Leveraging Student Voice and Engaging Every Learner (Roundtable)
8:30 AM Friday, Nov. 30
Moscone West Level Two Lobby – Table #29
2018 California School Boards Association Conference
November 29th – December 1st | San Francisco, CA
John Bowes, Ed. D. – Superintendent, Davis Joint Unified School District
Jimmy Simpson – Partnerships, YouthTruth
About the session
We spend a lot of time talking about achievement gaps. But what about the experience gaps that inform achievement gaps? How do we identify student groups that have less positive experiences in school, whether it’s with teacher relationships, bullying, or adult expectations? Unpacking experience gaps helps us target resources, and build connections with our most vulnerable learners. You’ll hear from district leaders who prioritize equity by attacking experience gaps to drive achievement for all.
About the speakers
John Bowes, Ed. D.
Dr. John Bowes joined the Davis Joint Unified School District as Superintendent in July 2016. Prior to his role in Davis, Bowes was assistant superintendent of Human Resources in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District – another high performing California school district. Earlier in his career, Bowes spent more than twenty four years in the Los Angeles Unified School District serving in a number of roles including assistant chief human resources officer, director of labor relations, field director, director of instruction, principal, assistant principal, coordinator and teacher. Dr. Bowes holds a doctorate in Education Leadership from UCLA, a master’s degree in Educational Administration from California Lutheran University, and bachelor degrees in both finance and management, along with minors in English and Sociology from Virginia Tech. His doctoral work focused on innovation theory applied to instructional program coherence in the implementation of an English language arts curriculum. Dr. Bowes believes in the value of lifelong learning and has also completed the Leading Edge Administrator certification program, the California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO) USC Chief Business Officer certification program and is currently completing the California School Board Association (CSBA) Masters in Governance program. After college, Bowes served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala. He speaks Spanish fluently. His service in the Peace Corps sparked his passion for education. Dr. Bowes enjoys hiking, yoga, surfing and reading. He and his wife Cheryl have four adult children and two cats.
Jimmy Simpson, Jr.
Jimmy Simpson, Jr.’s passion for education, advocacy and public speaking has allowed him to reach thousands of people all across the country. He has presented on topics ranging from the restoration of marshes in southern Iraq to the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Before joining YouthTruth, Jimmy brought environmental education to San Francisco’s public schools as an outdoor science teacher where he taught Kindergarten through 5th grade and helped create an NGSS-aligned science curriculum. After teaching, Jimmy provided coaching and professional development to science teachers throughout the Bay Area. He has also served as an AmeriCorps and FEMA team manager to provide disaster relief services in New York, Maryland, and Missouri. Jimmy is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln with a BA in Environmental Studies and Anthropology. As a Partnerships Lead, Jimmy’s teaching, curriculum development, and facilitation skills are put to good use as he supports school and district leadership in using student and family feedback data to create change.