Dr. Heather Contreras is the new superintendent of Pajaro Valley Unified School District, the largest in Santa Cruz County with 14,673 students, 44% English learners, schools in Aptos, Watsonville, Corralitos, Freedom and in Monterey County.
Dr. Heather Contreras
She will start in May, succeeding Dr. Michelle Rodriguez who now heads the Stockton Unified School District and Murry Schekman, Pajaro Valley’s interim superintendent.
Her salary is $242,000.
She comes from Modesto City Schools, where she has been assistant superintendent of school leadership for the past four years. Modesto City Schools has about 30,000 students with 25% English learners.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Heather Contreras as our new superintendent,” said Board President Georgia Acosta. “With her decades of experience in educational Leadership and her dedication to student empowerment we are confident she will be an administrator that will guide our district with passion and a sense of purpose.”
Acosta added, “With Dr. Contreras’ diverse background in educating students, assisting teachers, and her development of programs we know she will be able to take on any new task or challenge and complete it successfully with our students’ best interest in mind. We are excited to work with her in ensuring our students success.”
Contreras has worked in education for 22 years.
She earned her educational credentials at CSU Stanislaus, bachelor’s magna cum laude, master’s in education and a doctorate in educational leadership and education.
She started out as a principal in the Delhi Unified School District, joined Modesto City Schools in 2014, and began teaching part-time at CSU Stanislaus, working to working to prepare teachers for an administrative credential.
She lives in Turlock.
Contreras was appointed by the board March 13.
Her contract calls for a 2% raise upon a positive annual evaluation, with the potential for five such increases, a coach for the first 12 months not to exceed $15,000, a $600 a month auto allowance, reimbursement of up to $300 a month to attend meetings to represent the district, permission to do outside speaking, consulting and writing during non-work hours with prior board approval, and retiree health insurance coverage after 10 years of service.
During the interview process, she shared, “My driving force is to positively impact students and make a difference in their lives through providing students access to the highest quality learning. The dedication to improved outcomes for students continues to be the focus of the work I do every day.”
She voiced the importance of collaboration and teamwork, saying, “The success of any organization is the development of all people in the system – from the classroom to the boardroom. Strong systems for building leadership capacity and developing leadership in others is paramount to any district’s success. I look forward to working collaboratively with the Pajaro Valley team to continue to build a system of success for the community.”
Contreras is a member of the California Educational Partners Collaborative, a network of educators examining ways to improve student outcomes, such as helping students graduate with the A-G series of courses that qualify them to attend a four-year university. Statewide, the graduation rate tops 82% but only 50% take courses that make them eligible for college.
As Contreras begins to learn about PVUSD, she will invite residents to meet with her as she starts a “Look, Listen, and Learn” journey to understand what is working well, and to engage in discussion about next steps.