Episode 416

full
Published on:

10th Jul 2025

Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork in a California Middle School That Can't Stop Winning

Summary: Join C.T. and the team from Harvest Park Middle School in Pleasanton, California, as they explore the transformative journey that made Harvest Park a statewide model for inclusive education and student wellness. This insightful conversation delves into how Principal Russell Campisi, along with his dedicated team of administrators, counselors, and special education staff, led the school to win the prestigious CSBA Golden Bell Award for their innovative inclusion programming.

Key Takeaways:

  • Shift to Inclusion: Harvest Park transformed from separating students with IEPs in self-contained classes to including them in general education settings, dramatically increasing access to electives and college-prep coursework.
  • Least Restrictive Environment: The school committed to the principle of educating students with disabilities alongside their peers whenever possible, raising the percentage of time students with IEPs spend in general education from 66% to nearly 80%.
  • Master Schedule Overhaul: The team spent months redesigning the master schedule to ensure students with IEPs could access both their required services and the full range of general education classes, while balancing class sizes and teacher workloads.
  • Team Effort: Success required close, ongoing collaboration between administrators, counselors, and special education staff, with regular dialogue and hand-scheduling to avoid clustering and ensure even distribution of students with IEPs.
  • Holistic Approach: Harvest Park focuses on the whole child, supporting both academic and emotional needs through a remodeled wellness center that offers therapy groups, restorative circles, and animal-assisted interventions.
  • PBIS & MTSS Integration: The school rebuilt its Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework post-COVID, connecting it to a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) to address the needs of all students and foster a sense of belonging.


Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:11 Harvest Park's Journey to Inclusion

01:57 Meet the Team Behind the Transformation

03:21 Challenges and Adjustments in Scheduling

12:39 Implementing the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

20:05 Designing an Inclusive Wellness Center

25:08 Finding the Vision and Setting Goals

25:18 Practical Implementation and Community Partnerships

25:31 Utilizing Data and Student Feedback

27:12 Engaging Students with Interactive Tools

29:38 Reorganizing Case Manager Responsibilities

33:29 Collaborative Culture and Teacher Support

38:40 Positive Student Outcomes and Systemic Changes

40:53 Essential Elements for Success


Connect with CT: linkedin.com/in/cheetung



Whether you're currently wearing the principal badge, aspiring to the big chair, or teaching while secretly taking notes on what you'd do differently, Principal Office Hours delivers actionable strategies you can implement faster than a student being sent to detention.


Subscribe now and join the faculty lounge conversation that's too real for the school board meeting. New episodes drop every week.


Warning: May cause spontaneous leadership growth and occasional inappropriate laughter during staff meetings.

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About the Podcast

Principal Office Hours
Real principals. Real talk. No hall passes required.
Finally—a podcast that proves school principals have personalities (and killer insights, too). Every week, join us for candid conversations with K-12 principals who are navigating the beautiful chaos of educational leadership without losing their minds or sense of humor.

Each 40-minute episode features real principals sharing what actually works in school leadership—from handling helicopter parents and budget nightmares to building school culture that doesn't make everyone roll their eyes. Consider this your professional development that doesn't feel like professional development.

Our guests aren't afraid to share their epic fails alongside their victories. They'll tell you about the initiative that spectacularly bombed during assembly, right before revealing how they turned their school's reading scores around. It's educational leadership with the BS filter turned off.

Whether you're currently wearing the principal badge, aspiring to the big chair, or teaching while secretly taking notes on what you'd do differently, Principal Office Hours delivers actionable strategies you can implement faster than a student being sent to detention.

Subscribe now and join the faculty lounge conversation that's too real for the school board meeting. New episodes drop every week. Warning: May cause spontaneous leadership growth and occasional inappropriate laughter during staff meetings.

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CheeTung Leong