminate the serve portion. Thank you so much for the responce. What has prepared you for your current work.

Dr. Betters  10:27

I have six kids. I have six children, Don, and when I when I look at my personal family, when I look at my grandmother, for example, who passed away whom I met the absolute world to me, who lived her life giving to others, she was a servant leader. And she might be nameless in the world, because she didn't you know, reach the upper echelons or, or have the accolades or have the degrees or get the titles other than, you know, Mama and Nana, right? But her impact her imprint, watching her give until she had nothing left, watching her depend on a source that was greater than her. And for her, it was her faith, having that instilled in me, and not just from a place where I watched it from afar, but up close and personal, seeing the challenges that she faced, no one that no matter what, at the end of the day, she felt that she had to be of service, because she said that her faith demanded of her is probably the biggest one, having six kids that are completely different, right? I got five girls and one boy, and everybody can feel sorry for my poor baby boy. But I got five girls and one boy, right. And currently they age, they range in age from 29, all the way to 16. So I have two kids who are in high school right now. And, you know, they have various needs. And as they have, you know, grown up and matured and, and seeing life differently, I have a grandson, seeing who they are adjusting my parenting, because anybody I tell you listen, you have the first kid and Don, you have a couple of kids, you have the first kid, and the first kid teaches you some stuff, right? But then everything you do over the first kid is not working for the second kid. And when you have six kids, what you're doing for two kids isn't working for three kids, right? So for me, understanding their individual needs, their individual strengths, their individual struggles, but then also placing that in the collective. So when I think about those pieces, when I think about being in places where I was the only black person, I know people can't see beyond there, but I gotta take my word for it, I'm black. So being in a space where I was the only black person, but having students come up to me who were either of mixed race or black themselves, and saying, Thank you for being here. Because Because of you I can. Because of you, I see myself, right. When you have those type of sentence frames, it changes the game, right? And not just for students, I think of color, but for all students. And I'm gonna position it like this. I had a student after I had him in middle school, he reached out to me when he was maybe about 21-22 years old. This is several years ago. But he said, Hey, what I want you to know, is because of my experience in your class, and this is a white student. He said because of my experience in your classroom. I thought black people were this and it was negative. But I know that's not what black people are, because that's not who you are. So it's since you're the only black person that I've ever touched. I've never been exposed to that I've had a real conversation with it has completely changed my perception of black people. And he said, and I'm going to be a lawyer. And he goes, I've decided I want to be a civil rights attorney. Isn't that incredible? He said, Because I'm going to use my position, I'm going to use my knowledge to reach out and help all people because now I have this different lens, right? That's the preparation I'm talking about. That's the getting after things that I'm talking about. It's it's different. It's challenging, but it's the most rewarding thing that you can do. Because we have to understand that our life is never going to be about always call it it's never gonna be about the resume. It's always going to be about the obituary, what is going to be said about you when people are standing up and saying here lies Cherina Betters, here's how she impacted life for others, not for yourself or for others. So to me that's that those are things I think really helped me have the mindset and have prepared me to do the work that I do.

Don  14:57

Wow, that is powerful Dr. Betters. So as, as is the norm with you, you bring energy and passion. So those of you who know me on this podcast, I believe in that. So I just believe that translates to, really, that you really care and are invested in what you're doing, whether that be service in our youth in our communities are really transforming law enforcement in some of the ideas that they may have. Or even dealing with your six children who are very, I have two, they are as different as day is from night. So with that, Dr. Betters, I want to ask you one final question. And I've seen you present numerous times, how are you able to continue to live to deliver content with such energy and passion?

Dr. Betters  15:45

Well, first of all, thank you for that, I really do appreciate that. I mean, that's always the intent. You know, I think I fully understand that, and this is not to sound morose, I want to be very specific, with the verbiage I use. But I'm going to die. And all of us, you know, are going to reap that fate it's guaranteed, right? We can't, we can't guarantee gender right now. But we can guarantee is that we are all going to die. For me. Understanding that and living a life of purpose. Knowing that I will meet my end, knowing that everything that was put in me has to come out of me. That to me is why I have that energy. That to me is you know, when when I'm doing presentations, or professional developments, whatever I'm doing, understanding that, that going back to my grandmother that the service is bigger than me, it's for somebody else. And that might be the only time the only window that I have to connect to somebody on a deeper level. Because equity just isn't about having conversations about quote unquote, equal equity is a feeling. Equity is not you know, a program that you put on a computer equity isn't limited to, you know, trying to get kids to look different side of the classroom. Equity is about how do we feel when we're in our environments, right. So trying to connect to people and convey feelings is a whole nother level of depth. And so, for me, I think to do that justice, then it's going to have to take all the energy that I have mustered in my spirit to push that out. And then I just trust him believe I'm a person of faith, I trust him believe that, that once that's emptied, it will be replenished, to do it all over again. So I think that will probably be were I get that from.

Don  17:47

Wow, so you're talking about leaving all on the floor,

Dr. Betters  17:49

leave it right there.

Don  17:53

I do share some athletic background. We have a whole different language, whole different language. But you know, they do say fatigue makes cowards of men. So I just want to thank you for your time, for your energy and passion for what you do for communities. And I am so privileged to be a partner with you, and to be a colleague here at San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. So thank you so much.

Dr. Betters  18:20

And thank you, Don, I feel the exact same way, what a privilege and an honor to serve other people's children, and to do so not just with you, but to do so under such strong leadership. I'm so very proud and grateful for our County Superintendent Ted Alejandre, he has really given me and allowed me to have the wings that I need to do what I need to do and has put no restraints, absolutely no boundaries, because he believes in that purpose. And you know, he brought you in, and we got a whole bunch of other people who have been brought in with that same energy and that same focus, because at the end of the day, it's about transforming lives through education. That's the mission statement. That's the through line. That's where it all rises and falls. And so I believe in that I believe in us. And I'm just grateful to be a part of a team and a family that is committed to that proclamation.

Don  19:18

Absolutely. All right, folks. So with that, I want to make an announcement that on Tuesday, June 1 2021, virtually via WebEx, Sherman Garnett, and myself will be presented a student discipline workshop, and we will review the following, suspension due process procedures, alternative to suspension, expulsion due process procedures, special education and 504 student discipline, and expulsion, readmittance and appeals. As always, thank you for listening. We hope you find this exciting information valuable. If you have any topics or questions that you would like addressed, please email them directly to cwa@sbcss.net. As always we hope you stay well and continue to transform lives through education.