Appreciation for those who keep the engines running
Roseville, CA- We’ve been faced with many changes to our lives in the last year – changes none of us saw coming. With each change and update to school reopening guidance, the first question in my mind has been, “How can we push forward and how do we best serve students?” RJUHSD teachers and staff have been our rock; a team of educators, nurses and support staff who we can count on time and time again. As changes kept coming, RJUHSD stood strong together, navigating the changes one day at a time and I couldn’t be more appreciative of all they have done.
This is why this year’s Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week means more to me than ever before. During the first week of May, we encourage you to join us in thanking a district staff member, nurse or teacher for their part in keeping the engines running. Thank you for all you do, RJUHSD teachers, nurses and staff!
Earlier this year, RJUHSD made a commitment to better understand our approach to equity, access and transformation to reimagine a better world for all. Since 2015, RJUHSD has been working to face huge challenges in regards to systemic racism and institutional biases, a journey that required the voices and input of our community members. We concluded a three-part forum series in April that addressed equity and access issues right here in our community. The first step in any changemaking journey is better understanding where our gaps fall. Thank you to the students, staff and parents who joined, lent their voices to the discussion and helped us forge a clearer path to next steps in our journey.
Newly Appointed Superintendent
Lastly, I’d like to offer my congratulations to John Becker, RJUHSD’s newly appointed superintendent who will succeed me after my retirement at the end of this school year. Mr. Becker has been part of the RJUHSD family since 2007 and in education for 26 years. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Student Engagement and is an executive committee member for the California Interscholastic Federation, which oversees all high school athletics in California. Prior to working at the district office, he was the founding principal at Antelope High School for 11 years and implemented the region’s first full offering of Project Lead the Way, leading to national recognition. As my career in public education comes to a close, I am confident RJUHSD is left in the very capable hands of Mr. Becker. I wish him, and the district, all the best.
