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On
December 1, 2003, the Sacramento City Unified School District Board of
Education unanimously voted to appoint Dr. Maggie Mejia as its 23rd
superintendent. She began her tenure on Jan. 5, 2004. Previous to her
service in Sacramento, she led the Montebello Unified School District.
Dr. Mejia led a team of internal and external stakeholders to develop
a strategic plan entitled “Success for Every Student by Name” with
clearly articulated priorities, objectives, and accountability. She
has worked to close the achievement gap and convened a community task
force whose recommendations were incorporated into the strategic plan.
This work has led to four years of improved student achievement
trends. Dr. Mejia has focused on creating a culture of continuous
improvement. She has emphasized parent and community engagement as
well as strengthening existing partnerships and creating new school
and District partners.
Among other accomplishments, Dr. Mejia has led two innovative
initiatives in Sacramento: becoming the first district in California
to earn international certification from ISO 9001 for standardizing
procedures and practices at the central office and undertaking a
rigorous district review with the guidance of the Annenberg Institute
for School Reform. Only ten districts in the nation have engaged in
the process designed to improve centralized support services for
students and schools. In 2007, Dr. Mejia directed creation of a middle
school task force to undertake reforms at the middle school level
leading to major support and staff development for teachers and
students.
Besides her extensive professional credentials, Dr. Mejia was named
ACSA Superintendent of the Year in June 2006. She also received
recognition from the prestigious Western Association of Schools and
Colleges (WASC). Honors and professional recognition include the
Milken National Educator of the Year, and most recently she was one of
two California superintendents selected by State Superintendent Jack
O’Connell to represent the state at the National Academy of
Superintendents in Ohio. She currently serves on State Senator Darrell
Steinberg’s Hispanic Advisory Committee.
Other honors and professional recognition include ACSA Region III
Superintendent of the Year, the first annual Administrator of the Year
award from the California Association for Bilingual Education, Milken
National Educator of the Year, State Senator Martha Escutia’s Woman of
the Year for the 30th State Senate District and the LULAC Educator of
the Year award.
Dr. Mejia began her career in education at the Sweetwater Union High
School District, serving as a classroom teacher for four years at
Sweetwater High School and Mar Vista High School. She then became a
district-level curriculum specialist and later an assistant principal
at Chula Vista High School.
In 1983, Dr. Mejia began working for the Anaheim Union High School
District, as the district curriculum administrator and principal of
Anaheim High School for seven years. She later served as principal at
Savanna High School for five years.
In 1996, Dr. Mejia became the assistant superintendent for
instructional services for the Montebello Unified School District. In
February 1999, she was appointed superintendent.
Dr. Mejia has an impressive list of credentials, obtaining her
master’s degree in Multicultural Education from California State
University, San Diego, where she also earned her undergraduate degree.
In 2000, she received her Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational
Policy and Administration from the University of Southern California.
In addition to her extensive professional credentials, Dr. Mejia also
maintains very active extracurricular involvement in professional
organizations. Dr. Mejia is president-elect of the Capital Chapter of
the Association of California School Administrators. She currently
serves as vice president for the Association of California Urban
Schools and is vice president of the School Employers Association of
California. Dr. Mejia has also served as a Western Association of
Schools and Colleges commissioner and Ed Source Board member. Dr.
Mejia currently sits on the California School Board’s Superintendent’s
Council and Condition of Children’s Council.
October 18, 2007
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