Superintendent takes job in Sacramento
Published in the June 26, 3013 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Wes Smith
Photo by Marty Cheek: Chiquy Mejia, youth development coordinator for the city of Morgan Hill, and Morgan Hill Unified School District Superintendent Wes Smith at a goodbye function for Smith, who is leaving the Morgan Hill Unified School District. The reception was held at the district to honor the outgoing educator. He recently accepted the position of Executive Director of Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). His new position is effective July 1.
Some weeks remind me of how very blessed I am. One day we celebrated my wife Julie’s birthday, another we celebrated our 20th anniversary, and the next day we celebrated our oldest daughter Jordan’s high school graduation. Reflecting on these occasions got me thinking of the many blessings my family has enjoyed living in Morgan Hill and serving the communities within the Morgan Hill Unified School District.
I feel blessed to have served such an exceptional board. Ours is a courageous board that makes decisions based on what is best for our students regardless of how unpopular those decisions might be. They do their homework, they attend countless district and community events, and they participate in professional/trustee development opportunities so they can be the expert representatives our students deserve.
I feel blessed to have worked with so many dedicated staff members. MHUSD employees put the needs of students first. They are dedicated professionals who give so much more than they are contractually obligated or paid to give. They believe in collaboration and have worked cooperatively to bring very significant innovations to MHUSD in a very short time frame — namely benchmark assessments, weekly collaboration periods to discuss student performance and assign appropriate interventions, district-wide training and implementation of an English Language Development program, and a successful general obligation bond campaign. I am also very grateful to have worked with amazing union leaders who put the needs of students ahead of the needs of adults. This is not to say that they did not advocate strongly for their members. They did. They advocated, however, with the interests of students as a priority.
Wes Smith
Speaking of feeling blessed to have worked with amazing staff, I cannot adequately express in words how Julie Zintsmaster, my assistant, has blessed my life and the lives of my family as well. Julie is as passionate about supporting our students and ensuring their successful futures as anyone with whom I have worked. She is kind, respectful, extremely hardworking and bright. She builds as many positive, productive relationships between our community and our school district as anyone on staff. She has been my compass and my calendar. She will always be my friend.
I count the opportunity to work with the Morgan Hill community a great blessing as well. Morgan Hill is an amazing community full of individuals who work together to ensure its success. Our home and school club parents spend countless hours raising funds for and supporting their respective schools, providing enrichment activities for students, classroom supplies for teachers and expertise in many areas. The service groups in Morgan Hill also support our schools, our employees, and most importantly, our students. Among other things, they provide thousands of dollars each year in scholarships so our students can pursue their dreams. The Teacher’s Aid Coalition raises funds and provides materials for our classrooms.
The Chamber of Commerce has started Rock the Mock and brought Rachel’s Challenge to our community to encourage more peaceful, respectful and tolerant learning environments. Project Roadmap puts on annual conferences and workshops to help some of our neediest students get to and succeed in college. We have also had parents and community members come together to plan and host two Parent University conferences to give parents the tools they need to support their students. Our students have also benefited by great leadership at the city of Morgan Hill, from our city council and from our police chief.
Most importantly, I have been blessed to serve the students in the Morgan Hill Unified School District. They are amazing young men and women with limitless potential. They excel in and out of the classroom and will undoubtedly make positive contributions to our community, our state, our country and our planet. They are my motivation and my inspiration.
Morgan Hill, thank you. I will miss you. Always.
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Wes Smith was hired in 2010 to replace Alan Nishino. He recently accepted the position of Executive Director of Association of School Administrators. He and his family will be moving to Sacramento. Wes, we will miss you!
