Bruce Bivins: Perris Elementary School District

In this episode of School District Superheroes, Nick Telford sits down with Bruce Bivins, Superintendent of Perris Elementary School District, to discuss how true leadership and holistic education can transform a school community.

Bruce shares how growing up in an adopted family built on love and service shaped his lifelong desire to create a sense of belonging. He details his unique path to education, which included coaching youth, almost becoming a firefighter, and working with highly vulnerable populations like displaced foster youth and incarcerated teens. Bivins also shares the innovative work he's doing in the Perris school district. In this conversation, you'll learn:

• Why the "command and control" mindset that dominated early 2000s education is broken
• How a leadership style rooted in humility, curiosity, vulnerability, and trust is more effective
• Why psychological safety is the absolute foundation for student success.
• Why Perris emphasizes emotional intelligence and critical problem-solving
• Innovative techniques, like classroom Zen zones, and campus sensory rooms
• How holistic strategies have led to decreases in suspensions and accelerated English literacy
• Impact of enrichment programs like school gardens and a bike-riding program for kindergartners

Tune in to hear how Superintendent Bivins is working to leave a legacy of deep care, strong relationships, and a school culture where kids and families are the ultimate winners

Learn more about Perris Elementary School District

Transcript

Bruce Bivins 0:00

what we're moving uh, more towards and shifting to is this uh, more about holistic approach, Um, the whole child and then the multiple data points, not just about a singular test score, but also about their emotional intelligence, about their critical thinking skills, about their ability to navigate, challenging circumstances about their ability to uh, work together in a team.

Speaker 0:29

You're listening to School District Superheroes, a podcast that puts the super back in superintendents. In each episode, you'll learn how today's most innovative superintendents are re-imagining what's possible for students, staff, and their communities. And now for your host, Nick Telford.

Nick Telford 0:48

Well, welcome Bruce Bivens to School District Superheroes, the podcast highlighting the super in superintendent. I'm your host, Nick Telford. so today I'm joined by the wonderful Bivens, one of the most, driven, genuine, and intelligent people that I have had the pleasure to come across, in my time in education. it's, a pleasure to have you on the podcast, Bruce. My middle name is Bruce. I don't know if I-- knew that.

Bruce Bivins 1:13

did not know that, Zeke.

Nick Telford 1:14

There you go. yeah, welcome to the podcast.

Bruce Bivins 1:16

Thank you.

Nick Telford 1:18

So first question just to, to kick things off, who was your favorite superhero growing up?

Bruce Bivins 1:23

Oh, favorite superhero? I was a Spidey kinda guy. so Spider-Man was a a big fan for me. Um, I was a climber. I climbed trees like you wouldn't believe. I-- There was a tree by my elementary school that for me, I thought it towered 100 feet. It was one of those ones where there was branches all over the place, so I felt very safe, but I would, climb that every morning as I waited for the gates to open.

Nick Telford 1:49

true to form. I can't say I'm s-- I'm, I'm, I'm too surprised by that, Bruce, to be honest with you. When you think of superheroes, any-- Is there anything, any traits about superheroes that, uh, you know, uh, resonates with you?

Bruce Bivins 2:02

you know, I mean, I think, uh, superheroes, are selfless in the acts of their being super, right? And also... focusing on supporting some of the most vulnerable. And, um, I think that, uh, plays out well, in why I entered education. And also, um, all the folks in education are superheroes on how every, each and every day, supporting our kids and families in really meaningful, life-changing ways.

Nick Telford 2:36

That, that's a, a great description, I think of, of the, um, of what real super heroism is. and not necessarily leading with some brash confidence, but more supporting, uh, being there to guide and support the vulnerable and the ones that need it most. Um, so I, I think it's a great way to kick things off. y-you just talked about your path to education. If you wouldn't mind giving us a brief history of the youth of Bruce Bivens. what shaped you and how did you, you end up, really on a path and a trajectory to the highest, uh, place you can get in public education as a superintendent?

