San Bruno Park School District Welcomes Superintendent José Espinoza

South San Francisco, CA   May 14, 2020 Submitted by Robert Riechel Reports

In action taken on May 13^th, 2020, San Bruno Park School District Board of Trustees voted to appoint José Espinoza to become the District’s next Superintendent (Trustee Jennifer Blanco dissenting). The appointment is effective July 1, 2020.

An educator for twenty-four years, Mr. Espinoza is currently Assistant Superintendent in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, which serves 30,000 students. He joined that district in 2011, quickly advancing to Principal then Director of English Learner Services before assuming his current role. His teaching experience spans elementary through high school. Mr. Espinoza holds degrees in political science and educational administration from UC Berkeley and California, State University Fresno, respectively. Mr. Espinoza is on track this year to complete his Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from UC Davis

San Bruno Park serves a culturally, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse student body; 40 percent of the students are English Language Learners. Mr. Espinoza, brings to the position of Superintendent a rare combination of educational leadership experience, passion for his profession and the difference teaching can/must make in the lives of all children, and a personal background growing up in poverty in an immigrant family. Further, Mr. Espinoza has experience implementing bond projects.

Important to San Bruno Park, Mr. Espinoza is a strong believer in the power of community and its necessary role in partnership with schools. This will be especially valuable in moving the District forward with the Portrait of the Graduate work, incorporated into strong strategic planning that is focused on the power of teamwork to move students forward in positive ways.

“The Board is very impressed with Mr. Espinoza’s grasp of the necessity to focus the District on school improvement and within that context, to empower a community to define academic expectations for student learning”, commented Board President Teri Chavez.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Espinoza shared, “At an early age, I became a public education activist, believing that all students must have equitable access to high quality educational outcomes. I am confident that my personal and professional experience and skills are a positive fit to embrace the challenges San Bruno Park faces, especially now with responding to the delivery of education in the face of COVID 19. The District has embarked on significant transformation work: Schools with Tomorrow Inside and Portrait of the Graduate. I am excited to provide new leadership to move these efforts forward in the best interest of all of San Bruno’s children, which will enhance the San Bruno community as a whole”.

The father of three children ranging in age from college to freshman in high school, Mr. Espinoza considers his family to be his other primary focus/interest and delights in spending time with his wife, also an educator, attending their children’s extensive sports activities and other family time.