Dear Parents, Guardians, Teachers, Staff and Community:
With several developments underway in our district, we want to provide you with some important updates related to district operations and future plans.
LEADERSHIP ROLES
As you know, Superintendent Jason Yamashiro submitted his resignation effective June 30, 2019. On April 23, the Board unanimously agreed to request assistance from the Marin County Superintendent of Schools to identify an Interim Superintendent to lead the district during the 2019-20 school year. The Board will begin work to conduct a superintendent search with the goal of having a permanent superintendent identified no later than the spring of 2020.
We are pleased to announce that Rebecca Rosales (Becky) will be serving as the Interim Superintendent for our district beginning July 1. Becky is currently the Superintendent/Principal of the Waugh School District in Petaluma serving 850 students. Becky returns to Marin having previously served as a preschool, elementary and middle school teacher early in her career followed by a long history of work in the San Rafael community as Principal, Assistant Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent in the San Rafael City Schools.
The Board will continue to have the support of Walt Buster who was assigned to serve as an Advisor to the Board in March by Marin County Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke. In addition, retirees Judy Arrow and Larraine Cuhna have offered their services to the District Office as needed.
We are pleased to announce the selection of Tenisha Tate-Austin as the new Principal of Miller Creek Middle School. Tenisha is currently the Assistant Principal at Tamalpais High School and previously served as the Assistant Principal at Hall Middle School in Larkspur. We believe Tenisha will be a valuable addition to our district and we look forward to welcoming her. Current Principal Kristy Treewater will assume the role of Assistant Superintendent of Education Services in the district effective July 1.
NAME CHANGE
On April 16, the Board passed a resolution to change the name of the District. The new name will be selected by August 22. The District collected applications for an Advisory Committee charged with soliciting and filtering name ideas based on criteria approved by the Board. District names will be presented to the Board in late June. We are grateful to all of the community members who expressed an interest in participating on this committee.
We are pleased to announce that Suzanne Egan, Tracy Benning, Jason Lau, Jonathan Eldridge, Katlin Vagelatos, Darcie Case, Shahrazad Vakharia, Jane Jewell, Norm Levin, Jim Linford and Joy Dahlgren will comprise the committee membership, and we thank them in advance for their time and involvement. Their first meeting was held on May 16 and work is scheduled for completion by the June 25 Board meeting.
In addition, on May 14, the Board authorized the creation of a School Naming Advisory Committee for Dixie Elementary School. Additional information regarding committee membership and timeline will be provided to the Dixie Elementary School community by Principal Will Anderson.
BOARD TRAINING
The Board has agreed to be a part of a countywide pilot program focused on developing an effective board governance model. On May 18, the Board will participate in a workshop designed to address individual roles and practices, and meeting procedures and protocols. We are grateful to Mary Jane Burke, Marin County Superintendent of Schools, for financing this opportunity.
MILLER CREEK PORTABLE CLASSROOM PROJECT
Construction related to the replacement of the portable classrooms on Miller Creek Middle School’s campus was scheduled to occur over the summer in time for the start of school. However, we have encountered a delay at the Division of State Architect, and our timeline is currently in question. We are continuing to work on a resolution to keep the project on time but may need to prepare for a delay.
PARCEL TAX UPDATE
The Board is researching an issue related to discrepancies between the ballot initiative language which identified a 3% annual escalation clause and marketing materials which described an escalation clause of “up to” 3%. We will keep you apprised of details as this issue is researched.
RECOGNITIONS
Last week, our students celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week to honor our amazing educators who support the success of our students each day. During the week of May 19, we will celebrate the hard work and dedication of our Classified School Employees.
We are thrilled to announce the following Dixie District Golden Bell honorees who will be recognized at the annual event on May 23 at Dominican University of California.
| CERTIFICATED |
CLASSIFIED |
| Arianne Miller, Miller Creek Middle School |
Ginny Pheatt, District Office |
| Christina Kersnick, Dixie Elementary School |
Glenn Almodova, Maintenance Dept. |
| Lisa Bradley, Vallecito Elementary School |
Vernon Lee, Maintenance Dept. |
| Samantha Palmer, Mary E. Silveira Elementary |
Jan Robinson, Vallecito Elementary School |
In addition, on May 8 the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce recognized a group of teachers for their outstanding service. Our own Suzi Wayne, Resource Teacher at Mary E. Silveira, and Steve Steinberg, Music Teacher at all three Elementary School and Miller Creek Middle School, were honored. Congratulations to you both!
This is an exciting time of year for our students as they complete a successful school year. We are so very proud of their accomplishments and look forward to another fantastic year!
Sincerely,
Brad Honsberger, President
Dixie School District Board of Education
Alissa Chacko, Vice President
Dixie School District Board of Education
