Andrea Castañeda named new Salem-Keizer Public Schools superintendent

Andrea Castañeda, head of Tulsa (Oklahoma) Public Schools’ personnel office, will be the next Salem-Keizer Public Schools superintendent.

The Salem-Keizer School Board voted unanimously to hire Castañeda Tuesday night and approved a contract with a starting base salary of $285,000 per year.

"Public schools are our most important institutions, and the joyful and challenging and important work of leading it is – it’s a privilege to spend a lifetime doing it, and it will be a privilege to spend the 24 hours in my days and 7 days in my weeks doing it in Salem-Keizer with all of you," Castañeda said following the vote.

Castañeda, 45, has worked in education for more than 20 years, and has been in cabinet-level roles for more than a decade.

“I’m so thrilled and excited to be joining the Salem-Keizer team,” she said in an interview with the Statesman Journal Tuesday. “I’m eager and excited to bring what I’ve learned and my skills, energy and optimism to Salem-Keizer."

Tulsa district issues

Castañeda joined Tulsa Public Schools as chief innovation officer in July 2017.

She was promoted to interim head of the personnel office in June, according to the Tulsa World, replacing Devin Fletcher, who resigned during an investigation into claims that a contractor made improper payments to district employees.

Another Tulsa World article reported district officials said they'd found nearly $20,000 in contract management irregularities within the personnel office, which had occurred about two years prior. Officials at the time said they were working with law enforcement to investigate the payments.

Castañeda’s appointment was made permanent in January. Her official title is chief talent and equity officer.

Tulsa Public Schools, Oklahoma’s largest school district, has 33,873 students, compared with Salem-Keizer’s 40,319.

The district has been the subject of several scandals recently.

In July, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt called for an audit of the district’s spending of federal emergency COVID-19 funds. The audit has not been released.

The district was closed for more than 300 days during the pandemic, despite receiving more than $200 million in federal funds meant to minimize school disruptions, the governor said.

Castañeda had spearheaded the district’s COVID-19 response.

In August, the Oklahoma Board of Education downgraded the district’s accreditation for violating a controversial new state law prohibiting the teaching of some aspects of implicit bias training, after a teacher complained about a training video.

Oklahoma House Bill 1775, passed in 2021, prohibits, among other things, teaching that any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex. The district has challenged the downgrade.

Still, Castañeda said she was not looking to leave Tulsa.

“I’m wanting to join the Salem-Keizer team. There’s so much opportunity and potential and I just really want to be a part of it,” she said.

Castañeda officially begins in Salem July 1. But her contract calls for her to visit for a week every month until then so she can begin meeting with community members, students and parents.

Lack of public input

Last summer, Superintendent Christy Perry announced she would retire at the end of this school year, on June 30.

Unlike during previous searches, the Salem-Keizer school board has chosen to keep the process under wraps.

The board did not announce the finalists, and has not provided any public opportunities to meet with or ask questions of those candidates.

The district did ask the public early in the process for input on the type of candidates they'd like to see, and then allowed a select group of about 35 parents, district staff, students and community members to meet with them under conditions of anonymity.

On Tuesday, the school board chose its new superintendent in a virtual-only meeting, with no opportunity for public comment. Supplemental documents typically provided in advance, which included details on the three-year superintendent contract, were not publicly available until shortly before the meeting.

Professional, family background

Castañeda previously spent six years at the Rhode Island Department of Education.

She served as the department’s chief of accelerating school performance from March 2010 through May 2014, and as chief of fiscal integrity and statewide efficiencies from May 2014 through February 2016.

Castañeda worked for the Providence School District in Rhode Island from February 2006 through May 2010, serving as facilitator of school improvement, planning and accountability.

She began her career as a part-time high school social studies teacher and athletic coach.

Castañeda holds a bachelor's degree in education studies, history and policy from Brown University and a master's degree in education policy and management from Harvard University.

“Andrea has committed her life to public education because she understands the opportunity and choice-filled life that public education makes possible,” Salem-Keizer district officials said in a news release Tuesday.

Castañeda lived in Oregon during part of her childhood. She has been married for more than 20 years and has two daughters, ages 18 and 24.

About 45% of Salem-Keizer students identify as Latino. The district in its release also noted Castañeda's background.

“She comes from a white and Mexican family that, on both sides, is one generation from barely getting by,” the district said. “Public schools lifted her family upward and forward, and she is committed to providing that same opportunity to the students of Salem-Keizer.”

School board members said they were pleased with the process and with their hire.

“There were a number of qualities that made Andrea my top pick, but the one that stands out, especially for our community, is that she comes from two cultures,” board member Marty Heyen said.  “And I’m hoping that because she comes from two different cultures, she’ll have a good understanding of our community and be able to bring us all together. “

Board member Osvaldo Avila said he was excited to have Castañeda step in as the next superintendent.

"I was really impressed by her educational background, the way she approached speaking points during her interview," he said. “I think it’s going to be quite a different contrast and is really going to elevate our systems to really take Salem-Keizer school district to the very next level."

Tracy Loew covers the environment at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips to tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem-Keizer Public Schools names Andrea Castañeda as superintendent