LCSSP-Program Staff

Dr. Brian McDonald, Superintendent, provides executive oversight for LCSSP and liaises with the school board and community-at-large.

Elizabeth J. Blanco, Ed.D., Chief Academic Officer leads the instructional strategies for the District's students, implementing the District's instructional plan, and overseeing a variety of academic programs, including elementary and secondary instruction; special education; arts, gifted, and multilingual education; and curriculum, instruction and professional development.

Julianne Reynoso, Project Director, oversees the project and supervises program staff and the Local Evaluator. He/she also leads the LCSSP Advisory Council (AC). The Advisory Council comprises stakeholders, representatives at a policy-making level from the community partners, as well as parents, students, and members of the community. The AC meets monthly throughout the 3-year grant period.

Lara Choulakian, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), supervises the Mental Health Interns and the two (2) LCSWs hired under the LCSSP grant who provide therapeutic mental health counseling to at-risk students. Ms. Choulakian works closely with the University of Southern California to facilitate the 19 Mental Health Interns who are each assigned to PUSD school sites. Ms. Choulakian participates in all training sessions provided by the Treatment and Services Adaptation Center (CBITS, SSET, and Bounce Back) and fully supports the transformation of PUSD schools into trauma-informed schools.

Randall Johnson, Community Advocate: Attendance works to increase attendance rates for students who are either chronic truants or at-risk for chronic truancy. He works closely with students and their families to identify the needed support services and eliminates barriers to attendance. Communication with students and their families includes telephone calls, emails, and in-person meetings, including home visits.

Efron Montarosa, Community Advocate: Foster Youth works to expand the existing Foster Youth Program to all PUSD high schools. The program provides academic and social emotional support for foster students. He is responsible for the development of plans based on the specific needs of each student and facilitates enrollment, monitors attendance, transcripts analysis, and collaborates with school site staff.

Foster Youth Liaisons, existing teachers work as Teacher Advocates and Foster Youth Liaisons with foster students enrolled in PUSD. They provide support, mentoring and academic tutoring to meet students’ academic needs with the overarching goal being graduation from high school.

Maria Susana Arellano, Data Entry, Attendance supports the department and school sites in facilitating all paperwork and communication between PUSD and the student/families related to Attendance Issues, which include chronic attendance issues.