Michael Conner: [00:00:00] Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Welcome to another episode of Voices for Excellence. I am your host, Dr. Michael Conner, CEO, and founder of the Agile Evolutionary Group, and of course, the proud host of VFE in today's guest is. Personal favorite of mines. I have had the extraordinary opportunity to work with, uh, Dr.

Michael Conner: Causey-Bush, as well as the superintendent, Mr. Terrance Davis in Banning Unified School District in Banning California. But Dr. Tonia Causey-Bush is one I like to say the instructional experts and when we get on, whether it be, you know, one of our strategy sessions, or it might just be just a conversation about curriculum instruction and where we're going, when I like to say this 22nd century, it's just been absolutely phenomenal, just learning from her.

Michael Conner: So, without any further [00:01:00] ado, I would love to introduce and bring on to VFE. Yes, you can tell I am a fan. Anybody that talks curriculum instruction with me, Dr. Causey-Bush, I'm just a fan of, so I'm a fan of your work. Like I said, working close with you. And the banning team, and just also seeing everything from afar across the country in New York.

Michael Conner: So without further ado, I would like to introduce Dr. Causey-Bush. She is the Assistant superintendent of educational services for Banning Unified School District, and Sunny Banning California Dr. Causey-Bush, how are you today?

Tonia CauseyBush: I am well. I'm very well, thank you. Amidst this heat wave that we find ourselves in the midst of here in Southern California.

Michael Conner: Okay. Don't get me started. Don't get me started. Go, go ahead. Carry on. 'cause I'm gonna counter that.

Tonia CauseyBush: Yeah, I mean, we've, and I have to say we, I really shouldn't complain too much because we've had a fairly [00:02:00] mild summer compared to how most summers in Southern California start off. I don't think we began to hit triple digits yet, until August and so July if, I don't even think we hit any triple digits, at least in this area.

Tonia CauseyBush: So, but we are making up for it now because they say tomorrow's supposed to be the hottest day yet and it's very hot today. So,

Michael Conner: Ooh. Well, Dr. Causey-Bush, I want to tell you this into my audience. We're this, this podcast recording is occurring in, in August, right, and California, banning California, about to hit triple digits.

Michael Conner: Now, Dr. Causey-Bush, I'll tell you this. I was in warmups. A sweatshirt waking up this morning and yes, it only hit 68 degrees. It, it is definitely, I can tell you this, in Western New York, the weather is starting to turn and I am not [00:03:00] liking it, but hey, look, you know what that means. That means the academic year has started and I know you

Tonia CauseyBush: That is right, right.

Tonia CauseyBush: That is, that is right. Things have shifted and it we're officially into go mode now. You know, and I, I just have to say it, it's very interesting because there was a time, and I'm probably aging myself, that by the time we started school, which used to be pretty much in September. It would still be a little warm, but there was a significant decline in the temperature where, you know, you could start wearing, you know, those sweats, sweatshirts, and the, the cute baggy jeans and stuff, you know, to school.

Tonia CauseyBush: And right now, not anymore, I would say, because number one, we're starting school in August, so it tends to stay a little hotter longer because we're still in the middle of summer. Um, but it is also still taking a lot longer for the temperatures to start going down, even when fall, you know, [00:04:00] officially descends upon us.

Tonia CauseyBush: So it's interesting to see those differences, you know, because it used to be you associate certain types of clothes with going back to school, and right now it's still summer attire when students go go back to school.

Michael Conner: I'll tell you this, Dr. Causey-Bush, and we'll get into the interview, one of my superintendent colleagues .

Michael Conner: They started school the last week of July, and I'm like, wait, wait. We still in the middle of summer in July,

Tonia CauseyBush: dead in the middle of summer,

Michael Conner: dead right there. He started the last week. Shout out to my people in the southern region of the United States who start

Tonia CauseyBush: and the humidity.

Michael Conner: And the humidity with that.

Michael Conner: Anyways, doc, I want you to bring the fire for this, for this podcast because of course, I want my audience to be able to experience firsthand your instructional acumen and expertise in the specific area, and specifically the innovative initiatives [00:05:00] that you are leading from a curriculum instruction standpoint.

Michael Conner: But you know Dr. Causey-Bush, you are known in California, right? You won a major award. Congratulations. And then you'll be able to talk a little bit about that so everybody knows who you are from a curriculum instruction, educational service standpoint in California. But for those that do not know Dr. Cuaey-Bush, what song describes your leadership signature right now and what I call the AC stage of education after COVID-19?

Tonia CauseyBush: Hmm. Oh my goodness. Wow. That's a, a, a wonderful question. As I, I tend to oscillate between, um, different songs in terms of, you know, what kind of drives me, I mean, right now I'm going to pull out an oldie, but it is definitely one that I do rely on, and it's by Earth, wind, and Fire, and it is called Keep your Head to the Sky.

Tonia CauseyBush: And I can, I can say to you just in terms of, you know, coming [00:06:00] back, you know, in this after COVID phase, we find that we are faced with challenge after challenge, even to a greater degree, obviously, than before because of all of the impacts that we are seeing with the increased need from the community, the increased needs of our students in the classrooms, um, their respective families.

