Dr. Cherina Betters; Chief of Equity & Access for San Bernardino County Schools

<p>Host: &nbsp;Dr. Anthony Rice &amp; Dr. Angelique Butler<br> <br> Guest: &nbsp;Dr. Cherina Betters<br> <br> Cherina Betters has been named chief of Equity and Access for San Bernardino County Schools. In her new position, she will represent 33 school districts and more than 400,000 students.&nbsp;<br> <br> Her new duties will include, “working to forge strong relationships with parents and community members, as well as serving as the equity lead to promote positive learning outcomes for all students,” according to the San Bernardino County School Superintendent’s office. &nbsp;<br> <br> She starts her new job — a role some education stakeholders hope would be elevated to a statewide model for California — on April 13.<br> <br> Los Angeles, San Diego and neighboring Riverside Counties all have similar programs that involve engaging parents, students and parents to become part of an engaged and supportive network that contributes to improving the academic success of all students.<br> <br> Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, has begun assessing those programs, too.<br> <br> San Bernardino County Superintendent Ted Alejandre is confident that Betters will succeed in her new role.<br> <br> “Betters has extensive experience in our region in supporting students, schools and districts in the areas of equity and access,” Alejandre said. “With our office, she will lead efforts to close achievement, equity and opportunity disparities among student groups — with attention to cultural, racial, language and socio-economic differences.”<br> <br> Betters has a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Social Justice from California State University, San Bernardino, and previously worked for the San Jacinto Unified School District and Yucaipa-Calimesa Unified School District.<br> <br> At Cal State, San Bernardino, ‘Betters was named Outstanding Doctoral Student” and defended her dissertation titled, “Bridge Over Troubled Water: Creating an Ecology of Transformative Care for Students At Risk of their