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SCCSBA President's Message

By Carol Presunka (Cambrian SD)

Well the 2024-2025 school year is a wrap. Along with the end of the school year is the end of my term as SCCSBA President. And what a year it has been! Monthly evening meetings and Lunch and Learns, Networking events, Fall Dinner, Hoffmann Awards Dinner, Legislative Brunch, New Candidate workshops and New Board Member trainings. Not to mention our Legislative Action and SUCCESS committees! I’m sure I haven’t remembered everything. And it's all thanks to the great volunteers that don’t just represent their communities on their school boards but go above and beyond to ensure public education is well represented in Santa Clara County and beyond. And of course we couldn’t get the job done without having Bonnie Mace as our Executive Director!

On July 1st, 2025 our new SCCSBA Officers will take over: Shali Sirkay as President, Renee Lo and Chris Norwood as VP’s and Jen Petroff as Treasurer. If they get half the support I did this year, next year will be even more amazing! Watch for Bonnie’s updates on events for the new school year.

I will still be around, learning, networking and advocating. If you’re interested in getting involved, please visit our website at www.sccsba.org. I hope you all have a relaxing summer with no board events on the calendar for at least a month! Thanks again for all you do and I’m looking forward to another eventful year in education for 2025-2026!

The SCCSBA newsletter will be on vacation in July. It will return in August. We wish everyone a healthy and happy summer vacation!

Check out all the SCCSBA upcoming events and activities on our website: www.sccsba.org

School board elections move to trustee area voting in several school districts

School districts in Santa Clara County continue to move from school board elections based on district-wide candidates to candidates chosen by smaller geographic trustee areas. The County Committee on School District Organization recently approved the redrawing of district maps to trustee areas for the following school districts

Fremont Union High School District

Los Gatos Saratoga Union High School District

Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District

Eastside Union High School District is currently holding public meetings for input of the drawing of its trustee areas. For more information, see this link: East Side Union High School District - By-District Trustee Elections

Hoffmann Awards Update

The SCCSBA website has been updated to include descriptions of the Hoffmann Awards winning programs. We invite you to learn more about these amazing programs and be inspired!

Planning is underway for next year's Hoffmann Awards. Please take a moment to share your feedback and any suggestions you have for improvements. 

• Survey on the Hoffmann Awards Application Process
• Survey on the Hoffmann Awards Dinner

If you are interested in serving as a reader and being a part of the team that scores the applications, or would like to learn more about being a reader, please complete the Reader Interest Form. Serving as a reader is a wonderful way to gain insight into the exceptional programs across our county. No experience necessary.

Questions? Contact Aine O'Donovan, 2026 Hoffmann Awards Chair, at hoffmannawards@sccsba.org.

SCCSBA Calendar of Events/Meetings for 2025-26: Save the Date

(More details, locations and zoom links will be announced later.)

