October 23, 2025

Dear Educator,

Time is one of the most valuable and limited resources in schools. Educators often feel there’s never enough of it to meet every need, explore every idea, or connect deeply with every learner.

Yet, as many schools are discovering, it’s not just the amount of time that matters, but how it’s used.

When leaders approach time with intentionality and creativity, rethinking rigid schedules and traditional structures, they open the door to deeper learning, stronger relationships, and more meaningful growth for both students and teachers.

For this week's Bright Spot, I want to highlight an innovative use of time at an elementary school in Vista Unified School District.

With Gratitude,

Reimagining Time at Casita Center

Casita Center, an elementary magnet school in Vista USD, exemplifies what it means to align mission, vision, and daily practice. As both an IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and STEM-focused school, Casita is committed to cultivating a community of compassionate, responsible, lifelong learners who respect differences and take action to create a more peaceful world (an aspiration deeply aligned with the district’s Portrait of a Learner).

Nationally recognized as a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School for Exemplary High Performance, Casita integrates inquiry, transdisciplinary learning, and STEM throughout the student experience. Principal Jenny Chien and her team have reimagined what is often known as “specials time”—traditionally a set of disconnected enrichment classes—into a series of intentionally designed, rigorous, and joyful lab experiences.

Photos from Casita Center's Communications Lab (left) and Sustainability Lab (right).

Students rotate through specialty spaces where they engage in hands-on, inquiry-based projects that connect creativity, science, culture, and global awareness. In the LILAC Lab, for example, students explore cultures from around the world, fostering empathy and global-mindedness. Across these experiences, Casita students are developing as thinkers, creators, and citizens ready to act locally and globally.

This time is not only critical for young learners. It also allows educator teams to meaningfully collaborate to deepen their individual skills and practice. Casita Center is a thriving learning community in all aspects!

Curious how time might be used differently in your school or district? At Learner-Centered Collaborative, we know how much time can feel like a limiting factor in what you can or can't do in your classroom, school, or district. We work with educators like you to make time your friend, not your enemy, to engage in meaningful learner-centered change. If you want to know how time might be reimagined in your learning community, connect with us here to see how we can help.

If you are an educator looking to embed Durable Skills and learner-centered strategies into your learning experiences, lessons, units, and projects, this tool is for you. Give it a whirl and let us know what you think! Download the app here.

Resources to advance your learner-centered practice

📖 How Assessment Philosophies Drive Calibration for Meaningful Change. "Calibration allows assessment to serve its most powerful purpose: communicating a trustworthy picture of what students know and can do and the next steps to support their growth." Learn more about calibration.

🎙️ Centering Humanity in the Age of AI (with Michelle Culver). "We often talk about the future as though it’s singular and predetermined. But if you put an ‘s’ at the end—futures—you realize we have all of these futures that we could create." Tune-in to our latest podcast episode!

🎥 How Districts Are Making Big Moves to Create Learner-Centered Systems. "Districts across the country are reimagining education through Big Moves: bold, systemic shifts that align policy, practice, and purpose to center learners. Join us for an engaging one-hour webinar as we explore how systems can embrace meaningful change grounded in agency and real-world learning." Register here.