Veronica Martinez

Academic and Engagement Specialist assist students by providing strategic services that remove barriers leading to increased academic, behavioral, social-emotional barriers. Barriers may include chronic absenteeism, daily attendance, access to school and community resources, socio-emotional needs, academic performance, behavioral expectations. Specialists work with students, families, staff, administration, and community to create a framework to develop, provide, coordinate, and monitor implementation of evidence-based strategies to improve student success in school.

Some tasks include:

• Offering monthly professional development for staff
• Weekly check-ins with students on behavior contracts/suspended expulsion contracts
• Collaboration with leadership team, ASB and PLUS coordinators on initiatives to improve school culture.
• Collaboration with ELD coordinator to close the gap in education for EL students and increase parent involvement w through unique initiatives and events.

The SEL class was designed to be a possible solution for students showing patterns of academic failure among other issues. The goal of SEL class is to equip students with social and emotional skills so that students can learn how to self regulate their thoughts, emotions, actions and rewire neural pathways in their brain to make positive changes in their lives. This is a slow process that focuses on "inner" work, so that one day students can focus on the "outer" work (completing and turning in homework, establishing healthy relationships, organization, healthy self image, etc). The framework of the course is rooted in CASEL's 5 Competencies and research.

Mindfulness and yoga are tools also used in this course.

Coached elementary teachers through the induction process accredited by the Commission on Teaching Credentialing in the state of California for credential clearance for teacher candidates.