Coachella Valley's Student of the Month awards to recognize new cohort of high schoolers

Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun
Updated ·7 min read

Job fair season is near for prospective educators. While the teacher shortage in California pre-dates the COVID-19 pandemic, local school districts in the Coachella Valley continue to expand their efforts in recruiting highly qualified teachers. At Desert Sands Unified and Palm Springs Unified school districts, prospective applicants have two upcoming events in February to interview and network with school administrators and district representatives for a teaching position.

Also in this week's education news round-up: Student of the Year updates, our weekly scholarship spotlight, and a unique opportunity to learn from pathologists at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology in Palm Springs.

Did we miss a noteworthy story? Raise your hand and send it my way: jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.

Desert Sands Unified and Palm Springs Unified school districts to host job fairs for prospective teachers

Two Coachella Valley-area public K-12 school districts seek to hire highly qualified teachers in all subject areas — and you could be one of them. The job fairs — hosted by Desert Sands Unified and Palm Springs Unified school districts, respectively — are unique opportunities for prospective candidates to connect with administrators from elementary and secondary campuses.

Desert Sands Unified, which serves the communities of Indio, La Quinta, Bermuda Dunes, Indian Wells and Palm Desert — is hosting its recruitment fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3. The certificated salary range runs from $63,155 to $131,140 — depending on educators' level of education and years of experience. Prospective veteran applicants may be granted up to 18 creditable years. (Previously, 10 years were granted.)

Desert Sands Unified School District will hosts a teacher recruitment fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3.
Desert Sands Unified School District will hosts a teacher recruitment fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 3.

Dan Borgen, director of personnel, said in an email that while they're interviewing for all teaching positions, the district anticipates special education, math, science and elementary art as high-need areas.

Interview opportunities with a school principal or district representative will be available. Register online at forms.gle/3yrzmjB2JLDkVHVg7 to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome and applicants should come prepared with a letter of introduction, a résumé, unofficial transcripts and three current letters of recommendation.

Palm Springs Unified School District will host a teacher recruitment fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10
Palm Springs Unified School District will host a teacher recruitment fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10

A week later, Palm Springs Unified, which serves the communities of Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Thousand Palms, Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs, will host its recruitment fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10. The certificated salary range runs from $66,051 to $119,223 — also depending on educators' level of education and years of experience. While PSUSD is also interviewing for all teaching positions, the district said special education, science and math are its high need subject areas.

Register online by Friday, Feb. 2 at bit.ly/PSUSDFair24 to schedule an appointment. Bring a letter of introduction, a résumé and three current letters of recommendation.

At this time, Coachella Valley Unified School District is not yet holding job recruitment fairs; however, some teaching positions — in subjects that include English, Spanish, art, math, music and special education — are currently listed on edjoin.org/CoachellaValleyUSD.

For more information: Visit dsusd.us, psusd.us or cvusd.us.

Students from Painted Hills Middle spend a day with USCAP pathologists

Eighth graders from Painted Hills Middle School in Desert Hot Springs recently learned what it takes to be a pathologist from experts at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology in Palm Springs.
Eighth graders from Painted Hills Middle School in Desert Hot Springs recently learned what it takes to be a pathologist from experts at the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology in Palm Springs.

For a day, seventh and eighth graders from Painted Hills Middle School in Desert Hot Springs recently became pathologists — or more accurately, they seized an opportunity to tour and learn from the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology in Palm Springs.

Thirty-four students from the school's digital media and forensic science classes gained access to advanced microscopes to inspect bladder and kidney diseases, identify cancer cells and compare healthy tissue to diseased tissue. Not a typical public school day.

One of their teachers, Sean Thomas, said it was a valuable opportunity for students to explore unfamiliar fields — and hopefully, "spark that interest (at a young age)."

He noted that since the field trip, some of his students are even more interested in pursuing medicine as a field of study. They've now even begun applying to the high school medical pathways.

