The Irvine Unified School District welcomes students back this month, so we asked Superintendent Terry Walker to describe what families can expect this year.
How do you prepare students for the future?
A report by Dell Technologies and the Institute for the Future says that 85% of jobs in 2030 have not yet been created. That’s a staggering projection that frames how we think of the future of education. To prepare our students, we focus on academic excellence and the diverse set of skills students will need, including problem-solving, digital literacy, collaboration, emotional intelligence, resilience, adaptability and communication skills.
How equipped are you to do this?
We are proud to be ranked No. 1 in state standardized testing for school districts with 35,000 or more students. All IUSD high schools are recognized in the U.S. News and World Report’s top schools ranking. And for the 13th consecutive year, IUSD has been named a Best Community for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation.
How can families interact with the district?
This year, we’ve added an accessibility widget to all IUSD websites to help families access content in their preferred languages. We also use ParentSquare to help families manage information, updates and news from IUSD and our schools.
Any new faces this year?
We are pleased to welcome Jeff Hernandez as principal at Irvine High; Michael Georgino as principal of University High; Linzi Gorzycki as interim principal at Woodbridge High; Katie Levensailor as principal at Jeffrey Trail Middle; Jacqueline Guy as principal at Eastwood Elementary; and Christin Samura as interim principal at Stonegate Elementary. We are confident these new leaders will continue to build on the strong foundations laid by their predecessors.
What message do you have for families?
We are excited about the opportunities ahead. As one of the highest-performing school districts in the nation, we are committed to providing the highest-quality educational experience we can envision.
