WATSONVILLE — Thousands of students across Pajaro Valley Unified School District will return to class Wednesday, beginning a yearlong journey of new teachers, subjects and friends.
Many will also find new administrators, with eight people set to take new leadership positions.
The district has also hired several new employees for managerial roles.
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Mayra Fernandez is now the principal of Hall District Elementary School, fresh from a stint as Coordinator of Academics and Instruction at that school.
Fernandez has two master’s degrees, one in teaching from Bethany University and the second in educational administration from Santa Clara University.
At H.A. Hyde Elementary School, new principal Jennifer Hofkins most recently served as Academic Coordinator at Radcliff Elementary.
Hofkins holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership and an Administrative Services Credential from San Jose State University, a teaching credential from UC Santa Cruz, and a BA in Child Development from San Jose SU. She has been with PVUSD since becoming a teacher in 1999.
Rafael Ramirez, who has been principal at Alianza Charter School and assistant principal at E.A. Hall Middle School, is now principal of New School.
Ramirez has a master’s degree in education administration from San Jose State University, a second master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC Santa Cruz. He began his career in education in 2001 as an elementary teacher.
Andrew Singleton, who has served as principal of Renaissance High School, worked as a health teacher at Aptos High School and worked as a principal at schools in Arizona, is now interim principal for Pacific Coast Charter School.
Now principal at Alianza Charter School, Veronica Aguilar has also served at that school since 2005 as summer school coach, head summer school principal, migrant education supplemental teacher, assistant principal and teacher.
Aguilar has a master’s degree in educational leadership from San Jose State University, received her teaching credential from Bethany College and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UC Santa Cruz.
Josh Philips is the new assistant principal of Aptos Junior High School, but his experience as an educator began in 2005. He most recently served as an assistant principal in a demographically similar district.
Philips has a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy studies from California State Northridge, a California credential and a B.A. from UC Santa Barbara.
New Mar Vista Elementary School Academic Coordinator Laura Smith has more than 14 years of experience as a bilingual teacher.
She has served as a teacher at Radcliff Elementary School since 2016.
Charles Campbell is Watsonville High School’s newest assistant principal. He is currently assistant principal at Somerset Middle School in Monterey, and served in a similar capacity at Rancho San Justo in Hollister.
Campbell taught elementary grades in Iowa, Alaska and Peru. He taught biology and physical science in Kansas.
Campbell has a master’s degree in international school administration and a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences.
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District leadership
Michael Berman is the district’s new director of equity in the Education Services Department. He received his master’s degree in education administration from San Jose State University and his B.A. in psychology from UC Santa Cruz.
Berman began his career in education in 1999 as a soccer coach and substitute teacher. He began his work as a teacher at PVUSD in 2003.
He has served as principal at H.A. Hyde Elementary School since 2012.
The PVUSD Special Education Local Plan Area has two new program directors, Kerry Le Roux and Geri Fippin.
Le Roux has a master’s degree in education administration and supervision from San Jose State University and a B.A. in educational psychology from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Le Roux began her teaching career in 1994, becoming an assistant principal in 2012 and most recently worked as a principal.
Fippin was most recently principal at Soquel Elementary School. She has a teaching credential in special education and an administrative studies credential from San Francisco State University.
Susie Alarcon will serve the Child Development Department as Teen Parenting Coordinator.
Alarcon has worked at San Benito High as a career and technical education teacher in Hollister. She has served as a special education preschool teacher; California student and family education coordinator/case manager, infant/toddler center director and ROP vocational child development instructor.
She was also a preschool teacher for Gilroy Unified School District.
Alarcon has associate’s degrees in child development and fashion merchandising.
Sonia Heredia will serve as the coordinator of program operations for the PVUSD Child Development Department.
Heredia has since 1997 served as an early childhood education master teacher at the Monterey County Office of Education, Migrant Programs.
She has also served as a site supervisor and early childhood education instruction leader. Heredia has an associate’s degree in child development, a bachelor’s degree in human development and a master’s degree in leadership education.
Sandra Sanchez is the new operations supervisor for the district’s Food Services Department.
She has served as the director of child nutrition services in Scotts Valley since 2013.
Sanchez also managed the Boardwalk Bowl Café Restaurant and served as a teacher’s assistant at Cabrillo College Children’s Center. She has an associate’s degree in liberal arts from Cabrillo College and is taking Humanity and Social Services classes at San Jose State University.