Tonia CauseyBush: COVID really did a number on folks and with all due respect, you know, to those who, who lost their lives. I think all of us were impacted to varying degrees. You know, we had families and students who, you know, had to stay home and varying home environments of things that they may have been exposed to that perhaps they may not have been exposed to as much had they been in school.

Tonia CauseyBush: And so that has put a significant strain on the schooling system and our ability to respond to those [00:07:00] needs, which really, obviously it impacts the academics, um, because it impacts, you know, their needs and, and the community. And all of that of course impacts the student's abilities to attend to and be engaged in the schooling process.

Tonia CauseyBush: Um, that can be very challenging if you are presented with some. Let me just say not so optimal challenges at home. And our job is to receive those kids with love and do our best to create an environment for them to thrive. And that that carries a lot of weight. Um, it carries a lot of weight for our teachers who are on the front lines.

Tonia CauseyBush: Um, it carries a lot of weight for us at Central Office to support our principals who are then supporting their staff, who are supporting those students. And so on that song, keep your head to the sky. It pours into me because I know, you know what, there's always going to be a rainbow for us to look towards, and we have to [00:08:00] keep our head to the sky because if we don't, then that's when we begin to let our students down.

Tonia CauseyBush: If they see that we've lost hope. That's not good for them. And so that is my mantra. And, um, you know what? That that's, I'll, I'll gladly take that. I am one of those people who typically look at the glasses being half full as opposed to half empty. And I, that's, that's who I am. That's my core.

Michael Conner: Absolutely.

Michael Conner: And Dr. Causey-Bush, earth, wind, and Fire, all time. Great. All time. Great. You, you brought, you brought up the all time. Great. But I think your district and independent mantra of keep your head to the sky. I think that is more, and this is subjective as I, as I state this, I think that this is such a critical, critical mantra right now in this current state of education, including how we're moving the model.

Michael Conner: [00:09:00] Education too, because one of your sentiments that you highlighted, and I was writing down pretty much everything that you say in Dr. Causey-Bush was that there were students that were impacted in COVID-19 and yes, I know we're six academic years away, seems like yesterday, but six academic years. And when we think about students that are being impacted or responding to the needs of the students before, to my audience, before we started recording the podcast, right?

Michael Conner: We're, and Dr. Causey-Bush, so eloquently put this, is that the, our kindergarten students now, right, that have matriculated into the PK 12 continuum. If we remember they were babies, one to two years old during COVID. So now measuring what is the true impact lasting. Impact that are coming into our schools.

Michael Conner: And I think as you stated, we have to be more intentional to, to be responsive [00:10:00] to the needs. I remember this was when Dr. Pedro Noguera was at NYU, and of course now we know he's at the University of Southern California. He this and this, I believe Dr. Causey-Bush, this was over 11, 12 years ago, and I remember this as if Dr.

Michael Conner: Noguera stated it yesterday. He stated that if a student's basic needs are not met, they're not gonna learn. You said you, you and the way you said that now in the AC state of education, I think there has to be a much more intentionality, of course, to the reauthorization of the model. But how are we addressing the systemic needs?

Michael Conner: Of our students, because not only are they coming in with some lasting impact, lasting impact from COVID to 19 that are matriculating into the PK 12 continuum, I, I think that now we have to be more attentive of the learner attributes, generation, alpha and beta, in how they've been impacted by [00:11:00] COVID and what are we seeing in our systems to align it.

Michael Conner: But what do we have to do, Dr. Causey-Bush? We have to keep our head to the sky.

Tonia CauseyBush: We absolutely must, and we absolutely must and create an environment. In fact, that is part of our whole, what I call our educational services foundation, you know, is how do we, and we have an acronym that's called the Chief and the the, it's very simple.

Tonia CauseyBush: We have to have assessments. We always need to know where our students are. Just like, you know, with our, our weight, my weight, which I used to not have a skill, but you know, what can I say? I now have a skill in my fifties, but I need to be aware. And so we have to have some measures, right? And the c what are we using?

Tonia CauseyBush: What kind of curriculum? What kind of tools are we using with our students? Are we guaranteeing that they have a viable curriculum? What, [00:12:00] what are we guaranteeing to them? Right? And then of course, you know, uh, is the h is what kinds of habits and mindsets do we want to help inculcate in them? How are we approaching them?

Tonia CauseyBush: What kinds of habits do we as the educators have? Right? And then, you know, the I, which is right in the center is the instruction first, best instruction. If we put our efforts into that, we minimize the likelihood that they may need interventions as they matriculate through the greats. Right? And then E, of course, is our efficacy.

Tonia CauseyBush: To what extent do we believe that individually and collectively we can have an impact on the lives of students? 'cause if we don't have that, if we don't believe it, it won't happen. Right? And then the value, the V that we in place, we place on our principles as instructional leaders. That's been huge shift for us [00:13:00] in terms of helping to develop our principles as those instructional leaders right there on the front lines, seeing day to day needs, increasing needs of our students.

Tonia CauseyBush: And then finally that the other e, the environment. And I can't stress that enough because we have enough challenges already just in terms of our, our general jobs of, of being educators. But in spite of that, what kind of environment are we providing for students to thrive, right? What kind of, how are we tilling our own soil, if you will?

