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The Mt. Diablo Unified School District is proud to announce that Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark has received the 2025 Mike Kneale Excellence in Education Award from the Education Research and Development Institute (ERDI). The national award was presented during a special ceremony on July 16 at the ERDI Summer Institute in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Clark was among three educational leaders honored for exceptional leadership, investment in future leaders, and making a lasting difference in the communities they serve.

The Mike Kneale Excellence in Education Award was established in 2001 by ERDI founder Dr. Mike Kneale and his wife Patty. The award honors superintendents whose careers reflect integrity, visionary leadership, and a lasting commitment to student success.

ERDI selected Dr. Clark for the award based on his tireless advocacy on behalf of students and families, his steady leadership in complex systems, and his ability to build programs that prioritize student well-being and academic achievement. At Mt. Diablo Unified in Contra Costa County, he has led wide-reaching efforts to strengthen learning opportunities, support staff, and engage communities with transparency and resolve.

“Mike Kneale was an incredible leader,” Dr. Clark said.” I am humbled to receive this award from such a prestigious organization.” 

In recognition of his honor, a $5,000 donation will be made by Patty Kneale in Dr. Clark’s name to the Mt. Diablo Education Foundation, which was selected by Dr. Clark.

ERDI also presented the Gerald E. Dawkins Leadership Builder Award to Dr. John Kurelja, Executive Director of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania; and the Kathy Hurley Distinctive Mentor Award to John Gamba, Entrepreneur-in-Residence in the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. 

Referring to all three award recipients, ERDI President and CEO Dr. Jennifer Ferrari said: “Each of these individuals represents what is best about public education—visionary leadership, deep care for students, and a commitment to helping others thrive. We are honored to recognize their contributions and celebrate their ongoing impact.”

About Mt. Diablo Unified School District

Mt. Diablo Unified School District serves nearly 30,000 students at over 50 school sites in the communities of Concord, Pleasant Hill, Clayton, Bay Point, Pittsburg, and parts of Walnut Creek, Martinez, and Lafayette. MDUSD is committed to ensuring high-quality education for all students and providing innovative programs that prepare them for success in college, career, and life.

About ERDI

The Education Research and Development Institute (ERDI) is a premier professional learning community that brings together education leaders and industry partners to co-design practical, high-impact solutions for today's public schools. ERDI advances innovation, excellence, and responsive leadership through national convenings and ongoing research initiatives. For more information, visit www.erdius.org or contact jbarraza@erdius.org.

During the MDUSD Board's summer break, the District has appointed the following elementary school principals.

• Principal at Monte Gardens Elementary: Alexander Bennett
• Principal at Silverwood Elementary: Kai Dwyer
• Principal at Ygnacio Valley Elementary: Sixto Porras

The Board has delegated authority to the Superintendent to make personnel appointments, and hire and transfer employees during the summer months when the Board does not meet. The Board expects to ratify these personnel decisions at its Aug. 13th meeting.

Previously, the Board made the following appointments for 2025-26 (click on names for more information):

District Administrators

• Chief of Human Resources: Ryan Sheehy
• Executive Director of Human Resources and Risk Management: Leanee Medina Estrada
• Director of Human Resources: Kesha Emmendorfer
• Director of Assessment, Research and Evaluation: Martha Thomas
• Director of Budget, Accounting and Fiscal Compliance: Brenda Barbera
• Director of Enrollment Services: Aurelia Buscemi
• Director of Student Services: Melissa Brennan
• Director of Technology and Innovation: Matthew Rosso
• Custodial and Operations Manager: Luis De La O

School Administrators

• Principal at Ayers Elementary School: Jennifer McCullough
• Principal at El Monte Elementary School: Gilberto Parada Jr. 
• Principal at Highlands Elementary School: Carrie Nerheim
• Principal at Pleasant Hill Elementary School: Ann McNamara Kim
• Principal at Walnut Acres Elementary School: Nicole Berglund
• Principal at Woodside Elementary: Madyson (Benz) Souza (appointed in April as Principal at site to be determined; site announced June 11)
• Principal at El Dorado Middle School: Jeanne Johnson
• Principal at Riverview Middle School: Veronica McLennan
• Principal at Valley View Middle School: Jamie Keith
• Principal at College Park High School: Dr. Ronald Richardson
• Principal at Prospect Continuation High School and Horizons Center for Independent Study: Megan O'Malley