Sunday, August 24, 2025: SCCSBA Networking Reception, 1-4 PM

Sat., September 13, 2025: SCCSBA Back to School Breakfast, 8:30-9:30 AM

Wed., Sept. 17, 2025: SCCSBA Evening Zoom Meeting, 7-8:30 PM

Wed., September 24, 2025: SCCSBA Zoom Lunch and Learn, 12-1 PM    

Fri., Oct. 3, 2025: SCCSBA Networking Lunch, 11:30AM-1 PM               

Monday, Oct. 27, 2025: SCCOE Teacher Recognition Celebration, 6-8 PM

Wed., Oct. 29, 2025: SCCSBA Fall Dinner, 6-9 PM

Wed., Nov. 5, 2025: SCCSBA Zoom Lunch and Learn, 12-1 PM

Wed., Nov 19, 2025: SCCSBA Evening Zoom Meeting, 7-8:30 PM

Dec. 3-5, 2025: CSBA AEC, SCCSBA Reception December 4

Fri., Jan. 9, 2026: SCCSBA Networking Lunch,11:30 AM-1 PM                                         

Sat., Jan. 17, 2026: SCCSBA Board Member Professional Development, 9-11:30 AM

Wed., Jan. 28, 2026: SCCSBA Evening Zoom Meeting, 7-8:30 PM

Fri,, Feb. 6, 2026: SCCSBA Networking Lunch, 11:30 AM-1 PM

Wed., Feb. 18, 2026: SCCSBA Zoom Lunch and Learn, 12-1 PM

Wed., Feb. 25, 2026: SCCSBA Evening Zoom Meeting, 7-8:30 PM                                   

Sat., March 7, 2026: SCCSBA Legislative Brunch, 9AM-Noon

Wed., March 18, 2026: SCCSBA Zoom Lunch and Learn, 12-1 PM

Wed. March 25, 2026: SCCSBA Evening Zoom Meeting, 7-8:30 PM

Wed., April 8, 2026: SCCSBA Zoom Lunch and Learn, 12-1 PM

Wed., April 22, 2026: SCCSBA Evening Zoom Meeting, 7-8:30 PM

Sat., April 25, 2026: SCCSBA Networking Breakfast, 8:30-9:30 AM

Wed. May 6, 2026: Hoffmann Awards Dinner, 6-9 PM

Fri., May 22, 2026: SCCSBA Networking Lunch, 11:30 AM-1 PM

Sunnyvale School District

Sunnyvale School District appoints Dr. Gudiel Crosthwaite as new superintendent

The Sunnyvale School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Gudiel Crosthwaite as its new superintendent, effective July 1, 2025.

Dr. Crosthwaite brings nearly 30 years of experience in education, most recently serving as Superintendent of Lynwood Unified School District. Since joining Lynwood Unified in 2010 as Director of School Reform, his collaborative leadership has been pivotal in the district's achievements. These include significant increases in graduation rates and a surge in participation and success in Advanced Placement (AP) courses, culminating in Lynwood Unified being named a 2017 AP District of the Year by the College Board—a distinction received by only three districts nationwide. 

Dr. Crosthwaite's extensive educational journey began in 1994 as an eighth-grade teacher, and he later taught high school English and English Language Development. He then transitioned into administration, serving at all levels—elementary, middle, and high school. Academically, he holds an undergraduate degree from UCLA, two master's degrees from California State University, Los Angeles, and Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Ph.D. in Education from Claremont Graduate University.

“I am deeply honored and incredibly excited to join the Sunnyvale School District as the new superintendent,” said Dr. Gudiel Crosthwaite. “I look forward to partnering with our dedicated educators, families, and community to support every student’s success and build on the district’s tradition of excellence.” 

“The Board is grateful to the SSD community for being an invaluable part of this superintendent search process," said Bridget Watson, board president. "Trustees carefully read responses from 966 survey participants and 29 focus groups, and incorporated their collective input into our job description, interview questions, and evaluative discourse. We believe we’ve found an experienced, transformative educational leader in Dr. Gudiel Crosthwaite. He is deeply committed to equity and a vision for improved outcomes for all students. We look forward to partnering with him to serve our students, so that each and every one of them can reach their full, unique potential.” 

As part of its selection process, the Board of Education used information gathered from four community forums, an online survey that garnered more than 900 responses, and 29 input sessions with educational partners, which included staff, families, students, and community partners.

The Board set a target date of July 1 for having a new superintendent in place. Michael Gallagher, the District’s superintendent since 2020, will retire June 30. 

Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District

Saratoga HS Students Present at Global Sustainable Student Action Summit in Taiwan

Saratoga High School (SHS) seniors Kirby Fung, Ryan Modafe, and Varun Thota represented the District at the 2025 Global Sustainable Student Action Summit in New Taipei City, Taiwan this past Spring. Joined by Acting Superintendent Heath Rocha, Board Member Katherine Tseng, and SHS teachers Audrey Warmuth and Matt Welander, the students partnered with Taiwanese peers to present AirWatch 3D—a fully functional drone system designed to monitor CO2 emissions and visualize data in the metaverse.

Senior Kirby Fung, emphasized the rigor of the experience: "We brainstormed many ideas related to negating the sources and effects of global warming, but ultimately finalized on the CO2 Monitoring Drone idea because it was the most impactful and would challenge us by requiring a lot of research on the hardware and software of the drone."

The project earned praise for being both innovative and practical. In addition to the student’s presentation, Superintendent Rocha delivered a keynote address highlighting the District’s sustainability efforts.

Milpitas Unified School District

MUSD's Nicole Steward authors ‘Radical Self-Care for helpers, healers and change-makers'

MUSD School Linked Services Coordinator Nicole Steward draws from her own experiences and training in handling trauma to share coping and decompression mechanisms in her new book, “Radical Self-Care for Helpers, Healers and Changemakers”.

“Radical Self Care are practices that help us carry the weight of the work that we do,” said Steward, who has experienced burnout herself over her 20-plus year career but has learned how to compartmentalize work trauma from her personal life. “We can care without carrying. We can care for the people we serve, but we don’t have to carry the weight of their trauma.”

Steward explains who the helpers, healers and change-makers are ranging from social workers, counselors and therapists to first responders and those serving in the military. “Educators, they pull into that too, because when you’re working with people, especially kids, there’s gonna be some level of trauma,” Steward added. Read on....

