L.A. Charter School Network Announces Launch of OneAlliance Radio, a Podcast Hub for Educators

In early August, Alliance College-Ready Public School's first-ever podcast, Reimagining the Alliance Educator, will be available at no cost the public, along with music playlists to support scholar engagement and school culture

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance College-Ready Public Schools announced today that it will launch OneAlliance Radio, a hub of podcasts that feature innovations in teaching and education. Beginning August 5, listeners will have free access to Alliance's first-ever podcast, Reimagining the Alliance Educator, an 8-part series hosted by Alliance VP of Network Initiatives Sonja Grant, designed to address the ongoing teacher burnout crisis seen across California and the country, especially since the global pandemic. The podcast features principals, teachers, and scholars from two Alliance middle schools and one high school who have piloted a new schedule change program tailored specifically for each school community. Listeners will also have access to curated music playlists that support learning and wellness in the classroom.

The charter network's views OneAlliance Radio as a new way to be creative with how they impact the lives of the communities they serve. "Since our founding in 2004, we've always prioritized using science backed tools and techniques to teach and innovate," says Jass Stewart, Chief of Innovation and Strategy at Alliance, and one of the OneAlliance Radio producers.

In the US, teachers on average have less time for preparation relative to other countries where students experience high academic outcomes. Through an exhaustive, research-based process, the Reimagining the Alliance Educator pilot gives teachers at Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy 4, in the South L.A. Watts neighborhood, and Alliance Valera Middle Academy in the Sun Valley, more time for lesson planning and scholar intervention. The schools have more than doubled planning time for teachers; from 4-5 hours to between 10-12 hours per week. They've also created new, targeted intervention opportunities for each school, and significantly expanded enrichment opportunities for scholars – everything from in-house electives to programs where scholars earn college credit while in high school. Alliance is offering this dual enrollment at Dr. Olga Mohan High School, the first high school to join the pilot program.

The schools are already seeing a significant difference in their sustainability and well-being, which is directly affecting scholar outcomes. Considering many scholars enter Alliance schools three grade levels behind, one of the ambitious goals principals have is for their scholars to grow two years in reading and math development in just one year. The preliminary data is showing that they have been able to do just that. As Jonathan Tiongco (JT), the founding principal and Executive Director of Valera MIT remarked in an episode, "I've really gotten to see more joy, more excitement, more enthusiasm and engagement at our school from both the students, the staff, as well as family levels." 

The podcast also dives into the details of how this pilot program can be done through schedule shifts, teacher collaboration, as well as the creative funding that can be utilized to make these changes happen. Their hope is that other schools in the Alliance network and beyond will be inspired to explore and implement similar programs.

As Natalie Hickman, a teacher at Mohan High School, featured on the podcast remarked, "Needless to say, teaching is very difficult. I've often wondered about my future, how long I would stay in teaching with the way things were and have been. So this [Reimagining the Alliance Educator pilot] is really a breath of fresh air where I can imagine myself being a teacher for a really long time, even retiring if I'm given the time and the respect professionally, and have the support from Alliance."

The Reimagining the Alliance Educator podcast, along with OneAlliance Radio, are examples of Alliance prioritizing the staff and scholars' mental health and wellbeing, while using data-driven tools like curated music playlists for focus, productivity, or to ease test anxiety. "We know research shows that music can have all sorts of positive effects on the body and mind, everything from slowing heart rates and lowering blood pressure, to improving memory, and changing the overall mood of a room," added Jass Stewart. "And knowing that the staff and families at Alliance listen to Spotify, like millions of other people, it just felt like a perfect opportunity to meet them where they already are, and enhance their learning and study experience even more."

The network is encouraging their 26 schools across Los Angeles, to stream these playlists in classrooms, at lunch, or over the P.A. system, and have plans in place for contests and special scholar curated lists, as they continue to listen to the voices of their school communities. These playlists, combined with Reimagining the Alliance Educator: The Podcast, make them a leader in Los Angeles public schools, academically as well as in the social-emotional learning for K-12. As Pablo Villavicencio, Alliance's CEO says, "We've set out to sense and respond to a new post-pandemic reality. We aren't simply interested in a new normal. Instead, our plan and early actions are creating a better one."

OneAlliance radio is available at laalliance.org/one-alliance-radio, and will feature the Reimagining the Alliance Educator: The Podcast and curated scholar and educator playlists starting on August 5, 2024.

About Alliance
Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is one of the largest and most successful nonprofit public charter school networks in the nation, operating 26 high-performing, public charter middle and high schools that educate nearly 13,000 scholars from Los Angeles' most underserved communities.

Alliance schools have been recognized as among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, the U.S. Department of Education, and the California Department of Education. Since opening our first school in 2004, 95% of Alliance scholars have graduated from high school and been accepted to college. We strive to uplift our scholars and their communities by fostering unparalleled educational opportunities that encourage scholarly thought, resilient learning, powerful communication, mind-body wellness, and community advocacy. To learn more, visit www.LAalliance.org.

SOURCE Alliance College-Ready Public Schools