Bruce Bivins 3:10

that's a nice way to start, Nick. Thanks. Um, kinda going back helps me, think about, not just why I entered this journey, but what were the influences along the way. I think being adopted, at first, in a family where all my whole, all my brothers and sisters were all, we were all adopted from multiple families. And I think being in a household where no one is blood-related, but we're all connected in this service to one another and having love being the, the driver and, creating a family community in that way. and then at the same time, when you learn what that actually means, I think for me intrinsically, I took within myself, this need for, acceptance, belonging, that really drove, I think, a lot about, my experiences growing up. and whether it's um, school or sports or my friends and always wanting to uh, seek relational trust and, uh, build team. my parents were really active in the community, so they were great role models for uh, servant and uh, leadership in both the church and in the community. Um, and in the nonprofit world as well they, uh, supported, the community in that manner as well. So I think those were really great, role models for me. then I went into, uh, camp counseling, uh, YMCA, spent time on excursions and taking kids outdoors. And that outdoor education and, coaching were like the first indicators that um, I really enjoyed that part of my life. and um, it didn't hit me until, um, a little bit later that that was the right direction to go. It My friend said, all you ever talk about is your time when you get to coach youth or you get to be with youth. You would be a great teacher. and then the light bulb went on for me. and I went down that path and, and I think that idea of superhero with supporting the most vulnerable played itself out because, my credentials were, focused on special ed, ESL. that led me into, working in, a group home to start with, with displaced foster care youth. and during that time of my teaching career. Um, I really learned, about, my need to serve the greater good and then I went back to school and started to work towards my administrative credentials. um, then I went into special ed and, started to teach in, um, Back then they called them self-contained classrooms where you had the same students all day. I tried to really push for inclusion back then. And there was a lot of resistance in the 90s, for inclusion. So that was my first, push. Like, how systems were not set up for all kids. at the time, largest high school in Seattle, eight out of the last 10 years, the principal had changed, so it was a little bit of Lord of the Flies, and we did some really amazing transformational work there at, uh, Franklin High School, and then I had the wonderful opportunity to, uh, be the principal, and then, West Seattle High School, and then I moved out to LA Did the principal work there at Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights. Um, and We did some really beautiful transformational work there as well um, as a community, really coming together for kids. Um, And then I uh, moved down to San Diego and did the assistant superintendent work for eight years, where again, um, we were a leading district uh, among the nation the time for really moving The work in, um, meaningful ways for kids, especially the ones again, most marginalized, most vulnerable families, most in need and showing the biggest growths um, for um, urban districts across the nation, Um, which then led me to um, the superintendency, where I'm here now in Paracel at my third year. And I just, um, this is my thirtieth year and just loving, education every day. I'm passionate about the work and it's not work for me. It's it's a joy.

Nick Telford 7:21

Thanks for sharing all that, Bruce. Uh, really appreciate you, you know, going back to the, the very, very start. and I think, you know, there's probably so much formative, things taking place back then in your early, early days that, you know, pushed you in this, in this trajectory. I'm always interested in people-- You hear that sometimes if you're struggling in your twenties to figure out what y-you should do, I've heard before, ask a friend what they think you should do. And, uh, so it's interesting that that actually played out in real life for you, because sometimes we're, you know, looking inward so much that, like, it's so obvious, where your talents are, where your heart is at. And, uh, so the fact you listened to that, A lot of people, I'm sure, don't listen to that, but I think that was a good friend you had. Um, y-you obviously went, you know-- You, you've built yourself up. Like, you haven't taken the quick path to being a superintendent. you've, you know, It sounds like you've taken on the hardest of jobs To learn the hardest way possible, which probably forms a really strong backbone in you as a superintendent. I'm wondering what were those lessons that you have learned over your time, you know, from working with the adjudicated system through to, turning around, or continue to turn around schools in San Diego? Are, are any particular lessons from um, a leadership standpoint that you've taken from all your experiences?

