Rachael Maves: Hello everyone, you are listening to the Rachael Maves podcast and I'm Rachael Maves, your host. Today we are speaking with Mary Cox. Mary is the superintendent of Cor Butte Charter School since 2016 and has been with the school since 2005. She originally developed and directed the school's college model, Hybrids High School program. A recognized leader in educational innovation, Mary advocates fiercely for innovation and creativity in educational settings.

and personal hybrid education collaborating with districts statewide and nationally to foster flexibility for students. She is highly involved in professional governance, serving with many statewide organizations, including the California Charter School Association Member Council, the Association of Personalized Learning Advisory Board, the Association of California School Administrators for Region 2 Executive Board, and several others.

Mary has received several awards across her tenure, including 2023 California Charter School of the Year under her tenure. In 2024, Superintendent of the Year for Butte Glen Counties, and 2024 Outstanding Woman Leader for AXA Region Two. And finally, the 2025 California Charter School Leader of the Year. Mary, we're super excited to have you on the show and thank you for joining me today.

Mary Cox: Mm-hmm.

Mary Cox: Thank you, I'm excited to be here.

Rachael Maves: So I'm always interested in people's niches and how they ended up where they are. So tell me a little bit about why education and how you got to this place and the environment in the school setting that you currently lead.

Mary Cox: Well, I happen to be a third generation teacher. So I grew up watching my mom get ready every day to go into the classroom, hearing my grandpa talk about being a high school principal. And so I've just always been around education, lots of my aunts and uncles, educators being really involved. I was that little girl in kindergarten who, you know, when they ask you what you want to be when you grow up and I was like, I want to be a kindergarten teacher.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Rachael Maves: Aww.

Mary Cox: So I've always wanted to be an educator. It's kind of in my blood. I love it. I love working with people and students. So it's always kind of been there. As far as like a driving force, I love the idea of working with our future leaders and our students who are going to grow and all those skills we're giving them and supporting them with, they're gonna use those skills to direct society. And I love that idea of shaping our future.

Rachael Maves: Hmm.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm. So you have to tell me Mary because usually

people are either drawn to primary grades, middle school, or high school. And from your bio, and then also I recently read one of the articles that you were in that were featuring the hybrid high school program that you did, you started out in kindergarten and then ended up like completely reinventing what this model could look like for high schoolers. tell me about that, because that is like night and day difference right there.

Mary Cox: Mm.

Mary Cox: I did.

Mary Cox: It is. It's such an interesting, you my whole life I wanted to teach kindergarten. I went through college very quickly because I just wanted to get in the classroom and get in there with kids. And I did. And I absolutely loved it. And I was doing reading specialist work and literacy coaching work and really working with our young kids to teach early literacy. And I just absolutely loved it. I ended up switching jobs due to life.

changes. was having a baby and I wanted a more alternative model to work in. And so I started working at Corbut. And at the time I didn't really know much about charter schools or personalized learning or that whole idea of alternative models because I'd only ever been in traditional education. And when I first got hired, I happened to have some supplemental credentials.

Rachael Maves: Hmm.

Mary Cox: And the job that they offered me was Algebra 1, Geometry in Spanish. And so I went from teaching kindergarten to teaching high school. And I was scared to death. I was young. I was a new mom. And here I was working with high school students. And that sounded really scary. Very, very quickly, I learned how much I love working with high school students. They're just, I feel like they're one of the most underappreciated age groups in our society.

Rachael Maves: you

You

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Mary Cox: They are brilliant. They have so much to offer. And it was through working with high school students, I became the ASB teacher, Associated Student Body. And I worked with our students. They wanted prom, and I helped that come to fruition. They wanted athletics, and I helped that come to fruition. And just recognizing if we can just listen to our students and start creating environments and cultures that the students thrive in, it was just really powerful for me. So I...

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Rachael Maves: Hmm.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Mary Cox: got kind of obsessed working with high school students. And that led me to researching new innovative ways to provide a high school learning opportunity. And that's when we opened the high school. So just from doing that research and working with high school kids and listening to them and seeing what they need and how they could be super successful.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Rachael Maves: So I know this isn't part of the initial questions. And if you touch on it later on, then just pause me and we'll move on. But when I was reading a little bit just about your model, I think it's worth just taking a step back and sharing, I think, the pretty amazing thing that you've created with this high school model that I haven't quite heard. I've heard variations of what you're doing, but not.

one, in a place like Corbut that is pretty remote, and then two, the multiple pathways that you have figured out how to make this work for kids.