On its Consent Agenda, the Board has also approved the following new administrator hires for the 2025-26 school year:

• Vice Principal, Cambridge Elementary: Brittany Rosenstrauch
• Vice Principal, Meadow Homes Elementary: Elizabeth Torres
• Vice Principal, El Dorado MS: Tanya Voqui
• Vice Principal, Riverview MS: Kelly Ann Jacobs
• Vice Principal, Secondary: Anthony Turner
• Vice Principal, Secondary: Raymond Leonard
• Program Specialist, Oak Grove MS: Jill Grover
• Program Administrator, Social Emotional Educational Collaborative (SEEC): Sarah Cabezas
• Program Administrator, Wellness: Norma Lopez
• Social Work Specialist, Special Education: Marcela Ardema

We will update this list as new appointments and administrator hires are approved for 2025-26.

New Principals include: (Top left, l-r) Dr. Ronald Richardson (College Park HS), Megan O'Malley (Prospect Continuation HS and Horizons Center for Independent Study), Nicole Berglund (Walnut Acres Elementary), Jamie Keith (Valley View MS), and Jeanne Johnson (El Dorado MS); and (bottom l-r) Jennifer McCullough (Ayers Elementary), Alexander Bennett (Monte Gardens Elementary), Kai Dwyer (Silverwood Elementary) and Sixto Porras (Ygnacio Valley Elementary).

The new Human Resources team includes (Top right, l-r): Director of HR Kesha Emmendorfer, Chief of HR Ryan Sheehy, and Executive Director of HR and Risk Management Leanee Medina Estrada.

MDUSD's Career Pathways program has released its Spring 2024-25 newsletter, focusing on end-of-the-year highlights including:

• Allied Health Fair where students explored healthcare professions
• Art & Digital Media Showcase at Sunvalley Shopping Center featuring student art
• Hospitality Career Exploration Project exploring hospitality careers, including tours
• Campus to Commerce Career Pathways Showcase in partnership with local businesses, industry partners, elected officials
• New Consumer Services Pathway planned to launch at Olympic HS in the Fall

You can read the newsletter here. More information about the District's Career Pathways program is here.

The following Negotiations Update was sent by Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark to all MDUSD staff and parents/guardians on June 20, 2025:

MDUSD FILES UNFAIR PRACTICE CHARGE AGAINST MDEA
FOR BAD FAITH BARGAINING AND ILLEGAL/IMPERMISSIBLE PROPOSALS

MDUSD AND MDEA BEGIN IMPASSE PROCESS WITH FIRST TWO MEDIATION SESSIONS ON JUNE 24 & 25

MDUSD PREVAILS IN ARBITRATION OVER MDEA GRIEVANCE ON ADDITION OF DEI 
TRAINING DURING THREE HOURS OF TRAINING TIME PROVIDED IN CONTRACT 

The Mt. Diablo Unified School District remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency and to reaching a fair and lawful agreement with the Mt. Diablo Education Association (MDEA). While we deeply value and respect our dedicated educators, we must distinguish between our appreciation for teachers and our concerns about the conduct of MDEA leadership during negotiations. Recent actions have led the District to file an Unfair Practice Charge due to what we believe to be bad faith bargaining. We want to ensure our community is fully informed of these developments and our ongoing efforts to resolve these issues through the appropriate legal and contractual processes.

Although the student instructional year has ended, there are important recent developments related to negotiations between the District and MDEA for a 2025-2026 contract and interpretation of the contract currently in effect. A summary follows.

MDUSD Files Unfair Practice Charge Against MDEA For Bad Faith Bargaining and Illegal/Impermissible Proposals

On Friday June 20, the District filed an unfair practice charge (UPC) against MDEA with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) asserting that MDEA has engaged in bad faith bargaining by making and maintaining proposals into the impasse process that are illegal subjects of bargaining or matters that are not within the scope of topics required to be negotiated under our collective bargaining law.

