Anonymous
Source: Santa Barbara Unified School District
Today the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously to appoint a new Superintendent, Hilda Maldonado. Maldonado was chosen for her extensive background in academic achievement, her strong focus on partnerships and her current leadership in responding to the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic. She is currently the Associate Superintendent of Leadership and Partnerships in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) overseeing the development of system capacity to train and retain high caliber employees as well as develop partnership and grants efforts across the second largest district in the country. She will take the helm of Santa Barbara Unified on July 1, 2020.
Maldonado’s leadership career in LAUSD includes roles as Senior Executive Director of Diversity, Learning, and Instruction, Executive Director of the Multilingual and Multicultural Education Department, and Director of Schools. She has worked as a bilingual teacher, a bilingual coordinator, an assistant principal and a principal at two schools – both of which experienced growth in academics, safety and school culture under her leadership. Maldonado came to the U.S. from Mexico as an 11-year-old and credits her positive experience as an English learner as her motivation to become a bilingual teacher. Her bio and photo are attached.
“This pandemic is ushering in a new era of education while shining a spotlight on the inequities of the old education system. We need a tested leader who has the expertise to harness new opportunities, engage the community and propel our schools forward for the future. Hilda Maldonado is the leader for this transformational time,” said Laura Capps, President of the Board, who with her colleagues led the competitive search that involved nearly 50 candidates from across the country.
“It is an honor to be selected to serve the Santa Barbara Unified School District students, staff and community during these extraordinary times. I am committed to building on the greatness of this district as we collectively navigate a new education system that ensures ALL students are prepared for life, college and career. I believe a quality education is the key to success for families, communities and our country. It certainly made a difference in my life journey and I wish the same for all our students.”
“The Santa Barbara Unified School District will be well served by Hilda’s commitment to equity and excellence for all students” said LA Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner. “She has served students and families in LA Unified for more than 30 years as an open and innovative bilingual teacher, administrator and senior leader. We thank her for her tireless advocacy and leadership and wish her the best in her new role.”
“During this unprecedented time, I see Hilda Maldonado as a beacon for moving the district forward,” said Dr. Jackie Reid, Vice President of the Board. “I know she will provide equitable access to all students to ensure academic success and career readiness. I am proud of the process and rigor we participated in as a Board to find our new leadership for this district.”
“I invite the community to celebrate with us the selection of the new Superintendent and to engage with our school district as we ensure that the voices of all students are heard,” said Rose Munoz, Clerk of the Board.
“Hiring a superintendent on Zoom was a daunting challenge, but Ms. Maldonado’s brilliance and insight were evident throughout the entire process! She is clearly a courageous, inspiring, tireless leader whom we can lift up, look up to, and learn from. We set out to hire the best, and Hilda Maldonado IS the best. I am thrilled to welcome her to the SB Unified team,” said School Board Member Kate Ford.
“Our appointment of Ms. Hilda Maldonado gets a Triple “R” rating: Right Person, Right Place, Right Time,” said Board Member and past president Wendy Sims-Moten.
Maldonado and her husband Kamran look forward to relocating to Santa Barbara, which she has enjoyed getting to know through the Courage to Lead program. They have two sons in college.
Maldonado will earn a $250,000 annual salary.
In the coming days, our community will become further acquainted with Maldonado, who plans to make herself available for a Q & A with students.
I hope she works out better than Matsuoka did, When Matusoka was first hired, staff were excited that he seemed well qualified and effective. They soon realized they were mistaken.
“Senior Executive Director of Diversity, Learning, and Instruction, Executive Director of the Multilingual and Multicultural Education Department, and Director of Schools…” That’s one hell of a “title” . Public School Bureaucracy at its FINEST.
Here’s your first and only hoop to jump through Hilda (to earn your giant salary): get our kids back in school. Any other ideas, agendas, concepts, ideas, and philosophies don’t matter at this point. This is very simple now. Our children need to be back in their schools, with their friends, this fall. If you can’t get that done, you,will fail.
So she’s too good to wear a mask?
She brings equity. You know, like in the photo as she’s shown without a mask while surrounded by lesser peasants forced to wear them.
Based on her previous job titles, I don’t think she will be a popular choice for the “back to basics” people.
I hope she cleans house. It will be tough having minions making more money than superintendent. The district can no longer afford these grossly overpaid deputies.
I would be suspicious of hiring anyone from the troubled and failing LAUSD. Why do we think we need to go outside to recruit? God knows we have enough administrators in SBUSD, none them are qualified? Did we have give her a signing or housing bonus?
The mask less face is a tell…
Equity? How about being a leader and firing incompetent tenured educators! How about more reviews of current wasted money to non profits that are unregulated and rogue? How about focusing on what really matters, smaller class sizes, better teachers and no BS schools within schools such as Apple etc.
Not to nitpick, but if you look at actual data, you will see a steady improvement in ELA and math test scores in LAUSD over the last 5 years. Failing still, yes, but improving consistently.
http://caaspp.edsource.org/sbac/los-angeles-unified-19647330000000
Those were three different jobs she held.
MR2 – Wouldn’t make much sense to have a mask on in a photo that is being used to introduce you, would it?
COAST – hahaha, are you serious?? Did you not see the words before your misplaced quote? Pretty clear – “includes roles as…..” – The word “roles” indicates more than one role, while the use of the commas indicate the DIFFERENT roles (with an “s”) that she has had. It must be exhausting trying to find fault with everything, even when you are so clearly, unequivocally, without a doubt WRONG. Dude…… you don’t have to be mad at everything all the time. Cheer up buttercup!
5 people disagree with a verifiable FACT? No, you’re all just mad that you got called out for being wrong.
There have been multiple studies to show that separating special needs students is by far the wrong way to go. It can work, in some instances, for some students. For the most part, integration into mainstream classrooms with proper additional support is what best serves those students. (And it also happens to be the law.)
Give her a break about the mask guys .. she is outside and a solid 6ft . I hope her work around literacy will help turn around our district where students at high risk, english language learners and those with differences are not learning to read proficiently by end of 3rd grade , a key milestone for future success. Our current leadership cuts special ed budget, and routinely denies and delay services that are entitled by law. We need intensive one on one interventions, early assessments and someone with the will to do what needs to be done. Literacy is a human right. But in SB most people with differences and means leave public for private. It should not matter how much money your parents have to get a free and appropriate education but in Santa Barbara it does. Help us Hilda!! And welcome ! We need change.
She’s not wearing a mask. Very disrespectful. Off to a bad start.
One question: Will we still be paying teachers to coordinate zoom meetings or will there be some improvement in the “virtual learning” system that is so desperately lacking now?
Now is the time to completely rethink public education. for starters, the concept that all students must be integrated into a single school environment is a farce. Give the ESL/special needs/advanced learners/health compromised/other groups their own dedicated facility and educators. Or just be done with it and give parents a voucher so we can make our own choice based on the needs of our kids. My concern is that the pendulum is swinging the other way with tech companies clamoring to create a national education system. We only get one chance to educate our kids, and all of us are watching this closely in order to make a good decision.
Yeah, your first task is to overturn the laws of nature and make it so the virus no longer spreads by talking and close contact among kids. Maybe alter the structure of the virus so it resembles a structure that our body recognizes and can fight, or only causes a minor illness. As a school administrator, I’m sure you know how to do that, right?
Maybe Coastwatch is a SB grad. Reading comprehension is not their strong suit.
We’re ready for a voucher and home school. Also want a property tax refund for the $hit education provided via Zoom to date.