Assistant Superintendent Jaron Fried is expected to take over the reins as the top administrator in the Anaheim Union High School District at the end of year when long-time superintendent Michael Matsuda retires.
Last week, the district school board voted unanimously behind closed doors to appoint Fried as Matsuda’s successor in a district that last year backed away from laying off 100 teachers to offset lost revenue due to a decrease in student enrollment.
Fried’s appointment comes after some parents and community members raised concerns that school board members were rushing the process to appoint a new superintendent during the tail end of summer break.
[Read: What’s the Rush to Find a New Superintendent in the Anaheim Union High School District?]
In a Friday post on the district’s Facebook page, Fried said he was honored to be the next superintendent and called it “a full-circle moment.”
“AUHSD is already a shining example of what public education can be and should be. But I believe, together, we can go even further,” reads his statement.
“We can continue to build a destination district—one that leads the nation in civic engagement, student voice, transcendent thinking, and whole child development, grounded in our career preparedness systems framework, our Capstone program and Performance Task Assessment system.”
Maritza Bermudez, a parent in the district, said she was disappointed in the appointment process even though she was in favor of an internal search process.
“More power to having people who are invested in this district and can aspire to leadership positions, but where does the community fall?” she said at the school board meeting last Thursday.
“You’re really not representing my community. You’re not representing and I like to be part of the conversations and like I mentioned, I’ve had to look for back doors, back windows, to be in certain spaces.”
That same night, district board members publicly addressed the concerns about the process, stating they understood how people felt, but they were comfortable with the process and happy with the decision they made.
“As a trustee, I believe we must always strive for greater transparency and inclusiveness, especially when it comes to decisions that directly impact our schools and our families,” said Trustee Ron Hoshi at the meeting.
“That said, I am satisfied with the outcome of the process, still, I take seriously the responsibility to reflect on this process and work towards ensuring that in the future, decisions include ample voices, time and opportunities for community engagement.”
Trustee Annemarie Randle-Trejo said the board likes the direction the district was headed under Matsuda and that’s why they decided to look for a replacement within the ranks rather than find an outside candidate, which could be a lengthy process.
“I just really want folks to really kind of concentrate on that. Even though you might think it was a quick turnaround, you have to keep in mind that if it’s an internal search, an internal candidate, an internal employee, what that domino effect will have on that decision,” she said, adding that picking a superintendent is one of the most important responsibilities of the board.
Board President Brian O’Neal also said the main driver behind their decision was knowing the direction they want the district to take.
“We’ve made great strides over the last 10 years in the direction the district is going. We’ve been recognized locally, statewide, nationally, in what we have been doing here for the students, and that’s what we’re here for, is for the students,” he said at Thursday’s meeting.
Dion Thomas, a local reverend, said he supports Fried.
“He’s a strong individual,” he said at Thursday’s meeting. “I believe that he doesn’t only speak of what he wants, he speaks of what we want, because he listens to us.”
The Appointment Process
Fried’s appointment came less than a month after Matsuda announced on July 17 his plans to retire at the end of the year.
The same day Matsuda announced his retirement, school board members discussed behind closed doors conducting an internal search for his replacement, opening up applications for the job one day later.
They also opened up a survey for the community to give input on what qualities and values the new superintendent should have.
The application and survey window closed on Monday July 28 at noon – 10 days after it first opened. They did not release the name of the applicants or announce how many people applied.
O’Neal said Thursday that the district received about 400 survey responses.
Last Tuesday, school board members held a special meeting behind closed doors to interview candidates.
Two days later at the regularly scheduled meeting Trustee Jessica Guerrero announced Fried’s appointment.
Matsuda is expected to retire on Jan. 2.
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.