West Contra Costa Schools to Have New Executive Directors

By Kimberly S Wetzel West County Times

West Contra Costa leaders hope a new organizational staffing model will mean improved communication and an easier way to address problems this school year.

District leaders recently created a new structure in which executive directors serve as the point people to address the needs of students, parents, staff and school-level administrators.

The directors — Vince Rhea, Doris Avalos and Linda Jackson — will oversee West Contra Costa “families” divided by the district’s six high school feeder patterns. A “family” consists of all elementary and middle schools in a high school attendance area.

“It’s one of those things that when you look at it, you think, ‘why haven’t we been doing that all along,’” West Contra Costa Superintendent Bruce Harter said. “It’s been a really good initiative for us.”

Harter said associate superintendent Wendell Greer shepherded the idea in order to increase communication on everything from school culture to school site plans and attendance. It also gets the various school principals in the families talking about things like how to streamline academic plans and help prevent students in need of extra help from falling through the cracks.

It is a departure from the district’s previous structure in which one regional superintendent was in charge of all elementaries while another oversaw secondary schools. The new plan was partially initiated last year with success. The idea is that all the principals work together toward common goals and the system is more “user-friendly”, Greer said.

“I think the communication is a lot cleaner,” Greer said. “I see a better sense of service.”

Rhea is in charge of the Hercules and De Anza high families, while Avalos oversees Pinole and Richmond high families and Jackson is executive director of the Kennedy and El Cerrito High families. The directors were on hand at their schools Tuesday to help on the first day of school.

Greer said the model is working well so far. “We’re building a solid team to help our schools,” Greer said.

“I hate to be corny, but it just feels more like a family.”

Reach Kimberly S. Wetzel at kwetzel@bayareanewsgroup.com.

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