Season 4, Episode 4 | Superintendents Pat Keeley and Andrea Sissons Discuss Infrastructure and Water Issues For Small Districts

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 4 of "Future Pathways: Superintendents Unplugged."

Sponsored by a champion of schools, school leaders, teachers and employees - SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union - we have an excellent episode featuring discussions with Superintendents Dr. Patrick Keeley (Mountain Empire High School District) and Andrea Sissons (Warner Unified).

Backgrounds of Dr. Patrick Keeley and Andrea Sissons

• Dr. Patrick Keeley shares his journey into education, starting as a history teacher and eventually becoming a school administrator.
• Patrick discusses his unique experience of returning to his alma mater, Mountain Empire High School, as the principal and later the superintendent.
• Andrea Sissons talks about her career path, initially wanting to be a lawyer but eventually finding a passion for human resources and education.
• Andrea describes her transition from working in business management to becoming a business manager for a charter school and eventually taking on her current role at Warner Unified School District.

Challenges of Rural School Districts: Water Issues

• Dr. Patrick Keeley discusses the challenges of providing clean drinking water in rural districts, emphasizing the importance of water as a basic need.
• Patrick explains the issues with well water in his district, including high nitrates and uranium levels, and the ongoing efforts to address these problems.
• Andrea Sissons shares her experience with arsenic in the water at Warner Unified School District and the difficulties of dealing with old and failing wells.
• Both Patrick and Andrea highlight the financial burden and the impact on their ability to allocate resources for other educational needs.

Systemic Inequities and Bureaucratic Challenges

• Dr. Patrick Keeley elaborates on the systemic inequities faced by rural schools, particularly in terms of water infrastructure and funding.
• Patrick discusses the bureaucratic hurdles involved in addressing water issues, including multiple state agencies and the lack of funding.
• Andrea Sissons adds her perspective, mentioning the arbitrary and lengthy processes involved in getting a new well dug.
• Both speakers emphasize the need for a political solution to streamline the process and provide funding for immediate and ongoing water needs in rural schools.

Call to Action and Future Steps

• Dr. Patrick Keeley and Andrea Sissons call for increased awareness and action from lawmakers and state agencies to address the water issues in rural schools.
• Patrick mentions his efforts to collaborate with other small school districts and the Small School Districts Association to raise awareness.
• Andrea highlights the importance of showing the human impact of these issues, including the health and well-being of students.
• Drew Schlosberg encourages listeners to contact the Superintendents and support their efforts to bring attention to this critical issue.

Conclusion and Personal Passions

• Drew Schlosberg wraps up the episode by expressing gratitude to the guests and highlighting the importance of the discussion.
• Patrick Keeley shares his passion for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, mentioning his annual attendance since 2010.
• Andrea Sissons talks about her current passion for raising her children and ensuring their success.
• The episode concludes with a reminder of the collaboration between Cloudcast Media, the Classroom of the Future Foundation, the Center for Educational Innovation, and Schools First Federal Credit Union.

Thank you for unplugging and listening to Future Pathways: Superintendents Unplugged. Be sure to subscribe to the show and share with your colleagues!

The Presenting Sponsor for Season 4 of Future Pathways: Superintendents Unplugged is Schools First Federal Credit Union, the largest credit union in California serving school employees and their families since 1934. Please learn more about Schools First Federal Credit Union by visiting https://www.schoolsfirstfcu.org/