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News Feb 23, 2022
Photo courtesy of Uptown Whittier Improvement Association/Twitter
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The Whittier Union High School District Board of Trustees has named Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Monica Oviedo as the district’s next superintendent, it was announced Wednesday.
Oviedo, who has been a teacher and administrator in the district for 25 years, was chosen during Tuesday’s board meeting to succeed Martin J. Plourde, who will retire in June.
According to the announcement from the district, Oviedo was chosen “for her long record of achievement at Whittier Union, the enthusiasm with which she has implemented the district’s vision of doing `whatever it takes’ to ensure student success, and her embrace of the ethnic and cultural diversity of the students, parents and community she serves.”
“I am humbled, honored and thrilled to serve the Whittier Union students and staff in this new capacity,” Oviedo said in a statement released by the district.
“I am also very grateful to the Board of Trustees for their faith and confidence, and I look forward to continuing to support our collaborative culture so that our students will be successful.”
Oviedo’s appointment follows “extensive discussions by the Board of Trustees and widespread outreach that engaged district stakeholders and community members,” the district said.
The outreach included an online survey and two input sessions — one virtual meeting for district staff and one in-person session with the public — seeking input on what qualities the community was looking for in a superintendent.
“In general, community feedback called for a collaborative, student- focused leader who valued, and wanted to continue to enhance, the WUHSD culture of achievement,” according to the district.
The district received feedback from 6,843 community members via social media, while families and staff were also contacted via email. More than 450 people responded to the survey, according to the district.
“The Board of Trustees is extremely grateful to our community members for the thoughtful and extensive feedback they provided to us during the selection process,” Board President Russell Castañeda-Calleros said.
“After much deliberation, the board is proud to announce Dr. Monica Oviedo as the next superintendent of this district, and we are certain that our legacy of excellence will continue under her leadership.”
Oviedo began her Whittier Union career in 1997 as a social studies teacher at Pioneer High School and has held a number of administrative posts since then. She has been in her current position since 2020.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA in 1990, a master’s in education from USC in 1999 and a doctorate in educational leadership from USC in 2004.
Plourde has worked for Whittier Union for more than 30 years, the last six as superintendent.
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