Tonia CauseyBush: The soil of the classrooms, the soil of the district are we, you know, putting nutrients in that soil so that our students can thrive? And that also means putting nutrients into our staff because they have lives too. All of us are, we're impacted to various degrees as a result of, of COVID and irrespective of COVID though, [00:14:00] what are we doing to make sure we are pouring into ourselves so that we create an environment for students to thrive and for our staff, obviously to thrive.

Tonia CauseyBush: Um, and that, that is our, that is our foundation. We, we be very important that environment

Michael Conner: tell you this, Dr. Causey-Bush into my audience. We use this as a professional learning tool, a asynchronous tool so that they can be able to go back, expand upon different ideas, sentiments that are guests present. And I think the acronym that you presented to my audience, if you surgically.

Michael Conner: Unthread that by each of the individual letters, we're gonna go back to reading instruction. You can implement it like a mnemonic device and be able to scaffold outputs for a 22nd century model. With that, absolutely, Dr. Causey-Bush, well stated. Now, as we [00:15:00] talk about this 22nd century model, I know firsthand Dr.

Michael Conner: Causey-Bush, you are leading some innovative instructional initiatives in banning specifically around the portrait of a graduate. And I knew, and I know personally, how you and your team will systemically aligning specific indicators, designing indicators around the portrait of a graduate where. They're going to have 22nd century attributes.

Michael Conner: Preparing your students for the future, being future driven. And I love how you stated it in your last answer, supporting your principles, ensuring that they are instructional leaders. So when we think about this, the portrait of a graduate work that banning is underscoring a intentionally looking at curriculum and instruction, as you stated, measurements, assessments in this portrait of a graduate lens leading to strategic operating plan implementation.

Michael Conner: Can you [00:16:00] unpack the work that is moving students to be 22nd century ready in banning when they graduate? And what strategies Dr. Causey-Bush are you employing to guide this systematic transformation in BUSD?

Tonia CauseyBush: Absolutely. We are very, very proud. We've been working. I would say the last two and a half years on what is called our banning portrait of a learner, which we're very excited about, and I'll just kind of give a little background on this.

Tonia CauseyBush: We began working with the National Center on Education and the Economy, NCEE, who came out and, and work with the cross section of community partners, including some of our board members, site administrators, teachers, classified staff and the like. And obviously district office administrators. Um, and really we just talked [00:17:00] about what, what is the research saying out there in terms of what makes an effective school environment, right?

Tonia CauseyBush: Because a school environment, that's a very loaded word. The school environment is its own ecosystem. And so what are, what are some different elements of ecosystems that are, where different countries, if you will, are seeing significant growth and student achievement? Mind you, it doesn't mean that we replicate what another country is doing because our environment is different, but there are many things we can learn.

Tonia CauseyBush: Um, and some of those things include really looking at, you know, what are we, what are we doing? What are our X level of expectations for students? How much support are we providing to our teachers, right? How are we structuring our day, the academic day, um, for students? How are we looking at model day [00:18:00] schedules, right?

Tonia CauseyBush: Just some very basic elements. So after, you know, kind of going through a lot of that research and thinking about our unique community here in Banning, we came up, came up with what we call seven competencies, seven different levels of priorities. And again, this was a group effort. This was not, you know, one individual.

Tonia CauseyBush: This was a collective effort from the entire team who participated on this committee. Um, and there was a lot of conversation and going back and forth and revising and, you know, restating and a lot of heated conversations that were necessary in order to give birth to these competencies. And then from those seven, we eventually consolidated those seven down to five and currently to four.

Tonia CauseyBush: Very, very proud of that [00:19:00] because we got to, from those four competencies, community responsibility and leadership as a priority for our banning students, right? We have innovation and creativity because we know, when we think about the context of the ban community and what we want our students to exit with, what kinds of skills we want them to exit with when they leave, those were the things that rose the top.

Tonia CauseyBush: We also have communication and collaboration. What is, to what extent do we have students who are gonna be able to interact with others, right? And to have a team spirit of collaboration. And then finally, the critical and analytical thinking. And you know what? I'll say this. Whether a student opts to go to college when they leave, banning or go directly into the workforce.

Tonia CauseyBush: They're gonna need all four of these competencies. They're gonna need to be [00:20:00] critical and analytical thinkers, they're gonna need to be innovative as we continue to move into right this 22nd century and thinking about all the jobs that don't yet even exist, as well as all the jobs that will not exist in the future, and how nimble will our students be in that kind of environment.

Tonia CauseyBush: Then from there, you know, we came up, got those four competencies. The next level is what we call the progressions because great to have those four competencies, that is the backbone of our banning portion of a learner. But what does that mean for each grade span? What does it mean for a kindergartner?

Tonia CauseyBush: What does it mean for a student who's a sixth grader or a student who's in the 11th grade in terms [00:21:00] of where they are? How are they measuring themselves? That, so the work of the learning progressions was the next step, and our team did an absolutely outstanding job, primarily our teachers of saying, Hey, for community responsibility and leadership, this is what we're expecting from kindergarten students for second grade students.

Tonia CauseyBush: For middle school students, and this is what would, what it would look like maybe from a level one on a continuum to maybe a level five in terms of being able to measure growth within that particular element versus growth across the great spans. And so that is where we are right now, is refining those learning progressions and we are [00:22:00] actually gonna be reconvening to kind of bring all of that together as we finalize and put a nice ribbon, if you will, on that portrait of a learner.