PERB has ruled that a party which insists on maintaining illegal or non-negotiable proposals to impasse commits a “per se” (automatic) violation of the Educational Employment Relations Act and that this conduct amounts to a failure to bargain in good faith as required by law. As summarized in past updates, MDEA’s declaration of impasse listed 18 articles/proposals. Of these, the District alleges at least seven contain illegal or non-negotiable subjects that MDEA is prohibited from insisting to impasse.

The District’s UPC will be reviewed by a PERB attorney to determine if it serves as the basis for PERB to issue a formal complaint against MDEA. If this occurs, the UPC will first go to an informal conference and, in the absence of resolution, to a formal hearing before a PERB administrative law judge who will issue a written decision.

MDUSD and MDEA Begin Impasse Process with First Two Mediation Sessions on June 24 & 25

State law requires the parties to participate in the impasse process when they cannot reach an agreement. The first step is mediation, which can last for however long the mediator believes is productive. The first two mediation sessions are on June 24 and 25. If mediation is unsuccessful, the mediator – and only the mediator – can “release” the parties to the next required stage of the impasse process: fact finding. 

In fact finding, a three person panel – one member appointed by the District, one by the union and a neutral selected by these two members from a list provided by PERB – holds a hearing where each party submits facts, arguments and evidence supporting its position on unresolved issues. The panel then issues an advisory report with recommended terms for settlement. If the fact finding report does not lead to a settlement, the negotiations process is terminated and each party is permitted to act unilaterally. The District may impose terms within its last best offer, and the union may withhold service through a strike.

MDUSD Prevails in Arbitration Over MDEA Grievance on Addition Of DEI 
Training During Three Hours of Training Time Provided in Contract 

The current negotiated contract between MDUSD and MDEA states: 

“[A] three (3) hour block of uninterrupted time…shall be provided to all bargaining unit members…during the first three (3) work days to complete the annual online mandatory trainings… Principals…may not assign any duties to unit members who complete the mandatory trainings in less than the three (3) hour block of time that has been allocated.”

For the 2019-2020 through 2022-2023 school years, three mandatory trainings occurred within the three hour block of time. In 2023-2024, the District added a fourth training on Cultural Competency, to which MDEA objected (not based on the subject matter, but to the addition of a fourth training). Even though the four trainings could still be completed within three hours, since the addition occurred so close to the start of the 2023-2024 school year and MDEA objected, the District agreed to provide one-half hour of hourly pay to unit members.

MDEA filed a grievance when the District included the four mandatory trainings for the 2024-2025 school year during the three hour block of time without additional pay, which included a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training replacing the Cultural Competency training from 2023-2024. Ruling that the District did not violate the contract, the arbitrator held:

• The clear and unambiguous language of the agreement does not limit the District to the specific subjects which they can mandate within the three hour block.
• The fact that the District paid an extra half hour once to avoid an ongoing dispute at the beginning of school did not create an unequivocal, clearly understood and longstanding past practice that was binding on the parties.
• The plain meaning of the contract language does not limit the District to the three trainings that were provided in the past. The District must pay for three hours even if there are four subjects taught during that time.
• The Union did not present any evidence that three hours is not enough time to complete the training, or that the four trainings resulted in an increase to unit members’ workload, workday or work hours. No employee lost pay and no employee used time beyond their scheduled training time to complete the trainings.

Under the contract, the arbitrator’s decision is binding on the parties and is a legal precedent for interpreting the meaning of the disputed contract section.

Next Steps: The District will continue to negotiate in good faith through the impasse process in an effort to reach a settlement that will serve the interests of students and the greater District community.