Bruce Bivins 8:38

yeah, I mean, there's, there's so many lessons along the journey of leadership and learning by, um, by failure and by struggle and strife at times. because I didn't have the right, role models in the beginning. Um, but learning by doing and then also, I think, being quick to, shift a a disposition is really important. I think the, the shift to humility, um, really important. Staying curious whe- around problems, leading by modeling. And leading, by building trust. and I think that's what inspires folks is if you can create cultures where we know our sense of purpose and we can be vulnerable in those spaces. because ultimately um, our systems of of schooling are based on um, the relationships that are built and the hearts and minds within each of the adults about how they believe about their own capacity and how they believe in each other and how they are in alignment and belief in the mission and vision of what we're trying to achieve. And if we don't set up opportunities for them to connect with one another, to stay in a curious wonderment. space in times of challenge. to have the agency to lead on their own and go through processes of self-discovery and self-reflection, it's really hard to build. Stephen Covey talks a lot about the shift of command and control type of positional leadership. When I first got into leadership, um, there was a lot of superintendents that were being hired through the military mindset. of, of command and control. Um, No child left behind. Also in the early 2000s reinforced this idea of compliance and efficacy through an implementation that had to be compliant and coherent. what we lost in that struggle was the ability for um, folks, teachers, staff, instructional aides, leaders. to really think on their own and to build something that is more in alignment and in need of the context of the community they are in and then allowing those folks to be the architects of that development uh, themselves. so the North Star can stay the same on what we're trying to achieve. But the how we go about it needs to be differentiated based on the needs of a community. And each community is in a different place in space and time in their own evolutionary growth and development. So tapping into that understanding of where folks are at is really important. So what you have to do is that you only can change and move the speed of how much trust is in the bank within an organization. And... If folks feel that their expertise is valued, they move with commitment. And, think also you have to, it's kind of like that you go slow to go fast, right? You got to spend a lot of time listening, before you are even talking yourself within a positional authority stance because you want to understand on the ground what the experience is before you start. pitching ideas or, you start trying to coalesce, strategy into action for initiative change. So it's really about, you got to go with how the readiness of folks, the willingness. at the same time, you got to be courageous enough to speak up about, you not being okay with status quo when status quo doesn't mean all kids get what they need.

Nick Telford 12:32

how have you found that in a practical sense when you're leading teams, let's say in, in Paris, um, or, or in any-- in San Diego, how have you found adopting those principles to lead the teams that you're leading? How has that been going?

Bruce Bivins 12:51

Yeah, I mean, every team has a different dynamic. And what you're trying to do and, John Hattie talks about this in collective teacher efficacy, but it also is collective leader efficacy, it's collective student efficacy, it all depends on the role and responsibilities of folks. But how you team together setting the conditions where you can co-create your goals. you understand the why behind it. So you've done a root cause analysis to understand the need deeply. develop a responsibility of shared ownership. take a risk and not fear failure. But it's more of a feedback in the learning cycle. you've created a curiosity landscape and culture where psychologically safe environments are, promoting this learn by doing and learn by failure. And, think whether it's a superintendent assistant sup, principal, assistant principal, or even a teacher leader when you are in a position to facilitate dialogue, always working towards, building a uh, or co-constructing an understanding of what are we trying to uh, solve? What problem are we trying to address? And what are the needs currently? And then how do our current behaviors our current practices our current policies our current procedures um, our current beliefs. Like how are those either negatively or positively impacting that need? And what do we either need to replicate and strengthen? Or what do we need to let go of? so, um, ultimately, being in the superintendent role, transformational change begins with my own transformation of Understanding, how do I model the vulnerability? How do I model the curiosity? how do I set the conditions for folks to be themselves vulnerable in those spaces to disclose their own, areas for growth, their own shortcomings of understanding and just come with a willingness to examine that together collectively and never have the paint dry on a plan when you step into a space. When we're gonna be really, truly about co-creation.

Nick Telford 15:15

Hmm. Hmm. Yeah, fascinating. Um, you re- you really, uh, uh, turning unapologetically turning on its head the old school style of leadership, and really inviting, a new form of, that curiosity you've mentioned a number of times. but I think what really speaks to me through what you said is you have to be the one to lead that. And that's, I presume, as a superintendent, one of the hardest things to do to show that vulnerability when instinctually you might think that a superintendent needs to be this, you know, unfazed individual, uh, at the top of the ship. whereas really that's not exactly in reality, uh, what, what motivates people. Um, so yeah, tha-thanks for that, uh, really great insights, Bruce. Thanks for sharing it. I, I wanna shift to the, to students within, uh, schools in Paris and what you think is, the most important thing we can, as educators, do for our kids and There's o-obviously a lot of challenges out there. I would have interested to hear from you what are the key areas that you think we need to focus on, for the student population right now?