Tonia CauseyBush: And more importantly, you know, I will just wrap it up with this, is that we are creating a system that will outlast all of us we want. People who come in five years from now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now, long after we're gone to pick up on that work and continue to adjust it and revise it so that it's applicable to the time and the culture.

Michael Conner: And you know, Dr. Causey-Bush, what you elaborated on systems that will outlast us. I like to say that is this level of, we always say that you have to have succession planning and we always have succession planning in the context of [00:23:00] personnel. Right. You know, when we see the, whether it be the associate superintendent, deputy superintendent that seamlessly move into that superintendent role, right?

Michael Conner: And as superintendent was preparing him or her for the superintendency, that's that succession planning. But I always say this in an outlier manner, that we have to have succession planning in the context of systems design, right? That once we matriculate out of that learning organization or that LEA, the next tier of leaders will be able to sustain and pick up the work from.

Michael Conner: They're predecessors. And I always say that, you know, we plan, we have a habit of planning for succession planning at at, at the, at the personnel level, but we need to plan that at the systems level. And that [00:24:00] is exactly what you are doing through Banning's portrait of a learner. And you and I, Dr. Causey-Bush, have had many conversations in the context of, and to my audience, the 22nd Century education model.

Michael Conner: And when we talk about that with the portrait of a system, we have to, theory of action is we have to align the, the structures and the systems in order for competencies, indicators within our portrait of a learner portrait of graduate, in order for that to be realized, to prepare our students for, as you said, jobs that we don't know about.

Michael Conner: And. What people failed to talk about Dr. Causey-Bush is jobs that are going to be eliminated. How are we now gonna balance that equilibrium with ai? And I'm glad that you said each of those sessions, moving from seven competencies to four competencies was rigorous. There was rigor in the context of [00:25:00] personal intrinsic insight into that dynamic conversation that led to this very multi-tenant, multi-dimensional four competencies or the four competencies within your portrait of a learner.

Michael Conner: To my audience, how Dr. Causey-Bush intentionally added all voices went through rigorous discussions where everybody didn't agree with each other, which is great. We need more of that in education to come out with. These multidimensional competencies that now is gonna be realized through every single thread and aspect of the operating model.

Michael Conner: Very intentional. Dr. Causey-Bush loved that. But I wanna provide an extension question because you elaborated on the four competencies that are gonna be embedded within Banning's portrait of a learner. You started to talk about with [00:26:00] regards how we're preparing generation alpha and generation beta for that 22nd century.

Michael Conner: I like to say that system succession, where leaders are going to build on the legacy work that you and Mr. Davis have started teachers that community. But what does this look like in the context of implementation from two parallels, leadership and classroom instruction? I'm only limited to their, I'm not going broad systems.

Michael Conner: You know me, Dr. Causey-Bush, but. Two parallels. How does these competencies, how does that reflect in leadership? You talked about instructional leadership, you talked about supporting principals. What does that look like from a leadership lens? And then of course our most important practitioners, I always say the teachers because they have the fir, they're the first people that are touching our baits.

Tonia CauseyBush: I will definitely begin from the leadership lens, and that begins of course, from our superintendent who has [00:27:00] laid out what our focus should be. We ourselves have to make sure that we are prepared to do this work and how do we prepare ourselves to do this work? We, we have to pour into ourselves so that we can be our best selves and show up.

Tonia CauseyBush: Um, but more importantly, what kinds of tools are we accessing to improve our own personal leadership? And again. What are we doing to pour into ourselves in terms of things that we're reading? And, and just a few quick things is, which are very, very basic, is when we say we're gonna do something, do we follow, are we following through with that, with what we said we're going to do?

Tonia CauseyBush: Just as an example. And that is really a self-check on our own selves in terms of looking at ourselves as a leader, as a model, right? And so really making sure that, you [00:28:00] know, we are make, I don't know, putting ourselves out there, being visible, being reliable, right? Um, being a resource to be able to support our sites and, and following through with things.

Tonia CauseyBush: And I'm saying these very basic things because they really combine to create a person who has credibility. As a leader, those two are synonymous. You have to be credible. You have to make sure that you are on top of yourself, that you know your craft, that you are someone who owns up. 'cause none of us are perfect, that you're owning up to the things that you said you're going to do.

Tonia CauseyBush: We're walking our talk. If this is what we say we're gonna do, then we're actually doing that. And again, very basic, but [00:29:00] these things are the building blocks of being a leader. Making sure that we have empathy and compassion. And I've, and those are extremely important because this work, being in this field, being in education.

Tonia CauseyBush: If we don't have those attributes, if we are not able to approach everything we do from that perspective. With the great need that exists in our schools and our communities, it is going to impede us from doing the great work that we are setting out to do. And so a lot of that leadership development really begins inside of us and making the commitment that we are going to do this as a team made up of all of the various personalities that don't have to agree.

Tonia CauseyBush: We shouldn't agree because we have so many beautiful perspectives that need to be considered. But we [00:30:00] do need to be in alignment with one another. We do need to be focused. We do need to be on the same page in terms of being laser focused on what we're setting out to do to move. The academic growth and development of our students forward.

