By Sara Ballenger

Jim Negri, new head of MV -Whisman district excited about school year

For Jim Negri, Aug. 26 is not only the start of the new school year, but also the start of his new job as superintendent of the newly merged Mountain View-Whisman School District.

Negri was named superintendent, July 10, replacing Patricia Bubenik, who was fired last October. Eleanor Yick served as interim superintendent.

This will be Negri’s first job as a superintendent. He most recently served as deputy superintendent of the Pleasanton Unified School District. He has worked in education for the past 26 years.

With the start of school just around the corner, Negri has been busy getting to know his staff and planning for the new school year.

“Last year there was a lot of time and effort put into laying a good foundation for the district,” Negri said. “With that challenge now behind us, we can focus on student learning and achievement.”

Negri sees strategic planning as an important learning and organizational tool for his district, that he hopes to have in place by late September.

“A strategic plan is a mission statement that is unique to this district - a core set of beliefs or operating principals that drive the district, but focus on students,” Negri said. “As a new district we want to involve all segments of the community - that is the value. It becomes a living document that drives your annual goals, budget and everything you do.”

Education of the students has remained the number one priority for the district and Negri says in the community.

“The interesting and exciting thing to me about this community is its diversity. There is a lot of commitment to the students and the staff in this community,” Negri said. “I am hoping we can build partnerships among schools, the parent community and the community at large - that is really important.”

For Negri, being a visible part of the community means communication. He hopes to increase his district’s communication with parents through a regular district newsletter, scheduling community meetings at each school site this coming fall and chats with the community at local coffeee houses.

“I am not sure what the structure will be yet, but I want to be able to talk and listen,” Negri said. “Accessibility and listening is one of my goals. A lot of communication boils down to one-on-one contact.”

For more information, contact the Mountain View-Whisman School District at 526-3552.