SAN BENITO — How long is this going to last? Are you going to stay for a while? We want stability.
In Superintendent Dr. Adrian Vega’s short time here, he already has been approached with these questions regarding his position.
The questions, he said, have come from district staff, teachers and parents.
He is the seventh superintendent to hold the office in the past three years, so those thoughts he said, are understandable.
After the quick departure of former Superintendent Marc Puig after only six months, the district and community as a whole demand and need stability.
During his welcome address to staff, teachers and administrators yesterday, Vega assured them stability is what they will get.
The school board hired Vega as Puig’s replacement in November.
Before beginning his new position as head of the district, Vega was deputy superintendent for Teaching & Learning at the Tucson Unified School District in Arizona.
Vega, who originally is from Texas, will be paid an annual salary of $155,000, which is $15,000 more than his predecessor, Puig.
In a gymnasium at Veterans Memorial High School filled with hundreds, Vega listed his three main guiding principles, “the good stuff,” that according to him are core principles he thinks about daily.
H “All kids deserve the good stuff regardless of zip code,” he said.
H “All parents deserve to send their kids to good schools that provide the good stuff.”
H “All employees deserve to work for an organization that provides the good stuff.”
There are two important items on Vega’s to-do list that will lead up to his intended five-year strategic plan.
“I would like to conduct a district-wide efficiency audit, taking a look at operations,” Vega said.
“Does the district operate efficiently? I would also like to conduct a curriculum audit in the spring.”
A curriculum audit would look at the teaching and learning side of things.
“It’s just to get a clear picture,” he said.
For example, he said, “If I am a classroom teacher, it would be wise to assess my kids on the first day of school to know where they are at and then go from there.”
“I’m not going to be able to meet the needs of the district if I don’t know what is working or where there are gaps,” Vega said.
After that, he said he can bring an objective perspective and dive into a five-year strategic plan to move the district forward.
It’s too early to tell what that plan will entail.
“If the idea is to truly prepare our kids for their lives, and its 2016, and the world keeps changing, we need to make sure we are truly preparing them for that.”