Bruce Bivins 16:18

through COVID accelerated this awareness for folks and the psychological safety and the need for belonging is foundational to learning. And if uh, folks don't feel safe in spaces, Um, or they feel like they are just having to fit in, which means they really can't be their true authentic selves. we know that in neuroscience that the brain gets hijacked. in that amyg- hijacking, students, ability to have critical thinking. And, uh, The cognitive load necessary for, the level of challenge and rigor that classrooms expect in student experiences, um, then gets, uh, overwhelmed because of that hijacking. So what we focus on is creating the foundation first, and that means, uh, all students feel seen. they know they have a trusted adult. They, um, have spaces in the classroom for self-regulation. They learn about, what the tools and skills needed are for that, uh, that agency. from personal awareness to self-advocacy within our, um, superpowers of our social -emotional learning and development within the classroom. Um, starting and ending classrooms in circle by really connecting with how students are and what they need and also learning to be empathetic and advocates not just for themselves, but for each other. This is that shift from bystanding to upstanding to, building a community. Uh, The the collective is always wiser than the self. So how do you build a community that understands each other? And we do that through circles as well. I think the other shift is that um, there's a theory of action that um, belonging is is the foundation which leads to then an ability for students to engage. Now engagement is the, uh, is the determinant. To learning and then the, the level of rigor and success a student can learn. So if you don't have belonging or engagement, you're never gonna get to learning. Right? So if a student, if a student is feeling like they don't belong and and they're unsafe, you get the emotional outbursts or you get the amygdala hijack and the brain shutdown. Well, you can't engage then. If it-- If I can't engage then I can't actually, uh, Put myself in a position to act- to learn, retain, analyze, and be successful in that learning task. And where teachers have uh, shifted the classroom experience from like the givers of knowledge to the um, designers of learning. And collaboration is a big part of that. so we've shifted our uh, practices in math to be more collaborative. Uh, we've shifted our practices in our SEL development to be more community and collaborative, and then also in our writing practices as well, for our literacy. Um, our next phase is to really build out this idea of what Anita Archer talks about, uh, we're-- We have to pay attention to how many opportunities we're giving Children to be able to respond and to elevate their thinking and think aloud. So she has an adage that says everyone does everything. Well, what strategies allow for everyone do everything? hand-raising allow everyone to do everything? Or is it just the the few kids that get called on that? Are very confident and competent in that and other students indirectly get silenced then also in that silence as an instructor, how am I then gauging what they really know? What's the formative uh, assessment happening when um, I'm not getting a whole class perspective of what they know? Um, So I think those are big kind of mindsets, shifts of what's important because we're still in standardized testing, but that standardized testing era. From NCLB In the early 2000s, uh, really shifted the, um, I think our eye on the prize of what really schooling needed to be all about, right? We, We shifted everything to be about the single test score, which mean curriculum shifted, pedagogy shifted, the assessments changed, policies changed and even how schools were being rated exposed all based on that singular test score. And I think that what we're moving uh, more towards and shifting to is this uh, more about holistic approach, Um, the whole child and then the multiple data points, not just about a singular test score, but also about their emotional intelligence, about their critical thinking skills, about their ability to navigate, circumstances about their ability to uh, work together in a team.

Nick Telford 21:59

with test scores and academic outcomes, it's easy to measure performance. you put these kids through a test, you see what the scores are, and then you do that a year later, and you can see the difference, right? When we talk about all the other dynamics that go into whole child education, what is the metrics of success? How are you assessing the progression of your students over, one, two, three, four, five years?