Tonia CauseyBush: And so the leadership development that is continual, and you heard me of course mention wanting the, our superintendent's priority of helping to build the instructional leadership capacity of our principals. That is one aspect of being a leader is the instructional piece. And so just how are we making sure that we know the curriculum and, and what is being asked of students?

Tonia CauseyBush: Are we digging into the standards? Are we supporting our teachers and giving them time to dig into the essential standards and, and the flexibility [00:31:00] to be able to say, Hey, we need to move some of these standards in this textbook, which is. A great tool, but when we create our scope and sequence, we may wanna focus on these standards in September, we're gonna move these standards to December and these standards to March.

Tonia CauseyBush: Not because we're trying to teach to a test, but because we want to set students up to be successful and looking at what makes the most sense for how students learn. And so that brings up a whole nother brand new piece as an instructional leader is a focus on data. And our superintendent has made that a priority in terms of being very astute at knowing our data and looking at the data.

Tonia CauseyBush: Because if we're not looking at the data, how do we know what it is that our students need [00:32:00] to grow in? And that begins obviously at the classroom level and district wide as we look at trends. But more importantly, when we are giving whatever kind of assessment it is, if we're looking at local assessments for us, those local assessments we're, we had some common assessments that we're using and that we're still using.

Tonia CauseyBush: We have diagnostic assessments we're using, and then we also have some of the state formative assessments, which are actually the interim assessment blocks, all this data. But if we don't know what it's saying, then how can we make any adjustments instructionally if we are not looking at what areas of growth our students need to make?

Tonia CauseyBush: And I will say this in terms of looking at our most recent. Data preliminarily, we're very proud that we have continued to make growth [00:33:00] on our state assessments preliminarily, and, and we're very proud of that. It has been very consistent and in fact, as we continue to dig into the data, we already know at this point what areas that we need to dig deeper into, which, which areas that students not experience growth in, and what are, how are we responding instructionally to that?

Tonia CauseyBush: Are we providing students with, you know, a clear idea even in our learning objectives of what we're expecting for them to do, all the way down to the most granular level of lesson planning. And so all of these big ideas and concepts that merge into literally the creation of an instructional leader and what we say we're gonna focus on.

Tonia CauseyBush: And I will also push it a little further that [00:34:00] our principles, absolutely, they're the instructional leaders of the school, but the classroom teacher in terms of the power that they possess in being the instructional leader in their classroom, because you're driving that instruction, they are right there on the front lines.

Tonia CauseyBush: And how can we support them and give them the tools they need and to empower them and building theirselves as leaders and then collaborating with their peers and their PLCs extremely important because we can't do this work by ourselves on an island. We have to be able to work with one another and look at, you know, what someone else may have had a success in that we can now learn from and, and bring to scale perhaps that all students can benefit from.

Michael Conner: Absolutely. [00:35:00] And Dr. Causey-Bush, amazing points that you have made. I think one that resonated with me, obviously you're the full depth and breadth of your answer, but what I love is you bringing a culture where everybody is an instructional leader. You stated Dr. Causey-Bush, and I'm gonna, I'm gonna quote you when you say this or when I say this, our teachers should be the instructional leader in the classroom.

Michael Conner: Wow. Because when I look at that vertical articulation, instructional leadership at the site-based level. Where the instructional leader of that building is the principal, but adding that, that dimension of leadership, our teachers are the instructional leaders in the CLA in their classroom. I really like that because to my audience of what [00:36:00] Dr.

Michael Conner: Causey-Bush captured within that, within that answer around the alignment of leadership practices and classroom instruction, it goes back to vision and capacity. Right. The articulation of the vision of where we're going. IE the four competencies within the banning portrait of a learner. And then now when we look at alignment, when we look at being focused, right, focus, I, whenever I hear the word focus, I always reference smokers work and then instructional leadership.

Michael Conner: Right? And you, you gave an example of unpacking the standards, but the unpacking of the standards there is this alignment because the guideposts are the competencies that are embedded within the portrait of a learner. Looking at data trends, and obviously I can go on and on about, you know, data analysis, business intelligence, and going really deep with the data, but it [00:37:00] captures two mega themes around vision.

Michael Conner: Capacity and to my audience when we think about that vision and capacity being intentional, as Dr. Causey-Bush stated, to empower our teachers with tools and the necessary capabilities to be instructional leaders in their classrooms. Dr. Causey-Bush, to be honest with you. You're exponential growth is expected with that strategy.

Tonia CauseyBush: And is that is what we're, are positioning ourselves for.

Michael Conner: It is you're evident now exponentially based off of your responses to, in this podcast, I can't wait till next summer, I started Dr. Causey-Bush. Where, where we at next summer. It's 110 degrees. But I'm jumping for joy because we have 45% growth. I would not be shot Dr. Causey-Bush. But I wanna get in another topic now. And and, and I'll tell you this, right, and I'm gonna contact you over fall [00:38:00] because I gotta know what these grade level progressions are in the context of how you're measuring that with your portrait of a learner. I wanna learn from you from that, but that's a different topic on its own.

Michael Conner: You hold me to it and I'm saying it. I'm saying it on baby. 'cause you can't turn me down and say, I don't got time for you, Mike, for the progressions. But anyway, doc, right. There's phrases within my 22nd century education model, like disruptive forces can be theoretical to people, can be nerve wracking when we think about this disruptive force in education.

