For some students in the eastern Coachella Valley, the first day of school may not arrive until October or November—when they arrive back in the desert area with their families after working during the busy summertime harvest season in other parts of California and Arizona. Migrant education students may represent only 0.7% of all students in Riverside County. But, in the Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD), they represent almost 10% of all enrollments as of the 2022-2023 school year. 

Re-connecting students and families who may be relocating as the seasons turn, not when the traditional school year begins, is only one of the many ways that migrant education teachers are making a difference within the schools of CVUSD.  

In this episode of LCAP Live!, the spotlight shines on specific needs and supports provided by the positions of migrant education teachers to current and former students in CVUSD. Although not considered counselors, nor traditional in-classroom teachers, the migrant education teachers provide a wide variety of additional support structures that include: college and career readiness, tutoring, speech competitions, parent engagement, supporting the Migrant Leaders student clubs on campus, coordinating educational field trips, and more. 

Students, former students, staff, and parents, are highlighted in the episode that demonstrates how CVUSD, with the largest population of migrant students in Riverside County, allocates staff and resources to meet the specific needs of their community through their Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP).  

Each year, the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) supports all 23 districts in the county through the development and review of their LCAP plans. After reading through thousands of pages of plans, programs, and outcomes, the RCOE Assessment, Accountability, and Continuous Improvement (AACI) Unit within RCOE’s Educational Services Division wanted to find a way to “lift” great ideas off the pages of the LCAP, and spotlight exemplary programs that other districts could consider for their next LCAP plan. The LCAP Live! video series was developed to showcase equity in action through LCAP activities that are making a difference within Riverside County districts. Previous episodes featured the Dell Student Tech Crew at Jurupa USD, and foster youth programs at Lake Elsinore USD.