Mary Cox: So just talking as far as like pathways, we really focus on the individual student. So we're actually a TK through 12th grade program. And as the students are here longer, some are here the whole time. Some choose to come in at different points in their educational journey. But the whole intention of the program is to really focus on our students as individual learners and trying to build a path for them to meet those state standards.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Mary Cox: but in which modality works best for them. So is it better to do project-based learning or outdoor learning or a focus of more textbook style or how are we assessing learning? So all of that happens at the individual level with the parent-student teacher team, which is super unique. That's something that not every school has the ability to do. And in our model, it's what we were founded upon. So it's kind of a switch that we actually invite our parents in, and it's a partnership in that.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Mary Cox: As students get older, their paths kind of change. As they get into junior high and high school, they might decide they need to take a class at the center, or they need to take a class at Butte College, or Chico State, or online, or independent study. And so you start looking at individual learners and what they need in their path, and you're creating an environment in which they are able to pick and choose, which builds that autonomy, that confidence in them as a learner.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Rachael Maves: Yes.

Mary Cox: knowing that they're reflecting upon themselves as a learner and how they learn best, and actually taking action based upon that. And I'm a firm believer that's what we need to be preparing kids to do in this current workforce, because we don't know what jobs are going to be there tomorrow. And so if we can teach kids those skills of autonomy and really understanding themselves as a learner and really recognizing when things aren't working or are working, then we're actually just setting them up for those future jobs that we don't know yet.

Rachael Maves: agency.

Mary Cox: that are out there that we haven't seen yet.

Rachael Maves: Yeah, yeah. And well, and you've done it in such a way that still provides that community too. Like even though they're taking all of these different pathways and all of these different pathways are together, it sounds like you've still created that space though for them to interact and to connect and to build that community and to learn from one another, which I think is part of what's so powerful model you've created.

Mary Cox: I mean, I agree. I think it's a great blend. I mean, just to it out there. I think it's a great blend of some of that autonomy and flexibility that families and students are craving right now, but also with the high level of accountability and rigor and expectation. But then that third component of providing space and opportunity, really creating a culture and a community where kids want to come and be a part of something, whether it's a team or choir or

just taking a math class on campus, whatever, they feel like they have a sense of belonging while still having so much control over their education and really being able to hone in on what works best for them. So it's a nice blend of all of those pieces, the community, the choice and autonomy, and then also with the academic rigor.

Rachael Maves: So with all of the things that you've shared about the models that you've built and I think your heart for the school and really focusing on student voice, what keeps you up at night? What are the things that weigh heavily on you as a leader?

Mary Cox: I mean, there's a lot that keeps us up at night, on night as leaders. I do have a lot of worry for our kids. I think that mental health is big right now for our students. The impact of social media, the impact of so much input all the time for our kids is hard. It's hard for kids to decompress or de-escalate that intensity. It's very different than when we were younger.

Rachael Maves: and

Mary Cox: That definitely concerns me and trying to create models where kids are forced to interact with not just technology, but also like each other and have those hard conversations and learn those skills. I think our society's in a time right now that's pretty diverse and we need to make sure that we're able to really work with our students on how to have high quality conversations and how to interact with each other in a positive way. And that definitely

Rachael Maves: Yeah, that's right.

Mary Cox: makes me nervous right now with the onset of social media and AI and some other technology, just making sure we don't lose that human approach and how to really teach kids those skills to have those hard conversations in a civil manner. And that's probably one of my biggest concerns right now, especially with children. You're good. That was it.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Rachael Maves: I'd be... no. Yeah, sorry about that. Go ahead.

I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on...

on this and what you're seeing with students. And I have three teenage daughters. And one of the things that we've been talking about, because I agree, we're in a time in society where it's really interesting time to be an adult. And it's an even harder time, I think, to be a kid navigating all of this. And one of the things that we've been having lots of conversations around is the idea of having disagreement with ideas. And that when somebody disagrees with your idea, it's not

that they don't like or they disagree with who you foundationally are as a human being, but that we can have these different ideas and still have like this high level of respect and regard for us as humans. So I don't know, are you seeing some of the same things? Because for me, like it was this aha watching them. like, they are not intuitively separating those now. the, it's like the ideas and identity are so intertwined to be able to separate them.

was a very different way of thinking.

