ADU Gurus

Superintendent's Corner

Matt Doyle, Ed.D.

Creating a Vision for the Future

Vista Unified has a long history of leading the way in education across our county, region, and nation. We have teachers, schools, and district programs that continue to be held up as models for the world to emulate. Even though we have experienced challenges with the impacts of the pandemic, our resolve to continue to be a leader in education remains strong. The Chinese word for “crisis” ” ( 危机 ) " also includes the meaning of the English word for “opportunity.” Another way to think about it is that where there is danger, this is also opportunity. While we would all agree that the pandemic definitely qualifies as a crisis, it can also serve as an opportunity to reflect critically on our system and to engage in thoughtful discussions about how we may leverage this crisis to transform our organization in order to meet the challenges of a new reality here in Vista and in the world. The pandemic has served as a great disruptor of traditional systems not just in education but in every sector of the economy. This is our opportunity to be one of the first school districts to recognize these new realities and commit to shifting our systems to better align to what students and families need to navigate a very new living and learning environment. Our strategic planning process is challenging old assumptions of what the portrait of a graduate should be for the future. We are discussing how to create an adult portrait that sets the expectations for what adults need to know and be able to do to support students as they prepare for a very different world of work. We also need to be willing to redefine the systems within our organization so that our environments promote a future-forward mindset that is equity-focused and learner-centered. We want to create on-ramps and off-ramps to all sorts of learning experiences for students because we all know that every student (and every adult for that matter) has different strengths, interests, and aspirations. What does that look like you may ask? Well, alone we cannot say, but as a community we can reimagine, redesign, and recharge our learning environments. That is our calling now. We cannot individually volunteer for this charge. Embracing change in education is not a choice, just as entering the new, more dynamic, complex, ever changing and evolving world of work is not a choice for our students. They do not have the luxury of staying on the sidelines of life. Every member of our district team, educators and support staff, is compelled to become an active agent in the change movement to position Vista Unified as the model of educational excellence and innovation.

Here are a few elements of this transformation. First, our organization adopts a learner-centered mindset where teachers and support staff shift their role to step alongside students as co-creators of learning. Researcher John Hattie would call this new role an ‘activator of learning’ rather than a purveyor of knowledge. Second, we redesign our learning environment through the lens of equity, placing equal emphasis on well-being (social/emotional, mental health, behavioral) and academic achievement. Researcher Michael Fullan calls this ‘new more powerful forms of learning’ that include an authentic sense of belonging, meaning, alignment to global competencies, deeply integrating equity into the learning environment, and integrating new breakthroughs in the science of learning including whole-child learning, leveraging real-world partnerships, adopting new learning environments, and tapping into the new forms of digital learning. Third, we reimagine the way students demonstrate learning, adopting a performance framework model that places emphasis on what students produce. Researcher Dylan Wiliam has advocated for years that the power of assessment lies in its formative impact on learning. Authentic assessment should inspire students to continue to grow and improve; much like someone learning to play a sport, learning a musical instrument, building an electronic device, or developing software. You are never done. You are constantly improving. Even the university system is moving away from high stakes assessments for college entrance and towards a holistic model that outlines the multiple strengths and accomplishments of the applicant. Rest assured that Vista Unified will continue to innovate and improve learning environments to meet the needs of all students as they prepare to make positive contributions to our community. Please follow our strategic planning progress for creating a vision for the future on our website: www. vistausd.org Dr. Matt Doyle Superintendent of Schools Vista Unified School District

Is an ADU in Your Future?

ADUGUrUs cAn GUiDe the wAy By Julie Smith Taylor

growing number of Californians are building ADUs, the acronym for an Accessory Dwelling Unit. ADU was coined by the state in 2017 to cover everything from granny flats, casitas, in-law suites and backyard studios. ADU types include detached (from the primary residence), attached (built onto the primary residence) or it can be a garage conversion. By easing regulations and lowering fees to encourage ADU construction, the state hopes to increase rental housing availability. However, most people build ADUs to create space for adult children returning home, aging parents or adding a place to work from home.

Property owners typically want to know, “What can I build?” That’s where Lisa De Jesus, the president/owner of ADU Gurus (www.adugurus.com) comes in. Lisa established her consulting firm in 2019 after spending three years building her own ADU in Vista on property she bought with her daughter and family. The lot was large enough to accommodate the main house and a 750 sf. two-bedroom ADU for Lisa. “I learned so much in the process that I wanted to help others,” she says. Lisa now uses her ADU as a model home for her clients. She provides architectural design and structural engineering and consulting. Lisa’s initial visit to a property focuses on feasibility and answers that question about what you can build. She’ll even help you find a good contractor. “There are so many state mandates and local government rules that you need to know,” Lisa explains. “Architectural and structural design can be complex as can be the permitting process. It’s these processes that ADU Gurus understands best.”

To help make sense of it all, Lisa spends part of her time educating others interested in learning more about the ADU movement. Her latest presentation, “Understanding ADU Feasibility and New Laws” has been shared with several national organizations as well as mortgage companies, real estate brokerages and most recently, at the Tiny Fest event in Del Mar. Lisa has seen a dramatic increase in ADU Gurus growth since the Covid pandemic has waned. “I have been exponentially busier in the last nine months,” she says. Lisa De Jesus