Maria Osborn has been an Attendance Intervention Project Specialist in Escondido Union School District (a K-8 district) for 12 years. In her district leadership role, she has had the opportunity to develop and oversee the district’s attendance intervention program, Together Interconnected Maximizing Education (TIME) Program, which includes a district attendance intervention support team, the District Pupil Re-engagement Team. Maria and her team work with the 24 schools across the district, to support students’ connection to school and to support school re-engagement teams’ in the development of their site trauma-informed, relationship and restorative-focused, tiered, attendance intervention practices. Under Maria’s leadership, the district and its collaborative agency partners have been recognized as a Model School Attendance Review Board (SARB) program by the California Department of Education’s State School Attendance Review Board) Board.

Maria’s 12 years of experience as a Project Specialist and Child Welfare and Attendance Supervisor and her 21 years of experience as a school social worker, have strengthened her passion for working in collaboration with students, families, school staff and community agency partners in support of students’ social-emotional well-being and their positive connection to school. As a trained trauma-informed and restorative advocate and practitioner, Maria has been able to infuse the importance of trust, strong relationships and a sense of community belonging into attendance intervention practices in Escondido Union School District. Through partnerships with students, families, staff and community agency partners, Maria and her team have been able to help systemically address chronic absenteeism, link students and their families to social, emotional, mental health, academic and, basic needs support, re-engagement students to school and help students to feel more connected and empowered, while bridging the home-to-school connection.