Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, I was fortunate enough to meet each week with Mark Abney (then Vice President of MCTA) and John Stewart (President of CSEA), to address employee needs and concerns. These meetings became essential to improving communication, building trust, working collaboratively, and helping to keep our district's Mission and Vision at the center of our discussions:
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to empower all students with enriching learning opportunities so they can realize their full potential.
OUR VISION
Our students will be responsible, productive and competitive in a global society.
Those weekly conversations helped create understanding of how to collectively problem solve in our district, resulting in ZERO grievances being filed during the 2015-16 school year. Additionally, we have been able to eliminate annual budget deficit spending by approximately $400,000, invest nearly $838,257 in employee paychecks over two years, and prioritize sustaining our fiscal solvency. Budget and program efficiency combined with building trust, continuity, and shared responsibility, has proven to be at the core of these positive transformations. I want to thank both Mark and John for their dedicated efforts over this time, in what can often be a tireless and thankless job.
The tradition of weekly meetings has continued this school year, and the baton has been passed to MCTA’s new President, Alex Keeton, and CSEA’s new Vice President, Tammi Richards, who works very closely with John, President of CSEA. I have had the opportunity to work with these leaders in their new roles, and I have been very encouraged, as their approach to problem solving is forward-thinking and collaborative.
We will continue to work together, improving our district one step at a time. As a district, our ability to build positive relationships is directly connected to our ability to serve our students successfully, day in, day out. Here at MCUSD, we cannot continue to strengthen our school district without these positive, trusting, and essential working relationships. I am confident in our MCUSD family, and the future continues to look bright!
Thank you!
Jeff Aranguena
Mariposa County Unified School District
Director of Human Resources/Student Services
