YCP at Work – Meet Dr. Raul Maldonado Superintendent, Palmdale School District
Dr. Raul Maldonado discovered his talent and passion for helping people early on. His inquisitive nature guided him to make choices that kept leading him on the path toward his passion—the decision to further his education, always asking questions, and taking the opportunity to support others, first as a coach and then as a teacher. After serving as a superintendent in Kern County, his experiences on this path brought him back to Southern California as superintendent in Palmdale, an area he knows well. Having lived in Palmdale for over twenty years, Maldonado raised his family in these schools and is part of the community. He only sees potential and progress for the schools in his district, and The Palmdale Promise is how he is setting up students for success.
The Palmdale Promise is the district’s strategic plan created to prepare all of its students for high school and beyond by Pursuing Remarkable Opportunities to Marshal Innovation, Inspiration, and Imagination for Success and Engagement. The plan brings the community together, and everyone benefits from its growth. “We want all students to succeed.” Maldonado firmly believes Palmdale is a good community—the people are committed and actively involved, the public school system is great, and families are rooted here. He points out that many of the district’s employees grew up here, raised their families here, and still live in the area. Palmdale is a unique community, as most heads of households are up very early to commute to Los Angeles and return home very late. The Palmdale Promise ensures students are engaged and cared for; communicating this to families allows parents to feel their students are safe. Part of the promise is that parents and families are responsible for ensuring students show up to school prepared to participate and are fully supported at home. Maldonado says the biggest challenge is making sure the students are at school. “The magic happens in our classrooms!” YCP has proven to be a motivating factor in student engagement.
Dr. Maldonado is a huge fan of YCP. He initially heard about the program at meetings. As he did more research, he learned of the involvement of Edward James Olmos, one of Maldonado’s early role models. The YCP mentors and their hands-on support convinced him to bring the program into the district. “Mentors are effective and important,” he says. YCP influences his students in every aspect of school and life. He sees students struggling to learn English suddenly flourish as writers. Shy students come to life as actors, naturally expressing themselves in ways he has never seen before.
Maldonado shares a favorite moment he witnessed: The district held its own red carpet premiere for movies made by its first YCP group from Desert Willow Middle School. The district cleaned up the Sage Planetarium, decorated, and prepared the venue for the students’ arrival. He watched as students showed up in limousines. Their behavior and demeanor changed in that brief moment of exiting the limos onto the red carpet. Everyone savored the rare moments of celebration, confidence, and pride coming together. The special memory of middle school students celebrating and being celebrated is one he won’t soon forget.
Participation in YCP has grown in popularity. It has the longest waiting list of all district programs. Parents want their children to be on paths to career success. While Hollywood itself is relatively close in proximity to Palmdale, “Hollywood” as an industry seems so far away. YCP shows its participants that a career in film is attainable and possible. Exposure to all aspects of filmmaking, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes, opens pathways to opportunities some did not know existed. The face of the school district is 75% Latino, and Dos Caminos is the dual immersion school where filming is done in Spanish, making Palmdale the only district to do so. Maldonado recalls watching television with his abuela, enjoying Spanish-speaking shows. He believes YCP is the program to foster more Spanish content and provide greater access to this avenue. Maldonado wants the community to see its own kids involved in programming. “We have enough talented students that can do it!”
The most important benefit to YCP students, Maldonado believes, is the storytelling. They are inspired to share, discovering a hidden talent or passion, and learning what their ‘why’ is—their mission and purpose. The participants are creating and sharing stories that are meaningful on a personal level. The students show minimal hesitation or fear in crafting such stories and then showing them to others. Sharing their lived experiences is crucial to their development. Whether the stories are good, bad, funny, or sad, these are the tales that are entwined in their heads and hearts. Through time spent in YCP, students have a chance to add their own stories, knowing these will be told and passed down through their families for generations.