Bruce Bivins 22:23

Yeah. um, a lot of different metrics you wanna pay attention to 'cause culture it eats strategy for lunch, right? So it's the cult- it's the culture you're you're developing. And, it's how our leaders are really the culture setters in in, in our school, in our schools. so. It's it's having that confident humility about not having all the answers and we're gonna collectively s- uh, solve that together. what we're looking for um, within that whole child experience and the growth metrics are multiple data points. So, are kids coming to school more easy data point to check, right? uh, do kids, uh... in the climate surveys, do they feel more connected? to each other, to the school? Do they feel like they have more adults that they trust on campus and they can turn to for any problem? do we see less referrals coming out of classrooms because of behavioral issues or um, because of um, uh, just needs of kids? Because there's also avoidance strategies for kids that don't wanna be in classrooms, and they wanna instead hang out in the counseling or the health aid or in the administration or walk, you know, spend extra time in the bathroom, right? So you're looking at these little indicators that are saying, Hey, kids, they love coming to school more. They are um, building more trust relationships and they are spending more time in classroom. Then you get into a little bit more granular, the qualitative data of when you start talking to students. And you start see- you start hearing what they love about their schooling experience. and um, also a data point for us is how many more students can we put into leadership roles and afford them the opportunity to lead. So we have, uh, really multiplied that exponentially across our campuses to have more students, take on leadership roles, whether it's. Um, being a teacher assistant or tutoring younger kids. So maybe the K one twos are working with uh, students that are five and s- uh, fifth grade and sixth grade. or being in the playground and having uh, older students help monitor around structured activities and support. Um, the team play and the more fair play Or it's uh, being ambassadors in classrooms when they have visitors and they're explaining their learning and the learning task and the criteria for success. Um, whether it's all students that we've shifted from teacher-parent conference nights to student-led conferencing where students know their goals, know their learning intentions and know their areas for growth. and have examples of their student work to exemplify that with meaning. Um, and then you see it in the data itself. So what are the markers along the journey of academic performance? And for us, we saw a big, big gain this past year in reclassification of our English learners. So we see literacy growing, faster and accelerating, particularly among our English learners, and they're reclassifying more. like I said around behavior, s- we've seen a two-thirds, uh, decrease in suspensions, across all grade levels and then just the enthusiasm of students wanting to um, stay after school and be a part of the programs that we're establishing, whether it's through the arts or through the sports, through music, through dance, through the club development, all of those things um, have definitely grown over the past year as we've been on this initiative. All of those are indicators that kids enjoy coming to school and that leads to better relationships, better engagement, and ultimately more success.

Nick Telford 26:21

Yeah, thanks for spelling that out, 'cause it's, you know, first of all, by the way, the two-thirds decrease in suspensions is a pretty astounding statistic. and I know attendance is, is, is up all the time, uh, at, at schools a-and it's no surprise there. I think sci-the science, is there to show that the conditions for learning have to be there in order for a child to succeed. And s-- I, what you said, if they're not addressed, it's easy to ignore them and just to plow forward with, "Well, we're gonna give the test, and if they don't succeed, well, you know, we did our bit. we stood at the front of the classroom and taught the lesson, it is what it is. a, they're not a good student," or maybe not right for school. Um, the harder job is to do exactly what you've just talked about and to do all that other work and to look at all the other factors that go into a a student being able to take in information, process information, and, and use that And it takes longer. It's harder. but I believe anyway, it takes, uh, real leadership and, steadfast leadership to ignore and Uh, resist the pressures that might come, to take the quick path and to take the easy path. So I just wanna credit you and every other superintendent out there that is, uh, doing that hard work.