Thomas' students produce the school's newscast, so the trip wouldn't have beencomplete without visiting USCAP's media center, where its educational videos are produced. "The kids got the chance to use really high-level technology, cameras, teleprompters and green screens," he said, "so it was a mix of fields that they were able to experience."

While he jokingly said the students were also thrilled about a coffee break at Starbucks during the field trip, the joy was getting to interact with students outside of the classroom and observing different sides of their personalities.

"You get to enjoy them experience something new," he said. "A lot of times, especially in middle school, it can be really frustrating. Having them out in public, enjoying the experience, seeing them enjoy learning and being curious, it's really impactful."

Coachella Valley's Student of the Month awards to recognize a new cohort of resilient and accomplished high school seniors

In December, the Riverside County of Education organized the inaugural Student of the Month event to recognize high school seniors in the Coachella Valley who demonstrate integrity, resilience and a commitment to their education in spite of challenges.

On Monday, Jan. 29, the student recognition program will continue with its second of four events — inducting 21 new students to highlight and celebrate. These students will join a cohort who qualify for the Student of the Year Award, a scholarship that acknowledges their journey of self-improvement and transformation. The scholarship recipients will be announced at the final ceremony, set for Tuesday, April 30.

The January honorees from each school district are as follows:

Coachella Valley Unified School District

  • Evelyn Barrera-Ponce, NOVA Academy

  • Alexandria Gutierrez, West Shores High School

  • Karen Magaña, Desert Mirage High School

  • Luna Moran, Coachella Valley Independent Study

  • Savannah Reyes, La Familia High School

  • Fernanda Telles-Quintero, Coachella Valley High School

Desert Sands Unified School District

  • Coby Christensen, Palm Desert High School

  • Aleki Gamboa, Amistad High School

  • Matilda Garcia, Horizon School

  • Addilyn Goodno, La Quinta High School

  • Jaime Lopez, Summit High School

  • Xitlali Natividad, Shadow Hills High School

  • Ryan Zamora, Indio High School

Palm Springs Unified School District

  • Adriana Figueroa Burgos, Palm Springs High School

  • Elijanna Kennedy, Rancho Mirage High School

  • Grissel Lopez-Aguirre, Mt. San Jacinto High School

  • Gisela Sanchez, Desert Hot Springs High School

  • Alexander Paul Stankus, Cathedral City High School

  • Yaretzi Quintanilla, Desert Learning Academy

Riverside County Office of Education Programs

  • Aiden Brudvick-Dishman, Palm Springs Community School

  • Jesus Cruz-Espinoza, Don. F. Kenny Regional Learning Center

Scholarship Spotlight: Copper Mountain College invites high school seniors in the Morongo Basin to apply for a full ride

High school seniors across the Morongo Basin who plan to attend Copper Mountain College are invited to apply to the Greenleaf Scholarship — a unique opportunity that would award recipients a full ride scholarship to the community college in Joshua Tree and would continue to cover costs when they transfer to pursue their bachelor's degree.

The scholarship covers tuition, textbooks and standard living expenses, including food, lodging and transportation. Greenleaf scholars have transferred and graduated from UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkeley, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Long Beach and Brigham Young University. Applications are due Wednesday, Feb. 21.

Established by the estate of F. Roy Greenleaf, the opportunity is made possible by the F. Roy Greenleaf, Jr. Education Fund and is administered by the Copper Mountain College Foundation.

Grades and grade point averages are not the sole determining factors in securing the scholarship: "Mr. Greenleaf was pretty specific about what a Greenleaf Scholar would be, including that they're a responsible student interested in learning; a student who is well respected by their peers, teachers and administrators; a student who is success oriented and a hard worker both in and out of school; and a student who shows a desire to return to the Morongo Basin upon completion of their graduation," said Sandy Smith, executive director of the CMC Foundation, in a statement.

For more information: Visit apply.mykaleidoscope.com/scholarships/CMCFoundationGreenleaf or call the Copper Mountain College Foundation at 760-366-3791 ext. 4200

Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs area Student of the Month awards to recognize new cohort