138. Creating Emotional Safety in the Classroom with Michael Funk

The design of education has recently become a political conversation, while many students are still feeling left behind and in search of safe spaces in their classroom. In this week’s episode, we are joined by Michael Funk, Director of the Expanded Learning Division for the California Department of Education. In collaboration with a highly diverse group of educators and practitioners, Mr. Funk developed a strategic plan known as “A Vision for Expanded Learning”. Find out how this plan focuses on four initiatives to support the direct needs of students seeking quality programming from educators who truly seek to build a relationship with their students, while also encouraging them to seek careers in fields such as Education and Social Work. ⁠ Mr. Funk oversees over $800 million in state and federal grants supporting over 4,500 afterschool programs, serving over 900,000 children and teens statewide. He also leads the newly created $4 billion Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, which funds every local educational agency in California. Under his leadership and vision, a statewide system of support, comprised of members of the CDE, County Offices of Education, and statewide contracted technical assistance providers, was borne and continues to thrive and evolve through a partnership with the Center for Systems Awareness, and the introduction of the Compassionate Systems Framework. Prior to his role at CDE, Michael founded the Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center in San Francisco in 1996. Mr. Funk was invited to Washington DC to brief the entire US Senate education staff on the SNBC community schools model. Mr. Funk has long-championed Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in the state of California, touting the need for transformational versus transactional leadership, and living by the mantra: Learn – Lead – Love. To learn more about Mr. Funk and his work, visit the CA Expanded Learning Division at CDE.ca.gov/ls/ex. “In short, what is social emotional learning in its most distilled form? Love.” – Michael Funk – from the forward to Amy Cranston’s book, Creating Social and Emotional Learning Environments

The Back to Me Podcast · Michael Funk, Yoli Tamu