Jannelle Kubinec on First Year as WestEd CEO | GenAI in Community Colleges | School Transformation

November has been a busy time and as we transition into the winter term, we’re excited to share what has been happening at WestEd lately.??

This edition of WestEd 360° features:?

• Jannelle Kubinec 's CEO Corner

• Advancing the Use of Generative AI in Community Colleges?
• Spotlight on School Transformation, School Climate, and Systems Change?

• WestEd in the Headlines??

• Upcoming Events and Learning Opportunities

CEO Corner: Reflections on My First Year

On?October?1st, I completed my first year as WestEd’s CEO. I’m truly grateful for the ways I’ve been welcomed to this new responsibility by my talented colleagues and a supportive Board who motivated me each step of the way.??

Over the past year, I’ve focused on bringing attention to the “We” of WestEd based on the simple hypothesis that we are greater than the sum of our parts and have an opportunity to strengthen connections, focus, and align investments to accelerate and expand WestEd’s impact when we work together.?I also approached engagement with our WestEd community, including partners and clients, as “first” experiences, allowing me to blend historical knowledge with reinvention.?

?I’d like to share three pivotal lessons from my CEO leadership journey so far:??

1. Culture as Our Foundation: A key of my first year was guiding WestEd through a strategy development process. This meant digging into the bedrock of WestEd’s values and shining a light on who we are and what we want to be known for. We have a strategic plan underpinned by a people-first culture that supports and enlivens our mission.?
2. ?Words Matter, Actions Define: I strive for effective communication and practice taking accountability for my actions. Being an effective communicator is a core part of my job, for which I expect accountability for what I do, not only what I say.??
3. Embracing Change as Learning: Part of my responsibilities as CEO is to turn concerns into opportunities for improvement. I had the chance to connect with over 600 staff, whose feedback and ideas helped inform pivotal changes such as our new job architecture, promotion processes, and cross-agency collaborations.????

As I reflect on the year, I am thankful for these and many other important lessons and proud of our accomplishments. It is a privilege and joy to be WestEd’s CEO working with an incredible cadre of people, deeply committed to positively impacting the fields of education, human development, and justice through work that advances a vision for “thriving learners and empowered communities.”??

P.S. In addition to celebrating one year as CEO, my partner and I recently celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. For the 25th time I asked for a puppy.?A few weeks ago, we welcomed Tulip to our pack. She makes us laugh, scream, and shake our heads (the couch is mainly being used as a springboard) and reminds us to experience life enthusiastically, bowl half-full.

Introducing Generative AI to College Staff and Leadership: Insights from WestEd’s Tracy Huebner??

Imagine a community college where administrative tasks are handled with unprecedented speed and accuracy, freeing up staff to focus on student engagement. GenAI can make this a reality.??

At its core, GenAI functions as a learner, much like our students, explains Tracy Huebner , Director of Special Projects and Initiatives at WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility, in this new blog series. This means it can adapt to new educational challenges and devise innovative solutions to improve operational efficiencies, reflecting the diverse needs of community colleges.??

As an education advocate with more than two decades of experience spanning research, technical assistance, and hands-on teaching, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of?technology-enabled education. Today, we stand at the cusp of a technological renaissance with generative AI poised to redefine the community college and university landscape.??

To help achieve this vision, staff from WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility are working with the Chancellor’s Office for California’s Community Colleges AI Council, bringing their expertise to the table to foster awareness, understanding, and the implementation of GenAI practices. This partnership aims to improve operational efficiencies and the quality of the learner experience across the state’s 116 community colleges.??

With the rapid expansion of this technology, working and learning together is crucial. As leaders and policymakers explore ways to leverage GenAI, an important consideration is how student-centered principles and tech-enabled instruction can guide efforts to improve learning outcomes and ultimately, help learners find sustainable, living-wage jobs.???

The future of our workforce depends on it. ?

• Visit our featured initiative page to learn more about how WestEd can partner with your team to navigate the promise and reality of AI.??

• Learn more about WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility.??

New Spotlight on School Transformation, Safe and Supportive School Climates, and Systems Change

Explore three key resources designed to help educators foster supportive, equitable learning environments and build systems that promote both educator success and student well-being.

• The Truth On Five Common Myths About Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports?
• A Checklist for Safe, Supportive Physical Classroom Design?produced by the California Center for School Climate
• Assess the Equity Level of Your Education Policies?

WestEd in the Headlines??

Rural Principals’ Dual Role in Supporting Pipeline Programs— co-authored by Matthew Clifford for Principal Magazine published by the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)

“Calls for metal detectors grow after school shooting. Experts say they’re not the solution”— published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, features research perspectives from Anthony Petrosino , director of the Justice and Prevention Research Center at WestEd.?

“Prince William schools enhancing English learner program following outside review”— published in InsideNOVA, features insights from English Learner and Migrant Education Services at WestEd experts Leslie Hamburger and Martha Palacios on how to improve and scale supports for Multilingual Learners using research-based recommendations.

Putting multilingual students at the center of curriculum-based professional learning —co-authored by Casey McAlduff and Lyn Westergard for the Learning Professional, the Learning Forward Journal.??

Look for solutions beyond school grounds to address youth homicides —co-written by Anthony Petrosino and Ericka Mu?oz for EdSource .??

Jessica Triant and Tanner Higgin appeared as featured guests on Sights on EdTech with Luigi Morino.??

Upcoming Learning Opportunities and Events?

November 25, 3:30 p.m. PT/6:30 pm ET: Being at Peace With “No”: The Science of Forgiveness with WestEd expert Lauren Trout and The Greater Good Science Center ?

December 4, 9:00 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET: Sustaining Evidence-Based Literacy Learning and Leadership professional learning with WestEd’s?Reading Apprenticeship?and Educational Leadership and System Design at WestEd teams?

December 5, 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET: Deja Kemp, JD from Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP) and Laia Tiderman from the Data Support Integration Center (DISC) at WestEd will host a virtual training on effectively navigating State Public Records Acts when handling data sharing and integration

December 5–7: Join Jannelle Kubinec and WestEd experts at the 2024 CSBA Annual Education Conference??

December 8–11: We’re so excited to attend the 2024 Learning Forward Conference! Check out the full schedule of our presentations and sessions.??

December 13, 12:00 p.m. PT: Carnegie Math Pathways will host an informative webinar on Cultivating Inclusive, Resilient Communities of Learning (CIRCL) Student Supports, led by Haley McNamara, lead researcher for Productive Persistence at WestEd.

Register now for the 2025 Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) Winter Institutes in Washington D.C. from January 27–31, 2025!

• Explore two course offerings, Designing Curricular Materials for English Learners and Leadership in English Learner Education

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