CALSA's Summer Institute 2026

Vallejo City Unified School District (VCUSD) faced a compounding crisis marked by deep budget reductions, staff layoffs, school closures, and stagnant student achievement data. During this period of heightened anxiety for staff, students, and families, district leadership made a deliberate and consequential choice: to lead with radical transparency rather than minimize or obscure the challenges.


In this session, the Superintendent and Director of Communications will share how VCUSD stabilized and reshaped its organizational culture during systemic disruption by pairing honest communication with a clear, student-centered decision-making framework. Central to this approach was the introduction of “Think VCUSD First”—not as a slogan, but as a system-wide lens guiding leadership, management, and daily practice.


Presenters will highlight how, through aligned leadership and intentional messaging, accountability was reframed from a top-down mandate into a shared responsibility rooted in student outcomes. This shift enabled the district to move from a culture of fear and scarcity toward one of collective commitment and purpose.


Attendees will leave with practical strategies for leading through fiscal crisis, aligning middle management, and maintaining community trust—while keeping students at the center of every decision.