Michael Conner: Right? And then also, I think you have attentionally outlined this phrase that's commonly used in education now in the AC stage of education, which is this human-centered design. Right? But when I think about disruptive forces in each human-centered design concepts, they have to be these interface continuous improvement mechanisms.

Michael Conner: Now, from this context of disruptive forces, Dr. [00:39:00] Causey-Bush, be it technical, be it technological, be it pedagogical systems level, and structural leaders in our classrooms to our practitioners, right? How is Banning unified innovating to prescribe? This 22nd century model. I know it's being underscored with the critical work of your portrait of a learner, but what else are you prescribing for this 22nd Century model?

Tonia CauseyBush: Wow. That's a very powerful question because I think our problem is we have access to so much, and how do we pull in what is going to give us right now exactly what we need, and more importantly, how do we know to pull which resource? Because there are abundance [00:40:00] and uh, obviously artificial intelligence is taking over like we are.

Tonia CauseyBush: I mean, I could only imagine, right? When you buy a purchase, a computer or tv, the moment you buy it or a car, it's already outdated. And so that's due to the exponential growth. Right. And so you can just only imagine in terms of the, the exponential growth that we're not even aware of that's gonna take place.

Tonia CauseyBush: I don't know, over the next months, weeks, years, who knows, but how do we, how do we embrace that and not be afraid of it? And so, to me that is a very radical thinking process because there are a lot of fears. And I, I will be one of them just being very transparent. Like, well, how do we pull in, you know, ai, you know, into the classroom?

Tonia CauseyBush: Because, you know, we have to be careful because, you know, we don't want students, you know, submitting, you know, papers that they [00:41:00] didn't write, or, you know, what if they didn't that that's gonna take away from their critical thinking. That's not where the energy should be focused. The energy should be focused on how can we pull it in and use it as a tool to help cultivate the critical and thinking skills to help students to collaborate and communicate.

Tonia CauseyBush: What about use it in a way that's gonna strengthen those kinds of skills by using it as a tool. Something to embrace and to make sure that our students have, of course, I don't know, technological manners, if you will, in terms of using it ethically. Um, and in terms of being fair and respectable, all of that.

Tonia CauseyBush: Those are the things that we have control over in terms of teaching to students, what is a respectable way to use it, but we are doing them a disservice if we don't. Embrace and guide them in terms of how to [00:42:00] use it. And I, I think for us, we are at the, you know, still at the baby stages of, you know, even terms of trying to, you know, put together a model, a district-wide model of expectations of how we can embrace and use and have expectations of AI across the district.

Tonia CauseyBush: So that, once again, we are aligned and I will continue to bring up that term because we have to be aligned in what we're doing so that we are all on the same page. And so if we do have students, let's just say they're in a, I don't know, whatever grade level classroom, and they're using the AI tool to help them think of a prompt, well that doesn't take away their ability to critically think because they use the tool.

Tonia CauseyBush: Because they're still going to be engaged in conversations where they do have to think about, oh, well, what is your perspective on this? They're still gonna [00:43:00] have to come up with critiques. And let's say this, let's say they use AI to say, oh, whatever, ai, give me a list of pros and cons of this topic. Okay, well, in their conversations with their team, they can have conversations about, well, why does this pro, why would that not work?

Tonia CauseyBush: This is what AI says, but let's think of reasons why it would not. And so to me, this, it's all about how we create the learning experiences for students. Using this tool doesn't mean that it's replacing thinking. It's how we're using it. I'm very passionate about that because it's here. We cannot be afraid of it.

Tonia CauseyBush: We have to learn how to pull it in and have it work, use it as a tool to work with us. That is a [00:44:00] very, in my opinion, very radical way of thinking, which is, you know, why is just very important when we think about the future of our students, how making sure that they are going to be prepared because this is going to be the world.

Tonia CauseyBush: We're, we're at the precipice of it when you think about it. And so what we, and so the learner profile and those four competencies become even more important because they become a lens for everything. The, the communication is still a lens, the collaboration, it's a lens, the critical thinking that's of everything that we do.

Michael Conner: Dr. Causey-Bush, to my audience, that's an answer to playback. I, I, I was sitting here just listening to a variety of different micro strategies, right? Micro strategies that I think can be intentionally [00:45:00] assessed and examined through this continuous improvement lens with these two parallels of these disruptive forces in human-centered design.

Michael Conner: And you elaborated on a very important topic, which is ai. You know, I'm very passionate about AI integration into the operating model, be a part of the transformation. And Dr. Causey-Bush, you can't put it any better, as you stated, right? We have to really embrace, and I want to level set with that Dr. Causey-Bush.

Michael Conner: We have to embrace AI and not for the fact of. There are various economic dimensions and economic forces and apparatuses that are changing around us, but just on the pure objective [00:46:00] metric of the core attributes of our students today, who are Generation Z, who is matriculating out of the PK 12 continuum this year, 25, 26 at class of 26, and then we're gonna have Jen ERs, then we have our, I like to call our COVID babies entering kindergarten.

Michael Conner: Our in kindergarten. Congratulations today. This year's, the first year they will be graduating in and, and you'll get to my point, they'll be graduating in 2038, but get to my point. And then we have generation beta, who was born January 1st, 2025. With that stated Dr. Causey-Bush. They are generation alpha is considered the generative natives and generation beta are considered the quantum natives.

