Not too long ago, Edwin Diaz rode in on the white horse and came
to the rescue when our community finished off a lengthy search for
a new superintendent and found all the candidates lacking.
Not too long ago, Edwin Diaz rode in on the white horse and came to the rescue when our community finished off a lengthy search for a new superintendent and found all the candidates lacking.
Bob Kraemer, then a school board member, led the charge to lure Mr. Diaz from his post in the Oak Grove School District and thus began Mr. Diaz’s great adventure back at home in the community he grew up in.
There probably won’t be anyone in Pasadena, where Mr. Diaz is headed after his last day at the helm of the Gilroy Unified School District Friday, who will call him “Buttons,” or remember any misspent incidents from his youth.
Alas, we wish his departure for a new challenge came at the end of a school year. That would make a fond farewell simpler. But such is life.
In his six-plus years, Mr. Diaz has led numerous initiatives to better the community and this district. Neighborhood schools are in place, a huge transition from the frenetic and dubious system that relied on often flimsy “magnet” programs to attract students and parents.
The move to neighborhood schools stems from a dual philosophy aimed at improving chances for all students. First, the closer the parents and children are to the school the more likely they are to be involved. Two, neighborhood schools help to standardize and stabilize expectations for students. Curriculum is freed from the mumbo jumbo intertwined with magnet programs and, when this happens, the expectations for the third grade student at Glen View School are more easily aligned with, say, those at Luigi Aprea School.
Our facilities are in far better shape than six years ago. There are certainly big challenges left – most notably the building of a second high school – but new schools like Solorsano Middle School and Antonio del Buono are top notch and older schools have received needed repairs and upgrades.
Mr. Diaz has also led an effort to integrate technology into day-to-day school affairs. Mass phone messages can be left at home, many teachers are posting homework and grades on the Web (thank you to them) and the there are far better computer capabilities on all our campuses.
Student performance has also improved, and, yes, there’s a long way to go. But the conversation now is about measurable classroom results, best teaching practices, accountability and even alternative compensation for teachers. And honors classes have been restored at the high school.
Mr. Diaz also has been fair with the unions – a certain test to try one’s patience.
But most importantly he genuinely cares about students demonstrating a belief that a good education is often the key to a productive and happy life. Thank you, Edwin, and best wishes in Pasadena.
