Morgan Hill Unified Superintendent Steve Betando announced the hiring of two new principals and one assistant principal at the June 24 Board of Education meeting.
At Central Continuation High School, new principal Ann Marie Cobarrubias will be tasked to fill the void left by beloved leader Irene Macias-Morriss, who retired this month after more than 30 years in education — the last 11 serving the district’s most at-risk teenagers. Cobarrubias spent the last three years as an administrator at San Jose Unified School District’s alternative education program, Learning Options.
“I’m thrilled to be in Morgan Hill,” said Cobarrubias, noting her goal of bringing the very best education to the kids who have the highest need. “I’m very excited to be part of this district and working with people who really do put children first.”
At Barrett Elementary School, MaryAlice Callahan will take over the ranks as principal, after serving in several capacities at the elementary, middle and high school levels with MHUSD since coming to the district in 1995.
“I’m just thrilled to join the team,” said Callahan, who was a mathematics teacher at Sobrato during the 2013-14 school year. “Morgan Hill is a fabulous place to work…This is a place that cares deeply about children.”
At Martin Murphy Middle School, Alex Aasen—the social studies department chair—was promoted to assistant principal. He has been at Martin Murphy since 2008.
“It’s been a great seven years working as a teacher at Martin Murphy,” said Aasen, who has been integral part of the implementation of new technology at the middle school site. “I’m very much looking forward to taking Martin Murphy to that next level.”
Earlier in the month, Claudia Olaciregui was hired as the new principal at San Martin/Gwinn Elementary, which will reopen in fall 2014 as an environmental science focus academy. Olaciregui replaces the retired Kathy Yeager.
The one remaining administrator vacancy, left open by Elvia Teixeira’s resignation, is the principal position at P.A. Walsh Elementary, which is opening up in fall 2014 as a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics focus academy.
No school board meeting in July
The Board voted 6-0 (Board President Don Moody was not present) to cancel the previously scheduled July 22 school board meeting.
Therefore, there will be no school board meeting in July and the next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 12 at the 15600 Concord Circle district office. Closed session begins at 5 p.m. Public session starts at 6 p.m.
Additionally, the district office will be closed on Fridays from June 20 through July 18. It will remain open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday during that time.
New employee contracts ratified
By identical 6-0 votes, the Board ratified two new tentative contracts with employee bargaining groups.
The board approved a contract with the classified staff’s Service Employees International Union, effective retroactive to July 2013 through June 2016, which includes a 5 percent pay raise. And a new agreement with the administrators’ Morgan Hill Educational Leaders Association, effective July 2014, includes approximately a 3.5 percent pay raise at different variables on the salary scale.
At the June 10 meeting, the Board voted 7-0 to ratify a new contract with the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers in a deal that included a 6 percent pay raise.
