Can Visalia Unified Superintendent Kirk Shrum connect the district into 'One Visalia'?
Visalia Unified School District's new leader hit the ground running with changes from the school sites to the district office. Now, a month after taking over and a day away from the start of school, he's aiming at culture districtwide.
Superintendent Kirk Shrum kicked off the week telling his story and sharing his plans for the next year.
“I’m honored to be here, to be part of this amazing community,” said Shrum, who took over for Interim Superintendent Doug Cardoza. “I’m excited to see the learning, the unprecedented outcomes that are going to occur at Visalia Unified because of the people that are in this room.”
Related: Visalia Unified students return to classrooms Thursday with new start times, dress codes
He first introduced himself to the 3,500 educators in attendance by explaining his background in teaching, which includes over 25 years in the classroom and front office.
His mother was also a longtime educator, working as a teacher for more than 30 years, as were his grandmother and aunt.
“I saw the impact they had on lives,” he said. “I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
Shrum started his career in education as a teacher in Chattanooga, Tenn., ultimately working his way up into administration. Prior to accepting the superintendent gig in Visalia , Shrum served as the Chief Leadership Officer for Henry County Schools in Georgia.
Using his experiences as a teacher, principal, area administrator and chief leadership officer, Shrum created Visalia Unified’s newest initiative: One Visalia Connected.
He explained the district’s plan to ensure students and staff are ready to learn and work together and help students feel more connected — with each other, with their teachers and with the community as a whole.
“Our performance is not where we want it to be,” Shrum said. “I won’t be satisfied until every one of our students is performing at or above grade level. It’s a journey, it’s a journey we are going to take together.”
Some of the issues highlighted Monday include English Language Arts (ELA) standards and learning gaps further widened by the pandemic.
According to California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress 2020-21 data, around 40% of Visalia Unified students “met or exceeded” the state’s standard for ELA standards; only 30% of students met or exceeded math standards.
Visalia Unified’s graduation requirements also fall short of basic CSU and UC requirements, which means fewer VUSD students are considered college-ready come June.
“I think there is a solution to many of the challenges that we have today ... I think it is connectivity,” Shrum said. “If we can do that, we can do something special, something unique in Visalia that is escaping so many other places.”
Shrum first began connecting with administrators, teachers, students and community members over the last few months while shadowing Cardoza. Those in the front office said he's been attending various events,
One of the events he oversaw included a districtwide contest where students could nominate their teachers for the positive impact they have had. Eight teachers were recognized during the convocation:
Jennifer Garza, Ridgeview Middle School
Joey Chica, Redwood High School
Scott Alsobrook, Mountain View Elementary School
Sabrina Regaldo, Riverway Elementary School
Eric Glispy, Mountain View Elementary School
Summer Bonnema, Shannon Ranch Elementary
Laure Lopez, Golden West High School
Tamra Allen, Shannon Ranch Elementary School
Employees recognized received an “I believe in, I belong in, I am VUSD” shirt, marking the launch of the district’s new initiative.
With a new initiative and superintendent, Visalia students return to campus Thursday.
“This week, almost 30,000 kids are going to walk into the doors, eyes wide open, excitement in that gleam in the eye,” Shrum said to Visalia educators. “Everyone in this room here will determine, at the end of the day, at the end of the year, did they leave with that same gleam in their eye?”
Lauren Jennings covers education and news for the Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register. Follow her on Twitter @lolojennings. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Visalia Unified Superintendent announces districtwide 'One Visalia' initiative