Mary Cox: I agree. And I think that that's something that is scary, you know, that that is, and I don't know, I don't have the answer as to why, other than we're in a very intense political time right now, not just in our country, but even across the world. And that's what's modeled a lot. So how are we, you know, in the educational system, ensuring kids have voice, but also have respect and relationships, because those two have to go hand in hand.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Yeah. Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Hmm.

Mary Cox: especially as we're training our youth up, that it's not your opinions that define you, it's how you navigate those and how you build those relationships with people, that you can have very diverse political views or very diverse opinions about things, but ultimately we're one society working together and so how are we building our future? And I think it's super important. So that's definitely a big stressor. I think that's even a whole societal stress, but also just our kids. Like, how are we prepping them for that new world?

Rachael Maves: Yeah, that's right.

Rachael Maves: Yes. Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Yes, yeah.

Mary Cox: you know, when information's at their fingertips, but how are we checking, teaching them to really understand the information they're given and to read and understand multiple viewpoints and really feel like they have a good solid grasp on information now. So it's definitely a different time.

Rachael Maves: Yeah, that's right.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Yeah, it is. So when you think about that piece that we just discussed, the mental health piece that you're talking through, being able to give choice and agency, ensuring that students have those critical thinking skills, what do you see as one or two ways that we can move forward?

Mary Cox: Well, I think as educators, we have to start thinking differently about education and what our purpose is. I really truly believe in a human-centered approach to education, that relationships are really the foundation of a high-quality educational system. It's really different than it used to be. It used to be that everybody went to the same school that looked the same and heard the same thing from the same teacher, period after period, and it doesn't look like that anymore.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Mary Cox: And the workforce doesn't model that anymore. So what are we doing as educators to innovate and change to make sure that we're doing a human-centered approach to learning and teaching our students those skills that they need in society, along with academics and rigor, of course. But how are we adjusting our systems to meet the needs of our learner, our students as future members of our society, and making sure that they are prepared for that environment?

Rachael Maves: That's right.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Rachael Maves: That's right.

Mary Cox: I think we have to really start looking at innovatively at ways to meet students in a different way. And those are probably my big things is that innovation piece of being creative in our academic delivery in such a way that students have more voice and autonomy. And then also really focusing at it from a human centered approach of relationship driven work is really what's going to get us to the point where we're preparing those students for the future.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Rachael Maves: Yeah, well, so you're about to receive the 2026 Heart Vision Equity and Innovation Leader of the Year Award. So yay, congratulations. When you think about your journey and what you just talked about around innovation and that human-centered approach, I mean, you've already done significant work in that area, Mary. So what is the next iteration of that? Do you see the next phase or layer? And what are you dreaming and hoping for?

Mary Cox: I know.

Mary Cox: Thank you.

Mary Cox: That's a fun question. I will say that while I'm very grateful for receiving the award, I'm very humbled. I am a firm believer you can't do anything on your own. And without people who share a similar vision and dream, you can't become excellent. And so the idea behind receiving the award, I'm very grateful. It's an honor. But I also attribute it to my team, that we have this team of people.

Rachael Maves: You

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Mary Cox: who believe in the future of education and they believe that we can innovate and create and they believe that every single learner can learn, every single student if given the right tools and support along their journey and create in the right path. And that's what drives me is that whole idea that like a visioning and believing in that. And I don't know what tomorrow brings, but I will definitely say that I'm constantly dreaming and visioning of what's next of what our students need.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Mary Cox: We're changing all the time because we're recognizing that, know, students at this grade level would actually thrive with a little bit more of this and maybe less of that. Or, we need to add more social pieces to this grade level because now these students need to have a better way to connect. What are we doing to support them? And I think that that's something that I feel very blessed that I have this team of people who all view education that way, that it's a constantly changing target. You're constantly moving. It's never stagnant.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Mary Cox: and you're really looking at those you serve and how best to serve them, knowing that even your student population after the campfire, our students needed different things. It was no longer just about academic and intervention, it was about whole child wellness. And so we had to pivot and punt really quickly to say, whoa, our kids need much more community. They need much more social emotional support. They need much more

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Yes.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Mary Cox: many more ways to interact with each other and tools on how to navigate that trauma. And so to me, education is really about pivoting with the needs of your community in that moment and being willing to take a risk, because sometimes it's risky. But our ultimate goal is to help these students be ready for the future. And so that looks different all the time.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Rachael Maves: Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm curious just about

little bit of your experience as a leader going through the fire. our family went through the Tubbs fire and I was serving at the Sonoma County Office of Education during that time. I mean it just had a devastating impact. It lost whole communities. So as you think about like that time, because I think that's a different level of leadership of what that requires and how you're thinking about pivoting, shifting on a dime. What did you see

Mary Cox: Mm-hmm.

