The NCUST Review: What Great Schools Do

Episode 13: Tavga Bustani

Tavga Bustani has championed equity and excellence throughout her 25-year career as a teacher, transformational principal, and central office executive in the San Diego Unified School District. As a former principal, Ms. Bustani worked with instructional leadership teams to create rigorous academic learning experiences for all students and improve instruction to help children meet high expectations successfully. Under her leadership, Edison Elementary’s academic performance improved dramatically, meeting the National Center for Urban School Transformation’s criteria for the America’s Best Urban Schools Award. As the Chief of Leadership and Learning, Ms. Bustani oversees all of the district’s academic programs and all professional development opportunities. In this role, Ms. Bustani leads with a clear vision, expectations, and an insistence that schools and instructional programs be designed with students at the center. She set the vision for various initiatives and leads her team in the design of systems and structures that build the capacity of school leaders to significantly improve teaching, foster learning, and promote a transformative school culture. Many of the initiatives she has led have been recognized by Linda Darling Hammond in a study in partnership with UCLA titled  Positive Outlier District: Districts Beating the Odds. Ms. Bustani is a highly qualified instructional leader who leads with urgency, strategic thinking, and a clear vision for continuous improvement.  More importantly, she has an uncompromising love for all children and a relentless commitment to serving the most vulnerable learners.

Episode 12: Dr. Karen Janney

Karen Janney, Ed.D. is a former superintendent, assistant superintendent, area superintendent, California Principal of the Year, assistant principal, and teacher. Dr. Janney has participated in and led many study visits to high-performing schools. As well, she has led several successful A-PLUS Networks. Additionally, Dr. Janney has provided important support to the development of NCUST’s Leadership Certificate Program and Educational Equity and Excellence Audits. Dr. Janney is able to combine her experience as a California Principal of the Year, along with her deep knowledge of the high-performing schools NCUST has awarded in ways that are helping support school and district leaders as they advance equity and excellence.

Episode 11: Granger Ward

Granger Ward began his educational career as a middle school and high school science teacher and eventually served as a high school principal for seven years in Syracuse, NY. He was formerly superintendent of the Manhattan High Schools in the City of New York and the Grossmont Union High School District in San Diego. Over the past decade, Mr. Ward has served as the California State Director and then Executive Vice President for the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Center, a national and international educational nonprofit supporting the implementation and growth of the AVID College Readiness System impacting students at almost 5,000 schools in their quest to be college and career ready. He attended public schools in New York City and received his B.S. from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, in Syracuse. His M.S. degree is from Syracuse University and his Administrative Credential from SUNY at Oswego.

Episode 10: Dr. Angela L. Bass

Angela L. Bass, Ed.D. has served as the Executive Director for Program Implementation for the Western Region of New Leaders, a non-profit committed to advancing educational equity and excellence. Previously, she served as a vice president of another non-profit educational entity, a school district superintendent, assistant superintendent, area superintendent, principal, vice-principal, and teacher. With a deep commitment to equity, she has helped prepare and support leaders through her work with universities and county offices of education. As an Executive Coach, Dr. Bass brings to NCUST a strong history of supporting district and school leaders in ways that advance equity.

Episode 9: Cara Riggs

Cara Riggs is an Omaha Public Schools transplant to San Diego California, after spending her whole personal and professional life there. A 30-year career in the Omaha Public Schools allowed Cara a great range of experience as a committed public school educator.  She has experience as a high school English teacher and then enjoyed 8 years as their AP and Athletic Director. Following a 9 year role as principal of Beveridge Magnet Middle School, Cara’s last 6 years in OPS were spent as the principal of Omaha South High Magnet School where she and her team transformed it into a school of hope, great academic and graduation rate improvement, huge enrollment increases and a college-going institution with the highest freshman enrollment at the U-NE- Omaha. She is the author of HOPE in the Urban Schools: Love Stories. Today, Cara proudly works as an Executive Coach for the National Center of Urban School Transformation.  Her work with NCUST allows her to team with schools and leaders around the country as they focus on transforming their own schools into places where ALL kids are receiving equitable and excellent outcomes.