Summer Learning Institute 2026

Fusion Charter School staff return to the PSC Summer Learning Institute in Morro Bay to share an evolved approach to Restorative Practice Talking Circles. Building on prior presentations, this interactive session introduces a new dimension through the use of Conversation Starter Cards developed by Dr. Nancy Dome of Epoch Education. Participants will engage directly in a Restorative Practice Talking Circle and use Compassionate Dialogue cards to explore statements rooted in generalizations and stereotypes about different groups. Some prompts may feel uncomfortable, and that discomfort is part of the work. When educators are willing to surface difficult statements in a structured and respectful environment, they create the opportunity to reflect, respond, and grow.
Grounded in the RIR Protocol, participants will practice the three steps of the Compassionate Dialogue framework: Recognize it, Interrupt it, and Repair it. This experiential session invites educators to engage authentically, deepen understanding, and expand empathy through courageous conversation. Rather than seeking performative agreement, the session is designed to strengthen participants’ capacity to navigate challenging dialogue in ways that build compassion, trust, and collaboration within schools and communities.

This presentation offers a practical blueprint for operationalizing a truly unified MTSS by intentionally aligning a school’s organizational architecture with its strong, positive cultural features. We will share a case study demonstrating how our comprehensive 6-8  setting achieved system coherence, moving MTSS from a set of separate initiatives to an integrated framework centered on fostering belonging and inclusion for every student. The session will detail our specific approach, which starts with inventorying existing assets and strategically mapping them across the three MTSS domains. Key organizational features discussed include leveraging the Professional Learning Community (PLC) structure for academic intervention like “Grizzly Power Hour,” utilizing specialized support teams (COST/SST), and integrating data systems (SWIS/DESSA) to drive decisions. We will specifically highlight how behavioral systems, such as PBIS and Restorative Justice, are reinforced by a strong cultural foundation built on positive recognition systems like "GRRR Passes" and "Grizzly Celebration." Crucially, we will showcase how dedicated cultural elements like "SEL Wednesdays" and the use of the "Grizzly Zen Den" ensure social-emotional health is systematically embedded into Tier 1. Attendees will receive concrete, actionable strategies for transforming existing meetings and celebrations into powerful drivers of MTSS. This session will provide leaders and practitioners with a roadmap to inventory their own structures and assets, build cultural buy-in, and successfully unify their multi-tiered supports, resulting in improved academic outcomes and a stronger sense of student belonging.

This session, led by Dr. David Diehl, Director of Student and Community Services at Selma Unified School District, delves into the complexities of drug abuse in schools. Drawing from Dr. Diehl's extensive background in both law enforcement and education, participants will gain insights into various categories of drugs, understand the signs and symptoms of drug use, and explore practical intervention strategies. The session will focus on building a tiered approach to prevention and treatment, highlighting the importance of ongoing education for students, staff, and families. Attendees will leave with resources and tools to foster a safer and more informed school environment.

Dr. David Diehl is the CWA Program Administrator for the Sanger Unified School District. Before entering education, he spent 24 years in law enforcement, retiring as a police sergeant. His Doctoral research was inspired by the 21 students he lost to gang-related homicides while a teacher in a detention facility in Central California. He has worked extensively with system-involved youth in court, community day schools, and other alternative educational settings. He is a proponent of data-informed interventions before the 6th grade and provides educators with increased awareness of the lives of street-socialized students from marginalized communities. He believes this approach can improve student engagement, increase resilience, and impede future incarceration.  

Over the past two years, Sem Yeto High School (SY) has experienced a remarkable increase in its graduation rate, rising from 63% to 82%. As of February 2026, projections indicate that this rate will exceed 90% for the current school year. Significantly, SY has also been removed from Comprehensive School Support and Improvement (CSI) status for the first time in recent memory. Additionally, the school has been recommended as a model for California continuation schools and will be recognized at the upcoming California Continuation School Conference in May. During the accreditation visit by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in January 2026, the WASC chair remarked, “In my 20 years of conducting WASC visits across over 100 schools, I have never witnessed a school achieve such significant progress in improving student learning in just two years.” What’s the secret behind this success? Join us to connect with the Principal and leadership team from Sem Yeto High School in Fairfield, CA, as we explore the critical mindset shifts necessary for implementing a Personalized Competency-Based Education (PCBE) model in an alternative school setting.  In this presentation, we will take a deep dive into the steps taken, the challenges faced, and the mindset changes that facilitated this transformation. Attendees will learn how an alternative program can serve as a laboratory of innovation, providing valuable insights for other schools in the district as they embark on their own journeys toward adopting the PCBE model.

The current education system wasn’t built to hold our full humanity—so it keeps misreading trauma as trouble, survival as defiance, and brilliance as disobedience. In this transformational session, Dr. Felipe Mercado—professor, consultant, author, social worker and former principal—shares how the Wise Compassionate Framework is helping schools reimagine what it means to truly serve.
Blending clinical depth, real-life stories, and systems strategy, this session goes beyond theory to reveal what happens when schools continue business-as-usual—and what becomes possible when we lead with wisdom and compassion. Participants will:

• Reflect on a real-life story that reveals the life-or-death stakes of how we respond to student behavior
• Unpack why misbehavior is often misunderstood trauma—and how that misunderstanding drives disconnection and burnout
• Learn the core pillars of the Wise Compassionate Framework and how it transforms culture, climate, and adult capacity
• Leave with practical tools that restore safety, connection, and meaning in classrooms, schools, and systems

This isn’t just another training or traditional PD—it’s a revolution of care. For adults. For students. For the systems we’ve inherited and the futures we’re building. It’s time to stop repainting the walls—and rebuild the whole damn house, foundation first.