Pleasanton Unified School District’s Post

Join us in welcoming Interim Superintendent Maurice Ghysels! Read his welcome letter to the community, coming home: Hello Pleasanton Unified School District (PUSD) community, It is a privilege to return to Pleasanton as your interim Superintendent. Pleasanton is where I graduated from high school and started my career in education. I’ve been lucky to have a diverse career path in PreK-12 education, startups, and, most recently, a consulting business, Ghysels Group, with my partner and Amador graduate, David Benson. I cut my teeth in education as a teacher at Amador Valley High School, and my family and I have always been connected to this community. I worked my way up as a site administrator and while I was earning my doctorate from the University of San Francisco, I was recruited to the corporate world in banking. After a few years I returned to Pleasanton and worked with friends at a startup company called Groundswell. I then began leading the Human Resources division as the Deputy Superintendent of the Campbell Union School District. I had the privilege of serving as Superintendent to Mountain View Whisman and Menlo Park School Districts for a combined 11 years. Additionally, I served in higher education as an instructor and adjunct professor at institutions including Loyola Marymount University, Pepperdine University, and the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s Leaders in Educational Administration Program. Having experienced so many facets of education, teaching and learning have always been closest to my heart. I’m looking forward to listening and learning how I can help and support you in fostering a positive culture. I believe culture is a result of communication, respect, and trust. I look forward to strengthening partnerships in PUSD and throughout the Pleasanton community. Like districts across the state and nation, PUSD faces fiscal pressure from declining enrollment and increasing costs. PUSD is facing a qualified, multi-year budget, with razor thin reserves–which means we can’t meet our financial obligations over the next three years. We need to focus on more right-sizing that is centered on student needs. Our Budget Advisory Committee continues their vital work looking at budget reductions and potential revenue enhancements. Finally, I will work with you on the opportunities we face with transition and change. This interim position means a lot to me because I consider Pleasanton my home, and our district and schools are near and dear to my heart. It’s truly an honor to come full circle and return, and I want to lead in a manner that sets us up for a superb permanent superintendent who we all deserve. Above all, and most importantly, we are here for our students. I look forward to listening and working alongside each of you. Thank you for the opportunity to serve our community by cultivating and developing new leaders and help identify our shared purpose and values. My best, Maurice Ghysels Interim Superintendent of Schools

WATCH Friday, June 21, 6 - 8 a.m.: Amador Valley High School's inspiring STEP UP club will have a rocket-powered lander payload that they designed and built launched by NASA. This team of young women won a national design competition and spent the last several months working with NASA scientists to build their payload, which was designed to take measurements to relay back to NASA. The STEP UP club is a group of Amador Valley students who work to increase representation of women in STEM fields and encourage more women to pursue degrees in physics. Learn more about their amazing work: https://lnkd.in/gT28Jk5N Watch the livestream of the launch (and/or video recording) here: https://lnkd.in/g4BQcp7t

Amador Valley Class of 2024 you are each remarkable, resilient, resourceful and responsible world citizens. Keep pushing and never settle, this world needs you - you make us so proud.

Foothill's Class of 2024 painted Ptown blue. Congratulations to each of our graduates - you make the world a better place by being in it. We look forward to seeing all of the ways you go on to change it.

Congratulations to our Village High School Class of 2024! You have so much good to share with this world. We are proud of you! #PUSDedu

Proud to celebrate the inaugural graduating class of the fully accredited Pleasanton Virtual Academy. We love and are inspired by what this amazing group of #PUSDedu students and educators have built through this transformative school. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gVnUwWh4

It’s graduation time! Congratulations to our #PUSDedu Class of 2024. We look forward to celebrating with you this week!

Thank you @PleasantonPPIE

Thank you Mrs.Fernandez and Fairlands team for hosting an amazing Family Reading Night! So many activities to support our young readers including bookmark making, reading corner, book giveaway and donations, popsicle pointers and more.