Summer 2025 registration is open for MDUSD's C.A.R.E.S. Expanded Learning Program, which runs from June 4-July 3 (closed on June 19th for the Juneteenth Holiday) at:

• Bel Air, Cambridge, Delta View, El Monte, Fair Oaks, Gregory Garden, Hidden Valley, Holbrook, Meadow Homes, Monte Gardens, Rio Vista, Shore Acres, Silverwood, Sun Terrace, Westwood, Woodside, Wren Avenue, and Ygnacio Valley elementary schools; and
• El Dorado, Oak Grove, and Riverview middle schools.

Paper registration forms are available in the main school offices and the sites' Expanded Learning Offices. When you register, students will be added to a waitlist.

Enrollment is based on the MDUSD Expanded Learning Priority Enrollment Criteria. Parents/Guardians will be contacted for enrollment confirmation.

More information is at the CARES Expanded Learning Program Summer 2025 Information Link.

MDUSD is providing Free Community Meals available for all children 18 and under on selected dates between June 4 and August 1 at 24 District schools and the Concord Library.

Please see the attached flyers listing menu items and locations/dates, visit the Food and Nutrition Services website for more information, or call 925-682-8000 ext. 3775 for questions. 

MDUSD has updated its 2025-26 and 2026-27 Academic Calendars to include elementary caregiver-teacher conferences based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) approved by the District and Mt. Diablo Education Association (MDEA) teachers' union on June 5, 2025.

The updated calendars are attached.

The 2025 graduation season came to a close in MDUSD last week, after families, friends and District staff and community members celebrated the Ygnacio Valley HS and Mt. Diablo HS graduations the previous week, along with celebrations for graduates in the College Now and Ygnacio Valley HS CCAP STEM programs at Diablo Valley College. A recap of those graduation celebrations is here and in the May 30th Friday Letter. 

The Bridge Program, which serves students 18-22 with disabilities who have completed four years of high school, held its graduation on May 30 at the Loma Vista Adult Education Center in Concord. At the event, which was not live-streamed, 31 graduates received high school diplomas after learning life and work skills that will help them transition to adulthood, supported by enthusiastic families and friends. It included inspirational remarks from teachers Kim Huntley and Lynn De Mattei, Administrator Dr. Candace Edwards, and student speakers including Sergio Espinoza-Ortiz. Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark, Chief of Special Education and Pupil Services Dr. Wendi Aghily, and Board Member Keisha Nzewi also celebrated the students' accomplishments.

The Concord HS graduation, which took place on May 30 at the Toyota Pavilion in Concord, can be viewed here. It included a welcome in several different languages from students Stephanie Perez, Oriana Castro, Wira Safi, Caitlyn Hoshida, Manizha Safi, Daisy Ann Meeker, and Zulikha Qurishi. It also featured inspirational addresses from Principal Julene MacKinnon, Dr. Clark, graduate speakers Aaimya Brown-Webster, Zainab Bakhshi, Brennen Pangilinan, Aisha Hamidi, Estefani Nieto-Benitez and Jenifer Cobian-Aguinaga; keynote speaker Mike Petta, who is an Assistant Varsity Baseball Coach and Special Education Assistant; and Board Member Tom McDougall. In addition, an honorary diploma was presented to the family of former Class of 2025 student Valentina Langhammer, who died during her freshman year.

The Alternative Education graduation for Glenbrook Academy, Horizons Center for Independent Study, and Prospect HS can be viewed here. It included inspirational speeches from Dr. Clark, Board President Linda Mayo, Horizons graduate Eliot Rentner and Prospect graduate Noemi Barajas. It also included the presentation of Mt. Diablo Council of PTAs scholarships and Mt. Diablo Alternative Education Foundation scholarships to several students. 

The Olympic HS and Crossroad HS graduation can be viewed here. It included inspirational remarks from Board Member Debra Mason; Olympic HS Principal Courtney Lyon and Crossroads Principal Coleen Martin; Dr. Clark; Crossroads HS speaker Valerie Alicatzy Galindo, Olympic HS speaker Ronald Morton Jr., and Olympic HS speaker Crystal Ochoa Gonzales, who is the Student Member of the MDUSD Governing Board; and teacher Lauren Ryan, who was selected by students for the Hilde Spritzer Award.
   