Campbell Union School District

Exploring AI to Support Student Learning

District takes thoughtful steps to test AI tools that support student success

“When I walk through a TK or kindergarten classroom, I think, ‘What in the world will these young people be walking into in the 2045 workforce?’” said Campbell Union School District (CUSD) Superintendent Shelly Viramontez. “A few years ago, we thought access to technology was the digital divide. The new divide will be between students who can leverage AI tools and those who have never had exposure to them.”

As part of an ongoing effort to prepare students for the future, CUSD is carefully exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can support teaching and learning.

While AI is not yet in widespread use across our schools, the district has been testing select tools in limited and monitored settings. For example, at the May 15 Board meeting, Math Specialist Cheryl Lee shared results from a pilot using two AI-supported tools—Magma Math and Khanmigo—to enhance math learning. Based on student progress and teacher feedback, the district will move forward with Magma Math, introducing it to 4th–8th grade teachers to support instruction and develop a set of standards-aligned assessments.

District leaders emphasize that AI will be used to support teachers, allowing them to focus on high-impact activities such as small-group instruction and individualized feedback.

“AI will not be a one-and-done initiative,” said Superintendent Viramontez. “This will be an ongoing, thoughtful process to equip students with the tools and experiences they’ll need for the future.” Click here to see the video: Leveraging AI as a Tool for Teaching and Learning.

Sincerely,

Morgan Hill Unified School District

MHUSD Launches First-in-County Teaching Apprenticeship to Strengthen Special Education Workforce

At its May 20, 2025 meeting, the MHUSD Board of Education announced Santa Clara County’s first Registered Apprenticeship in Teaching—part of a strategy to expand and retain a high-quality Special Education workforce. In partnership with colleges and credentialing programs, apprentices will earn wages while completing coursework, working in classrooms, and receiving mentorship from experienced teachers. The program includes 2,000+ hours of supervised training, 144+ hours of instruction, and a progressive wage scale. Further, the program aims to reduce financial barriers, support diverse candidates, and build a stable, locally grown educator pipeline. With national momentum behind teacher apprenticeships, MHUSD’s model supports workforce sustainability, equity, and student success - creating better-prepared educators and a stronger, more inclusive future for the community.

FarmTECH Breaks Ground: A Vision for Future Learning and Sustainability

Morgan Hill Unified School District has broken ground on FarmTECH, a 20-acre agricultural education site that will become a dynamic outdoor classroom for students districtwide. The site will feature a production and demonstration farm, greenhouses, row crops, orchards, and beehives. Students will explore agriculture, food systems, and environmental science in a hands-on learning environment.

Led by Student Nutrition Director Michael Jochner, the project links innovation, sustainability, and Career Technical Education. Superintendent Dr. Carmen Garcia praised its educational potential and connection to student pathways. FarmTECH-grown produce will be used in school cafeterias, joining hydroponically grown lettuce from Live Oak and Sobrato High Schools. This farm-to-school model will promote health, food literacy, and environmental responsibility, ultimately nurturing a sustainable future for MHUSD students and the community.

MetroED

MetroED Celebrates Student Success

From adult learners achieving life-changing milestones to high school students earning scholarships and career-ready recognition, May was a month of celebration across Metropolitan Education District (MetroED). Here's a look at two ceremonies honoring their accomplishments.

Meet the 37 Adults Who Didn’t Give Up

Silicon Valley Adult Education (SVAE) held its graduation on May 29 for 18 High School Diploma graduates and 19 High School Equivalency completers. Senator Dave Cortese presented certificates of congratulations to the graduating class. Dr. Bob Harper, retired executive director of the South Bay Consortium for Adult Education, was the keynote speaker.

●    Photos

●    Event video

●    Event program: Full list of graduates

Thirteen graduates were awarded $6,300 in scholarships, supported by partnerships with organizations including The McKinley Educational Initiative, Los Altos Sunset Rotary Club, MetroED Foundation, and former superintendent Alyssa Lynch. Samnang Kea received the Lifelong Learner award, while Carrie Rivas received the Outstanding Graduate award.

SVCTE Recognizes More Than 100 Students at the Awards Ceremony

Silicon Valley Career Technical Education (SVCTE) center proudly hosted its 56th Annual Awards Ceremony on May 16, recognizing the achievements of more than 100 students for their dedication and excellence in career and technical education.

●    News Release

●    Photos

●    Event video

●    Event program: Full list of scholarship and award recipients

Students were awarded tools, equipment, and more than $5,300 in scholarships—resources to support their transition into the workforce or further education. Support for these scholarships comes from partnering organizations, including the MetroED Foundation, McKinley Educational Initiative, Los Altos Sunset Rotary Club, West Valley-Mission Community College, and former MetroED Superintendent Alyssa Lynch.

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