Michael Conner: Now, when you think about, just think about it, generative natives and quantum natives, we have [00:47:00] to be able to embrace AI because these disruptive forces are a part of their naturalized economic interactions or the trends that they engage in on a daily basis. So with that stated, Dr. Causey-Bush, you know, we have to be able to bring in various dimensions and elements of artificial intelligence into the actual operating model.

Michael Conner: Now, when we think about our kindergartners who were graduating in 2038, and you even stated in, in your answer, Dr. Causey-Bush, which was so well stated. We don't know what that future is gonna look like with AI is changing by, you said the days and hours, but by 2038, Dr. Cossi Busch, if you think about a super intelligence, would be a part of our everyday model.

Michael Conner: Meaning that these models can be able to self correct themselves. I don't [00:48:00] want to get into the technicalities of it, but that's scary. That's scary by, by by 2038. We're looking at probably fully developed agentic ai, a agentic AI will probably be fully developed, which I'm inferring that, you know, as we continuously with these models with ai, I'm hesitant to say this as a disruptor, but, and you heard me pause intentionally, that is where we can see.

Michael Conner: Where the traditional brick and mortar of school will, could, will be disrupted by it. So, and as you stated, we are at the infancy stages of ai. So when I think about Superin intelligence, agentic ai, when I think about autonomous machine learning platforms, we, and this is what our kids are naturally engaging in in an everyday [00:49:00] basis.

Michael Conner: Dr. Causey-Bush, your answer's right on the head. We can't keep kicking the can down the road with ai, especially generation alpha, beta. And I like to say our COVID babies are now in kindergarten. So you are absolutely right. When we talk about human-centered design, as you, heck, as banning has done it with their portrait of a learner and these disruptive forces within the economy that we have to pay attention to, we're, I think we need to have much, I know we're talking about ai, but as we start feeling more comfortable with ai, I, I'm afraid that we're super intelligence is gonna be here and continuously dis or disrupting the model even more.

Michael Conner: I so you, you're right, Dr. Causey-Bush, the E word is so important we have to embrace it. But I wanna go back to another e word you stated. We [00:50:00] have to embrace it, but our leaders, we have to have a level of empathy as we're unpacking and scaffolding AI into our operating and learning models. But Dr. Causey-Bush, we can go in depth with that, but.

Michael Conner: I want, I want you, I want for my leaders, because this has been a great conversation. You've went through this rigorous process to design the banning's portrait of a learner. You talked about instructional leadership at all tier, including teachers being the instructional leaders of the classrooms. I'm gonna use that, and just that whole panoramic view of AI and what we need to do to move towards that.

Michael Conner: But in this paradigm of ideation and iteration, Dr. Causey-Bush, what advice, you have been a mainstay in education. You have been a long season tenured educator in this field, have impacted [00:51:00] many lives, have mentored many, many leaders across the spectrum. What advice would you give my audience, who is a leader, trying to ensure innovation is sustainable?

Michael Conner: As you talked about. Rather than just being temporary.

Tonia CauseyBush: This is my 32nd year, maybe it's the 33rd year who counting in education. And I will tell you every year that I'm here in, in this field, which is a blessing, I come away with many things that I did not know. And we have to always be open to learning, to looking at things from varied perspectives.

Tonia CauseyBush: We cannot close ourselves off and say, oh, this is it. This is the end all be all. Because that is not reality. We continue to grow and [00:52:00] evolve as much as. The needs of our students continue to grow and evolve. And if we are not growing and evolving and humbling ourselves enough to say, Hey, I need to step, take a step back and do some research here.

Tonia CauseyBush: Make sure that I am looking at all of these different factors and think of a different way to approach whatever issue or concern. Because what worked in 1995 may not necessarily be what's gonna work here in 2025, because we have many different factors and environmental impacts. So I'm gonna say first and foremost, always be a learner.

Tonia CauseyBush: Always study the environment and see what is going on. Be a student, be an observer. Because [00:53:00] I guarantee you these issues that we are experiencing today, I don't know what they're gonna be one year from now, five, 10 years from now. There'll be some variation of it. At the core of it, of course is always going to be, um, some kind of human need, obviously.

Tonia CauseyBush: But that's gonna evolve and shift as we've seen it, evolve and shift here in the post AC after COVID era. I, I, and we, and I'm very firm on that. I, I, you know, think about things, you know, years ago even in terms of how we approached literacy. You know, when I came into education, it was very strong, the whole language.

Tonia CauseyBush: In California, we have the California Literacy Project, which was, you know, we need to make sure that students have a look for reading and let's infuse them with books, and which is beautiful that you can't throw out phonics. [00:54:00] It has to be a balanced approach. And we learned that lesson because of course, what are we seeing right now?

Tonia CauseyBush: Balanced literacy. It's not all or nothing, it's all of that and balance. And so we have to be mindful of the past and learning from those kinds of lessons to help position ourselves to be prepared for the future. Very, very important. So humility, constantly learning, being a perpetual student, if you will, of the profession.

