During her first week on the job, Superintendent Penny Weaver found Scotts Valley to be a welcoming place, and she’s bursting at the seams over her new position.
“Together for excellence,” Weaver said, quoting the district’s slogan. “Those three words talked a lot to me.”
An avowed collaborator, Weaver spent her first week meeting with staff and administrators while touring the four schools in the district.
“This is a wonderful community, and I received such a warm welcome,” the energetic first-time superintendent said.
Weaver, who has worked 24 years in public education, 11 years at the district level, said she understands the funding crisis that plagues public education.
“We’ve endured some difficult times before, but what we face is unparalleled,” she said. “Some have said this is a time for courageous leadership.”
Weaver is an optimist and holds that the economy and education funding will improve. She said previous leaders and trustees in Scotts Valley have laid a financial groundwork to be successful.
“We’re about as stable as we can be, considering the circumstances,” Weaver said. Continued financial responsibility seems to be on the horizon.
“We want to be as fiscally responsible as we have been,” Weaver said. “My pledge is to continue that, and it will take support from all groups.”
Following meetings with district staff, she reports a positive outlook on the situation.
“I have not heard anyone say, ‘I don’t know how we’re going to make it, I don’t know what to do,’” Weaver said.
Weaver came to Scotts Valley from the kindergarten-through-eighth-grade Belmont-Redwood Shores School District, where she had served since 2007 as assistant superintendent of educational services. She has spent time teaching and as a principal in Merced and elsewhere in the Central Valley.
She completed the Association of California School Administrators’ year-long Superintendent’s Academy in May 2010 to prepare her for the top job.
During her first year in Scotts Valley, Weaver said, the district will work toward the common core California state standards, keep up its strong API scores, work on professional development, adopt textbooks and continue to improve information technology in the district. She also plans to work with trustees, staff and people in the community over the next few years to assess the district’s facility needs, including the aging middle school.
“Our group seems to be interested in innovating and providing the best educational opportunities in Scotts Valley and the other communities we serve,” Weaver said.
Weaver, who signed a 3-year, $150,000 per year contract, said she’s excited to partner up with local community organizations, including the Scotts Valley Educational Foundation, and noted that she likes to attend sporting events, theater productions and the like.
Weaver has two children in their early 20s and plans to move to Scotts Valley. She is also planning to marry next year.
Meet the new superintendent
When: 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2
Where: Mint, 4625 Scotts Valley Drive
And
When: 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10
Where: Hilton Scotts Valley, 6001 La Madrona Drive
Details: A no-host bar and light appetizers will be provided
