Most of the Morgan Hill School District
’s principals and staff showed up Monday night to meet
Superintendent Alan Nishino – the district’s new leader.
Most of the Morgan Hill School District’s principals and staff showed up Monday night to meet Superintendent Alan Nishino – the district’s new leader.
School Board President Shellé Thomas welcomed Nishino to the district, telling those who attended the meeting and reception and the tape-delayed television audience about the qualities that prompted trustees to select him as the new superintendent.
“He has 34 years of devotion to education,” she said. “He has a passion for doing what is best for kids, for doing what will benefit the education of all students.”
Nishino’s focus on student success, Thomas said, was a deciding factor in the decision to hire him.
“We are extremely enthusiastic about Dr. Nishino becoming a part of our team,” she said. “And to becoming a ‘Class A’ school district.”
Nishino said he had the opportunity to meet many of the district staff earlier in the day.
“You have a great group, a great staff,” he said. “And we can always make it greater. We have the opportunity here to really put a star on Morgan Hill … I am really honored and privileged the board members have confidence in me, community members have confidence in me. Every kid does count, those at the adult school as well as the preschool.”
Nishino, 57, will begin his third superintendent position when he begins his job July 1. He served as superintendent for Alameda School District for five years; before Alameda, his first position as superintendent was with the Castaic School District in Southern California. He has also worked as a teacher and a coach during his career.
Although he won’t officially move into his new office until July 1, Nishino’s already making his presence felt: During Monday’s very brief special School Board meeting before the official reception, he asked Thomas to pull an item off the consent agenda and treat it as an action item.
The item was authorization for the adoption of a new textbook for AP (advance placement) Biology courses next year.
Sobrato High Principal Rich Knapp told trustees the reason for the haste is that the current textbook used by the district is out of print, and while district staff are attempting to find and purchase used copies of the current textbook, board approval of a new textbook is necessary in case used copies are difficult or impossible to locate.
Nishino spoke up at the end of the meeting as Thomas called for a motion to adjourn. The textbook approval item had been pulled from the consent portion of the agenda but not acted on.
The trustees voted unanimously to approve the new textbook.
Members of the Morgan Hill educational community, and other Morgan Hill officials, turned out in force Monday night at a reception in honor of Nishino following the brief special board meeting.
Steve Kinsella, president of Gavilan College and Morgan Hill resident, Sam Weaver from Congressman Richard Pombo’s office, Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dan Ehrler and City Councilman Greg Sellers were all present Monday to welcome and shake the hand of Morgan Hill’s newest educational leader. Principals of the district’s high schools, middle schools and most of the elementary schools also attended the reception to meet their new boss.
Donna Foster, president of the Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers, and Kathy Keith of the Service Employees International Union, as well as Mary Smathers of Extreme Learning and one of the founders of the Morgan Hill Charter School also came to welcome Nishino.
Morgan Hill resident Harlan Warthen, a self-described “board watcher” who was a regular attendee of school board meetings, was present Monday night. He said he was very optimistic about the state of the district in Nishino’s hands.
“He has an excellent background,” he said. “I have all the confidence in the world that he’s going to do what’s right.”
Warthen said the departure of Superintendent Carolyn McKennan, who chose not to seek renewal of her contract which expires June 30, is “long overdue.”
“She brought the district to a standstill during the last few years,” he said. “She brought the morale of the district to a new low … I think the district and the community are embracing the idea of change. I see Nishino getting the district moving forward again, in the right direction.”
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at md****@*************es.com or phoning (408)779-4106 Ext. 202.
