378: Leading with Purpose—Reforming Locally Within an Antiquated National Public School System
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Guest
Dr. Constantino “Costa” Aguilar is a distinguished educational leader with over 29 years of transformative service in public education. Throughout his dynamic career, Dr. Aguilar has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to student success and organizational excellence, serving in a wide range of leadership roles, including Spanish Teacher, Head Baseball Coach, Associate Principal, Principal, Executive Director of Technology and Innovation, and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in the Merced Union High School District. He currently serves as the Superintendent of Riverbank Unified School District, where he continues to lead with strategic vision, innovation, and a relentless focus on equity and achievement for all students.
Dr. Aguilar’s exceptional leadership has been recognized at the state level. He is a proud recipient of the prestigious “Honoring Our Own” award from the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) and has been named Mentoring Minds California Administrator of the Year. His accolades also include ACSA Region 9 Principal of the Year, Career Technical Education (CTE) Administrator of the Year, and District Principal and Co-Administrator of the Year—testaments to his ability to inspire teams, elevate learning environments, and drive sustainable change.
Summary
Dr. Constantino “Costa” Aguilar is a superintendent in his third year at Riverbank Unified School District. Costa shares his journey from being a Spanish teacher to becoming a superintendent and discusses his vision for educational reform. He highlights the importance of social-emotional learning and dual enrollment programs—high school and college—and emphasizes the need to teach students how to be productive members of society. Costa outlines the challenges facing education today, including social disengagement, mental health issues, and the integration of artificial intelligence. He also stresses the need for community engagement, parent involvement, and a shift away from antiquated, adult-centric school systems.
Key Takeaways
Educational Purpose and Reform: According to Costa, the current national K12 school system is "incredibly antiquated" and no longer serves students' needs. He believes the purpose of schooling should be to provide every student with the opportunity to pursue their dreams, regardless of what they are. Costa advocates for changes like different scheduling and focusing on mastery learning over traditional grading.
The Role of Community and Social-Emotional Learning: Costa emphasizes the importance of unifying the community and building trust between parents and the school system. He believes social-emotional learning (SEL) is a foundational and essential component of education, helping students develop emotional intelligence and learn how to be productive social members of society.
Challenges of Modern Education: The biggest challenges Costa faces include how to use artificial intelligence, improving literacy skills, and student mental health.
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About Jeff
Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Show Credits
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