The College Park HS graduation can be viewed here. It included inspirational addresses by Dr. Clark, Principal Levirt Griffin, Board President Linda Mayo, Senior Class Officer Lila Nikolich, Senior Class President Aniyah Smith, and teacher Brinna Tom, who was chosen by students as their staff graduation speaker. 

The Northgate HS graduation can be viewed here. It included inspirational remarks from Principal Kelly Cooper; Dr. Clark; Student Speakers Devan Sughiarto and Simone Leto; Board Vice President Cherise Khaund; and retiring teacher Todd Bauleke, who is a Northgate alum. The event also included recognition of the Summit award winners, student musical performances, and the turning of the tassels led by Senior Class President Kathy Ly, Senior Class Vice President Devayani Batra and Senior Class Secretary-Treasurer Oladunni Akinsola.

The Adult Education graduation took place at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 7th at the Loma Vista Adult Center in Concord. It was not live-streamed. 

Click here to see a video reel highlighting the Bridge, Olympic and Crossroads high schools, Concord HS, College Park HS and Northgate HS graduations. 

Check out the High School Graduation Social media highlights below to see more photos from the Concord HS, Alternative Education, Olympic/Crossroads high schools, and College Park HS graduation ceremonies.

MDUSD high schools celebrated graduations with speeches, awards and musical performances. Recent social media highlights included: Concord HS celebrating its graduation on May 30th; Facebook posts from MDUSD Board President Linda Mayo recapping the Alternative Education graduation and Olympic and Crossroads high schools graduation on May 31, as well as the College Park HS graduation on June 2.

Monte Gardens Elementary is very proud to announce that it is officially an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme school, after working toward the designation for several years as a "candidate" school. This means that the school offers an "inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework that builds conceptual understanding" based on international standards, said Kellie Hoover, MDUSD's Elementary IB Curriculum Specialist. 

To achieve this designation, teachers have integrated new techniques into the way they instruct students that give students more "voice, choice and agency" than traditional teaching, with a focus on global mindedness, said 1st grade teacher Shannon Grisafi. "Having a school that's so culturally diverse and having a focus on that is exciting," she said. Teachers work together to focus on interdisciplinary IB themes, such as how we express ourselves, where we are, our place in time, and how we organize ourselves. They encourage students to ask questions and dive deeply into aspects that interest them the most. For example, Grisafi said teachers use language arts to connect to science, math, arts, Spanish language, music and library resources. Teachers create lessons together, refine them, and then reflect on them, building each year on the foundation that is started in the early grades. 

To verify that Monte Gardens had earned the IB designation, IB officials interviewed students, parents and teachers and observed classrooms remotely via the Internet. The school has selected six students to be "ambassadors" who answer questions about their IB program. "IB is a very special title," said student ambassador Samuel Stogner, a 5th-grader. "Only 5,000 schools in the entire world get to call themselves IB."

Samuel and student ambassadors Isabella Engelbert and Derek Chun (3rd grade), Jack Gordon and Isabelle Sullivan (4th grade), and Sienna Curry (5th grade) said they learn about the world and strive to adhere to the Social Super Hero (IB Learner) traits: being inquirers, communicators, thinkers, and risk takers, who are knowledgeable, principled, caring, open-minded, balanced and reflective. "It teaches you how to make good choices and be a better person," Isabella said. Jack added: "When you're being principled, it means you do the right thing even if no one's watching and you don't always get an award for it." Being focused on inquiry means "asking questions and being interested in learning and wanting to learn more about something that interests you," Isabelle said. Giving students voice means "letting everyone speak and not leaving anyone out," said Sienna. 

Students also get to choose how to present what they are learning. For example, after studying about world conflicts, Samuel said some students presented projects using slides, or by writing an essay, or creating a poem. Being ambassadors is giving the students self-confidence and preparing them for the challenges they will face in middle school, they said. 

The student ambassadors also spoke to the MDUSD School Board earlier this year, along with representatives from the District's other IB schools: Sequoia Elementary, Oak Grove Middle School and Ygnacio Valley HS. More information about MDUSD's IB schools is here.