Tonia CauseyBush: We owe that to our students, so we can't bring to the table strategies and tactics that worked in a different era and expect those to work right. Now, granted, there may be some things I understand, but for the most part, we always have to be ready to pivot, to be flexible. We cannot be [00:55:00] efficient in this profession if we are not flexible and willing to pivot.

Michael Conner: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Tonia CauseyBush: It, I just, I do want to stress that very much we have to be flexible for the sake of our students. If we are approaching something and we find that it is not working, we have every right to stop and pivot because students' lives are on the line.

Michael Conner: Absolutely. Now why are

Tonia CauseyBush: we wasting resources and time and our efforts in that?

Michael Conner: And Dr. Cuasey-Bush, you have one of the best one liners I have seen so far on VFE there. That is the second one liner within your answer. I'm gonna take one. It is instructional leaders in the classroom. Absolutely love that. And this second one liner, we have to be a perpetual student of the profession.

Michael Conner: The advice that you gave to my audience. [00:56:00] So straightforward, albeit moving, humility. But within that humility dynamic, you have to be a student, be ob, be an observer, and be a learner, a perpetual student of the profession. There's no better advice than that. Dr. Causey-Bush. So good, sister. Last question. Okay, LA you made it, you made it through VFE, you made it through the rigor.

Michael Conner: You know what? And, and I said this, uh, a few times on a couple of my episodes, a few of my superintendent colleagues who are, are close to me, they would call me up afterwards and they'll be like, Mike, man, this was harder than a, a superintendent interview. Round, round, round, round three. But this is gonna be round three of the interview process, Dr.

Michael Conner: Causey-Bush, and I'm only gonna limit you to three words. Three words. Now nobody ever listens to me. Right? So they just go on, you know, [00:57:00] their own diatribe and a tangent. But I try, I attempt, it's a, it's a, it's a good effort, right? So it's a good effort. But Dr. Dr. Causey-Bush, what three words for the spinal question do you want our audience to leave with regarding leadership for impact?

Michael Conner: Here's a one-liner, right? Leadership for impact in the AC stage of education.

Tonia CauseyBush: Hmm. So I'm absolutely going to say flexibility. I live by that. And I mean, it's very simple. We are not, then we will break. Mm. And that, that is just the honest truth. I'm also going to say to be credible, and that goes back again to being a constant learner.

Tonia CauseyBush: We spend a lot of time, you know, that we pour into, um. Our work. And so when we speak, we need to make sure that the things that we're sharing, that we [00:58:00] are being credible in those things because we don't have a lot of time and we are always rushing to get information out. So to be credible. And then the last word, which you probably already know, is to remain humble.

Tonia CauseyBush: Because at any given point, if I ever think that I know everything, then I am no longer of use because I have now defeated my own purpose and being in this profession because I don't. And the fact is none of us do, but we will always need to make sure we are positioning ourselves to learn, to grow, and to be flexible enough to pivot when the time is right.

Tonia CauseyBush: And that to me is how you can get to having a sense of longevity. Right. Being mindful of those concepts.

Michael Conner: Absolutely. And Dr. Causey-Bush, you definitely can talk about [00:59:00] longevity. We need to be able to emulate your practices. 33 years in education is absolutely an accomplishment and a legacy left behind. But the three words that you identified, which I just absolutely love, especially the third one, flexibility be incredible.

Michael Conner: And of course, Dr. Causey-Bush. Being humble. Dr. Causey-Bush, thank you for coming on VFE. As I stated at the outset, it's just been an absolute honor, not just to have you on just VFE, but to work with you, Mr. Davis, as well as the practitioners, the leaders and stakeholders of Banning Unified School District.

Michael Conner: You are moving in a trajectory not only for 22nd century readiness, 22nd Century being prepared for that, but you're, you're, you're, you're moving kids in a direction that I think that all. [01:00:00] All learning organizations must underscore. So thank you for sharing your knowledge on VFE, being a part of our family, Dr.

Michael Conner: Causey-Bush, and I told you, I I, I'm going to call you because again, we gotta have that discussion around progress. I'm, I'm persevering absolutely progressions with the portrait of a learner, but thank you, Dr. Causey-Bush for coming on and oh, and I forgot how, if my audience wanna be able to get in contact with you.

Michael Conner: See, I got so enamored with the, the, the progressions. I forgot. What is your contact information if my kids wanna reach out to you?

Tonia CauseyBush: Absolutely. And you can find my information, go on the Banning Unified School District's website and you can pull me up there and my email address. Um, for those of you who would like to reach out to me, it is literally my first initial, which is T and my last name, C-A-U-S-E-Y.

Tonia CauseyBush: [01:01:00] BUSH @banning.K12.ca.us.

Michael Conner: Thank you Dr. Causey-Bush. And a lot of people from that are part of my audience. They do contact you, so if you see where the emails coming in with some questions. Okay. Question three, you know, you went, can you go a little deeper than that? That's from the VFE family. But again, thank you, Dr.

Michael Conner: Causey-Bush for your time. I hope it don't get too hot as I'm about to put my sweatshirt on over here because it's getting a little chilly and it is rain. But again, thank you for everything that you do for kids. Thank you for everything that you do for your community.

Tonia CauseyBush: Appreciate the opportunity. Thank you.

Michael Conner: Absolutely. And on that note, onward and upward. Everybody have a great evening.