Rachael Maves: that your students really needed and that your staff really needed in the midst of that that just had never even been on your radar before in a whole different way.

Mary Cox: Well, I think it gave that whole idea of community a whole different focus. You know, what we learned, what I, I mean, I will say I learned more during that leadership than I learned in any leadership in class or anything because you truly learn who you are, who your authentic self is and where your heart is. But you also truly learn the value of people, right? Of this unifying force and how important it is.

Rachael Maves: Right? Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm. That's right. Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Mary Cox: to build these relationships with people. For us, it was really about unifying our community, providing opportunity and space. So yes, we did get back to some systems of academics because we actually recognized that some of our students needed that consistency. They actually needed it back. And there's this idea that, they went through trauma, let's stop everything.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Thank

Rachael Maves: routine yeah yeah

Mary Cox: And I think that that is actually, for some that's maybe what they need and I'm not gonna take that away from them, but for a majority of our students and staff, we actually found that while we needed to give some space, we also needed to like bring back some systems and some consistency, because our students needed that security. They needed to know that their school was still here for them, that their friends were still here for them, that their teachers cared, and that guess what math can still happen.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Yes, that's right. Yes. This is still normal. Yes. Yeah.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Mary Cox: It's really interesting because that's not the natural human nature after a traumatic event like that. But in reality, what we found is that was really what our students needed. They needed to have regular connections. So we really went through the process of we were calling every single family. We would go through the list and we would start over. So every family was getting a phone call from us every couple of days. Where are you at? What do you need? Is there any services we can connect you with?

you know, are your children OK? Do you have a place to live? Just things that made you human. And I think that it goes back to that whole idea of human centered approach to learning is, yes, we can't be everything to everybody, but we can definitely be human and we can have those heart connections with our community to ensure they know we're here and we care. We're not just an educational entity. I should quote that. But I will say like that leadership journey was.

Rachael Maves: Yeah, that's right.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, you should. That's right.

Mary Cox: really fascinating. And now I actually do a lot of work with schools across the state who endured traumatic events. I spent quite a bit of time in palisades with our palisade friends last year and Alta Dana, just helping them recover and helping them rebuild and helping them reopen and sharing what we found to be beneficial during that time. But it's interesting because I also think that

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Mary Cox: Traumatic events is also what sometimes unifies because you're all kind of going through something together and it's unifying and that you're all having this experience together. And so sometimes it actually builds your community and it built ours really tight after that experience.

Rachael Maves: It's true, yeah.

Yeah, that's right.

Rachael Maves: Yeah.

Yeah, I love hearing that. All right, so we're coming up to our last question. What question in education are we not asking that we should be?

Mary Cox: Yeah.

Mary Cox: Well, I've probably kind of already alluded to this a little bit throughout my my interview today, but I just really wonder, you know, where our focus is for the future of education and what is our purpose in education right now with the onset of AI and the onset of technology and information being at our fingertips? Where are we putting our energy as educators to ensure that our students are truly ready for that workforce and or

Rachael Maves: Hahaha!

Mary Cox: whichever their future goals are upon graduation, because I think it has to look different. And I think that that's a question that we as educators need to be consistently asking ourselves is what tools are we putting in the tool belts of our students to ensure that they can have a successful future. And that may include.

Rachael Maves: Mm-hmm.

Mary Cox: innovating what your high school programs look like that may, you know, include all sorts of different things, but how are we truly making sure these students have the tools they need to be successful post high school?

Rachael Maves: right.

Rachael Maves: Yeah, that's right. Well, Mary, it's just been such a pleasure to connect with you and hear more about your heart and leadership and the work that you're doing. Thank you for the way that you're serving students.

Mary Cox: Thank you very much.

Rachael Maves: So we at PARSEC are here to support you and your teams. We have a variety of free resources on our website built to support your mid-year strategic plans, climate and culture surveys, and your budget planning for the 2026-27 school year. Check out what we have at www.parseceducation.com slash resources.

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This transcript was created from the episode's captions and lightly edited for readability. It may contain small errors; please refer to the audio for exact wording.