Daily Huddles, Student Voice, and Engagement: How Hemet Unified School District is Driving Student and Staff Success

Executing for Impact

Hemet Unified School District, led by Superintendent Dr. Christi Barrett, serves 22,000 students across 28 schools in Riverside County, California. With a focus on hardwiring excellence, the district has made significant strides in student behavior, attendance, and employee engagement. Their journey reflects a strong commitment to improvement, leadership, and accountability.

Three Celebrations: Progress Rooted in Data

Improving Student Behavior Through Daily Huddles
Hemet has seen a reduction in suspensions and expulsions thanks to a daily huddle system that keeps leadership engaged in real-time problem-solving. “Every morning at 7:45, our principals, assistant principals, cabinet members, and directors log in to review incidents from the previous day,” says Dr. Barrett. “If we don’t solve key issues, we are likely to see an increase in student behavior or safety incidents that day.” This daily commitment fosters leadership development and ensures students receive the support they need.

Double-Digit Gains in Attendance
Among all school districts in Riverside County, the district stands alone in achieving double-digit attendance improvements. The district credits this success to the two-by-ten strategy, home visits, and the Connection Counts initiative, spearheaded by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Mary Wendland. “Every manager in our system has signed up to mentor a student,” Dr. Barrett explains, reinforcing the district’s culture of personal connection and accountability.

By hardwiring rounding conversations and conducting employee experience surveys, Hemet has created a culture where feedback drives improvement. The district saw significant growth in its latest survey results, a testament to its commitment to listening and responding to employees. “We attribute that to the work we’ve done connecting with employees,” says Dr. Barrett. “We’re not just gathering data—we’re using it to lead.”

Two Key Strategies: Hardwiring Excellence

Daily Huddles: A System That Transforms Leadership
The daily huddle system has become a cornerstone of Hemet’s leadership approach. “Not only have we seen improvement in our results, but it’s also flattened our system—principals and assistant principals now have direct access to cabinet leaders and the superintendent every day,” Dr. Barrett shares. These huddles provide real-time coaching, leadership development, and a space for proactive problem-solving.

Leading Classroom Improvement: Engaging Students in Their Own Learning
Another game-changing initiative is the district’s Leading Classroom Improvement strategy, which empowers students to engage in continuous improvement cycles. “When you have TK students doing PDSA cycles, tell me why an adult can’t,” Dr. Barrett says. By involving students in shaping their learning experiences, Hemet is fostering a culture of innovation and accountability at every level.

One Next Action: Moving from Luck to Leading

Hemet’s next step is to deepen its use of employee experience survey data to drive meaningful change. “It’s great that we improved, but we want to make sure we didn’t just get lucky,” Dr. Barrett states. The focus now is on ensuring leaders use the data intentionally to engage their teams in problem-solving and solution-building. “We must be good stewards of our learning and continue iterating to get better,” she affirms.

With a strong foundation in leadership, accountability, and continuous improvement, Hemet Unified School District is proving that good begets good—and they are just getting started.

Building Leadership Capacity Through Daily Huddles

Listen as Dr. Christi Barrett shares how daily huddles have reshaped her district’s approach to student behavior, improved outcomes, and strengthened leadership capacity.