Bruce Bivins 27:34

Thanks, Um, yeah, I mean, we are. We're focused on all things school, so everything has an initiative. so we launched our SEL Superpowers this year, and that was, that was a joint effort, and it's really unique. I've never seen it done, district-wide in this manner, uh, where it was co-created, uh, with our staff from the ground up. research-backed. and, we developed it and launched it in what we are doing through six-week coaching cycles of support and each um, superpower lines up to a letter in Perris So P-E-R-R-I-S, Six letters, six uh, SEL Superpowers And those superpowers have, just reinforced the importance. of The emotional, intelligence, the self-regulation, and the sense of belonging and safety that we're we're reinforcing as foundational. I think ultimately this will be, looked back on as, uh, really setting the foundation of, what is important, um, for all students in their growth and development. uh, of learning more about themselves, ultimately to be self-advocates for their own learning, for their own needs, and self-aware about their own triggers, and, then also the skill sets on how to deescalate that, um, in meaningful ways. So we're teaching into all those pieces, to the puzzle. in the past, that's usually been referred out to, kids been referred out. and then supposedly to go get fixed, right? And then sent back to a classroom. And we're really trying to keep kids in classrooms. So all of our classrooms have zen zones, where students can self-regulate and, and use timers and strategies within those spaces. breathing techniques, um, literature, squishies, games. things to get them back in place. we're also launching sensory rooms across all of our campuses. Uh, and that is this year where students, where they need, if they need a little bit more, they can go through the sensory room. There's about 12 different activities that they go through that helps them get back into their, uh, mind-body connection. and help regulate that emotional dysregulation. Um, and it's pretty powerful. so it can be used for all kids. originally I think it was introduced for, um, uh, uh, uh, kind of a therapeutic, method in special education. and then, we've, really doubled down on our focus on, um, TK through second-grade early literacy. So all of our, um, teachers and support staff have been trained in the science of reading And also in our phonics and phonemic awareness practices with, a Hayerdy curriculum. And that's a really good example of everyone does everything because it's a lot of choral responses, a lot of hand movements, and everybody in the classroom gets to participate through that. And we're seeing really great gains in the, uh, four, five, six and seven-year-olds in that practice. Uh, We also saw that less students were in need of intervention this year in third grade um, than in all years past. So, that's another indicator that we're doing things right in that direction. Um, last year we started playing around with new math practices, with building thinking classrooms, strategies. Uh, And, um, we introduced that to go with the coalition of the willing who wanted to learn. And then we um, saw some growth in that. So then we started to provide district-wide PD. and now we are in the final stages of uh, math adoption to align to those practices. I think it was really smart for us to go slow in this process to have folks, try on new strategies um, because we all have known historically that uh, math, I don't think, was taught in the way that um, uh, promotes uh, both, uh, the idea of uh, complex thinking around math, as well as the idea of taking math beyond the math discipline itself. So I think that's been a big shift for us. and then our after-school program, we've really enhanced uh, with our sports, development and our tournaments internally within the district. I think has been really helpful and then really harnessing in on the cultural assets, and heritage within our community by um, really supporting um, the development of our mariachi and folklorico. programs in VAPA this year we're growing that out. and then just most recently, uh, we are rolling out a, new bike program for all of our kinder kids. So all of our kinder students are learning how to, uh, ride bikes. Um, that should be, rolled out by the end of the year this year and all schools will have that in full, uh, full, uh, no pun intended, but gear, next year. And then we also launched this year, um, and got planted all of our gardens in every school so students really understand the cultivation, the patience, to bring uh, things to life. And to, I guess both cherish and uh, reap the rewards uh, through the eating of what you grow. Um, And then the learning. The science behind it. nurturing behind it. The patience behind it. The responsibility behind it all plays out beyond the garden. The garden is a literal thing, but it's also metaphorically because it supports all those other aspects in life as we're developing our young people.

Nick Telford 33:40

yeah. Sounds like a lot of soft skills are, being honed by the students within Perris. where all those different diverse opportunities, out-outdoor activities, enrichment activities, uh, and then you've got your literacy, math, SEL. Really touching on a broad spectrum of, of, uh, all the, all the ways education should be for kids. Um, so thanks for bringing us through all of that. It's really impressive. and it's been a pleasure to, to see as I've known you for a number of years, uh, as a su- as a superintendent in Perris and just seeing even walking into the, into the lobby of the district and seeing the, the, I don't wanna say poster 'cause that's absolutely not what it is. But the, uh, the framed artwork, and photographs and the logos and the new way Perris, uh, School District is, put up on, on, on the wall, the color and the imagination, it all speaks volumes to what, what you're building there. So, thanks for bringing you through. La-last question, Bruce, is When-- as you look back, or as-- well, when your tenure is over, whenever that many, many years from now, what do you hope your district says about your leadership?

Bruce Bivins 34:44

well, I I hope they would say that, he cared, deeply about us and our kids and our community. And it showed in his actions. it showed in how he prioritized his time. It showed in how he prioritized, uh, relationships, um, first, and how, the kids ultimately were the winners and the families were the winners in the co-construction of the culture that we co-created, together. And that our community and our Schools are in a better place um, because we, we were part of that in a meaningful way. And, the, I helped set the conditions to allow that to occur.

Nick Telford 35:34

Beautiful. Thanks, thanks, Bruce. I think, uh, it's very clear that you care. Um,

Bruce Bivins 35:39

Thanks for

Nick Telford 35:40

uh, well, well, Bruce, thank you very much. Uh, thank you for your leadership that you're providing to Perris Elementary School District, uh, and, and all the, leadership that you've, you've, uh, engaged in throughout your career. I'm sure it's touched many people and, had huge rippling effects across the state, both in California and up north. And, uh, so thanks for being part of this today. I really enjoyed the conversation.

Bruce Bivins 36:05

enjoyed it as well.