This was the local media's first chance to size up the man chosen to lead PUSD at a pivotal moment as the District faces declining enrollments and budgets, a more watchful and involved City Council, and calls for dramatic change.

Diaz, who is currently the $175,000-a-year Superintendent of the Gilroy Unified School District in Northern California, was unanimously selected at a special meeting of the Board of Education on Tuesday night.

A start date has not been determined since contract negotiations are underway, although March has been mentioned by some as likely.

Pending the results of negotiations, the Board has said its intent is to approve a contract for Diaz at its next regular Board Meeting on Tuesday, January 9, 2007.

     Over the past week, the Board interviewed seven candidates who best met the profile that was developed after receiving input from the community and staff.  After an initial round of interviews three candidates were selected for a second interview.

     Following those interviews, Diaz was selected as the top candidate.  Board President Peter Soelter, Vice President Scott Phelps, Member Ed Honowitz, and Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, Altadena Town Council Chairman Ken Balder and Sierra Madre Mayor John Buchanan conducted a site visit this past weekend.  They spoke with district administrators, parents, principals, teachers and union representatives.

Mayor Bogaard, Chairman Balder, and Mayor Buchanan all expressed their positive impression of the candidate, and their belief that he had the strength and characteristics that would be important for his success in PUSD.  Among other things, they were impressed by his integrity, his collaborative decision-making style, his work ethic and his successes.

Diaz has been the superintendent for Gilroy Unified School, a district of 10,000 students located in central California, for six years.  During that time, he has been credited with leading an aggressive district wide improvement effort that has resulted in improved instructional programs to meet the diverse needs of Gilroy's student population, implementing an accountability system, and significantly improving the quality of school facilities.

 "We are very pleased that this outstanding superintendent is considering joining our district," said PUSD Board President Peter Soelter.  "His previous successes in improving student achievement, closing the achievement gap, engaging the community in building a strong public education system, and working collaboratively with staff, are just a few of the reasons why we selected him over an excellent field of candidates."

 

A Biography of Edwin Diaz [From Staff Research and PUSD Press Release]    For the past six years, Edwin Diaz has served as Superintendent of the Gilroy Unified School District (GUSD), a district of about 10,000 students in Central California. During his tenure, he reportedly focused on turning the district into a collaborative environment where teachers meet in data teams and an emphasis is placed on “improvement planning” for all schools.     Some in Gilroy credit him with reversing the school district’s three-year trend of declining test scores.     “While Edwin has many strengths, I believe his ability to create a vision and to unshakably focus everyone on the goals were the most critical to his moving the District back to respectability,” said Bob Kraemer, a Past President and member of the Gilroy Board of Education.  “As California faced significant budget cuts, Edwin proactively avoided budget crises that plagued may districts by ensuring reductions were made where they least impacted the students and were implemented early on.”     The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce selected Diaz as their Educator of the Year in 2002.  In 2005, while under Diaz’s leadership, GUSD’s reform effort to increase student achievement was profiled in a special report “Leading for Learning” published by the national education newspaper, Education Week.     Prior to his role as superintendent of GUSD, Diaz served as an Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources at the Oak Grove Elementary School District.  In this capacity, he was responsible for the District’s Visioning Process, implementing the Closing the Achievement Gap Plan, staff development and support for new teachers.      In 1998, he was selected Human Resources Administrator of the Year, Region 8, by the Association of California School Administrators.     Diaz has also been the Executive Director of Human Resources and Secondary Education for GUSD and the principal for the Mt. Madonna Continuation High School where he restructured the academic program and developed comprehensive student support services.  The school was recognized as a California State Model Continuation High School during his tenure.     Diaz began his academic career as a Social Science Teacher, Social Science Department Chair and Head Varsity Football Coach.  He also served as an Assistant Principal.     He has had extensive leadership training, including attending the American Leadership Forum-Silicon Valley, the Sentium Leadership Institute and the Stupski Foundation “Leaders As Learners” Academy.      Diaz received his Master of Arts degree from San Jose State University and his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Chico State University.      A Gilroy native, Diaz is married and has two daughters.  One is a teacher in the Oak Grove system and the other is a student at Bethany College in West Virginia.     “For the last couple of years there have been rumors, and (Edwin) certainly is a valuable commodity,” said outgoing Board Member Jim Rogers in the Gilroy Dispatch newspaper.  “Edwin’s in prime time.  He’s in his early 50’s he’s had some success, and he’s certainly known all over California…I endorse his work and I obviously think it’s going to be big shoes to fill.”

With thanks to Larry J. Mickartz for the photographs of Edwin Diaz