True, lasting educational reform does not happen overnight. It is built year by year, system by system, by educators dedicated to the steady work of continuous improvement. Over the past six years, educators at Diamond View Middle School have engaged in exactly this kind of meaningful transformation through their participation in the NorCal Educational Leadership Consortium. What began as a localized effort to address immediate campus challenges has evolved into a sustained, county-wide movement focused on building robust systems, cultivating homegrown leaders and directly improving outcomes for local students.
“The work taking place in Lassen County demonstrates the value of sustained professional learning opportunities that allow educators to address local challenges, build leadership from within, and create systems that better serve students, staff, and families,” said Diamond View School Principal Dede Heimbigner, who has been central to the initiative since its inception. “For rural communities, partnerships such as NorCal ELC provide critical access to coaching, networking opportunities, and leadership development experiences that might otherwise be difficult to obtain.”
A Half-Decade of Evolving Focus
Diamond View Middle School established its Site Leadership Team in 2020. Over its six-year tenure, the team has systematically tackled a series of evolving problems of practice that mirrored the shifting needs of the Susanville school community.
The team’s initial focus targeted significant staff turnover by developing systems to better support new teachers. Partnering with NorCal ELC, the Diamond View staff strengthened its Professional Learning Communities, shifting meetings away from basic logistics and toward collaborative, student-centered strategy sessions. This foundational groundwork improved vertical alignment and ultimately led to the creation of WIN (What I Need) time, which provides students with targeted intervention and enrichment.
As the framework matured, the school’s focus naturally shifted toward strengthening Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. Staff integrated restorative discipline practices, embedded social-emotional learning into the daily school culture, and launched a schoolwide House System designed to foster student engagement through equitable positive reinforcement.
During the 2025–2026 school year, the leadership team sharpened its focus on academics, increasing teachers’ use of MAP Growth data in mathematics and English Language Arts to precisely tailor classroom instruction and enrichment for every student.
Cultivating Leaders from Within
The partnership with NorCal ELC has not only transformed school structures but has also served as a powerful engine for local leadership development. Principal Heimbigner has stepped into regional leadership, serving on the NorCal ELC Advisory Board, participating in the Principal Network, and working as a Team Lead Coach to support educators across Northern California.
The impact on local faculty has been equally profound. Teacher leader DJ Jenner assumed leadership of the Diamond View site team for the 2025–2026 school year, spearheading the current MAP Growth data initiatives. Meanwhile, Tara Nielsen branched off to head a district-level team dedicated to scaling and strengthening MTSS frameworks across the entire Susanville School District, and Salome Shaw joined the leadership academy’s teacher leader cohort. Spurred by their collaborative work with NorCal ELC, both Nielsen and Shaw have since gone on to pursue their administrative credentials.
A Growing Footprint in Lassen County
The culture of continuous improvement is expanding far beyond the Susanville School District. Recognizing the success at the middle school level, teachers from Lassen High School formally joined NorCal ELC during the 2025–2026 school year, launching a dedicated team focused entirely on improving high school literacy rates. This expansion reflects a growing commitment among Lassen County educators to engage in collaborative inquiry and data-informed decision-making.
Ultimately, NorCal ELC’s primary purpose is to provide the learning opportunities, guidance, and support educators need to lead effectively, ensuring North State schools become the absolute best environments for their communities.
The structure is built to last, and all schools across Lassen County are welcome to participate. Educators interested in joining NorCal ELC individually or establishing a new campus team are encouraged to visit the NorCal ELC Program Offerings website or contact Dede Heimbigner for more information.
