• Community-Centered Leadership: Yolanda Valdez underscores the importance of building educational systems that serve not just students but their families and the broader community.
• Vision and Mission Alignment: Effective leadership demands a clear and continually communicated vision. At Cutler Orosi, every activity and program is aligned to target the collective educational goals.
• Support Systems: The district’s community school model offers a tiered system of support that provides holistic assistance to students and families, ensuring they can thrive academically and personally.
• Professional Growth and Collaboration: Valdez highlights the importance of professional learning communities, coaching, and actionable feedback, ensuring that educators are supported and continuously improving.
• Resilience in Leadership: For aspiring leaders, Valdez stresses the need to be relentless, courageous, instructional leaders who are also resilient, focusing on their sphere of influence despite external challenges.
Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District - Instructional Expectations & Implementation Resources
Yolanda Valdez’s journey as the superintendent of Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District underscores a transformative approach that integrates educational excellence with community well-being. Her leadership vision, deeply rooted in the concept of “community schools,” and the commitment of her team reflects a profound understanding of the interconnectivity between students, families, and their wider community.
"We take our students, we provide them what they need, not only academically, but also emotionally, socially. We teach them how to cope with the stresses and traumas of life,” shares Valdez. This whole-child approach isn't merely about academic instruction but encompasses all facets of a student's well-being.
In the community that Valdez serves, an astounding 97% of students are underserved, and 40% are English language learners. Such daunting statistics would be enough to immobilize many. However, Valdez's leadership turns these challenges into opportunities. By fostering an environment where every link in the chain is vital, she connects resources and initiatives to uplift not just the students but their entire families.
“When we bring people to serve here in this community, both teachers, all staff, administrators, there is great communication around having a servant's heart," Valdez states. By viewing the education profession as a ministry, this leadership philosophy fuels an ecosystem where every stakeholder serves with passion and purpose.
"If we come to serve every single day believing that this is a ministry and that we have to serve with great heart, then we can tackle all the challenges that come our way."
Central to Valdez’s philosophy is the importance of strategic alignment within the district. The concept of “aligning all arrows towards the bullseye” helps ensure that every initiative directly supports the district's overarching goals. This mantra applies to even the most granular aspects of their educational system.
“We developed a tiered system of support where the school supports... but when the challenges are so great... now they get referred to the Family Education Center,” Valdez explains. This strategy means leveraging every resource to its fullest at the local school level before escalating to more specialized support, ensuring that the approach is systematic and cohesive.
Valdez acknowledges, "When I first became superintendent, I spent a lot of time on vision, mission, purpose, core values. It was really important for me that we all believed what we believed.” Her rigorous focus on these foundational elements has not only aligned her team but also fostered a culture where every action, down to lesson plans and feedback loops, supports this common vision.
For example, the gift framework (Great Instruction First Time) offers guidelines for structuring lessons effectively. New teachers go through a rigorous induction where they practice and internalize these methods, positioning them to hit the ground running.
Valdez’s leadership also highlights the importance of continuous learning and improvement. From her early years as an unintended administrator to becoming an effective leader, her journey illustrates that leadership in education is both a discipline and an evolving practice.
“Every single leader should have a coach, and I provide coaches for my principals,” Valdez asserts. This intrinsic value on mentoring and coaching ensures that leaders at all levels within her organization continue to grow.
Even on a personal level, Valdez practices what she preaches. “I have a coach that I admire and respect very much... having that coach really allows you to get a perspective,” she reveals. This ongoing commitment to professional development extends to embracing professional learning communities (PLC) and ensuring actionable feedback is a staple in her district’s instructional strategy.
Under Valdez’s stewardship, the district has undergone substantive changes, including the introduction of robust facilities, sports complexes, and community parks. "You want to support families with whatever barriers they have," she explains, emphasizing a holistic approach towards education, acknowledging and addressing the socioeconomic factors that influence student success.
"Every single leader should have a coach, and I provide coaches for my principals as they ask for them and as they need them."
For budding leaders, Valdez's journey offers several instructive lessons. She suggests that they need to be relentless, courageous, and resilient—qualities that are vital in navigating the complexities of educational leadership today.
“They must be relentless, courageous instructional leaders... and now, I will add resilient,” Valdez advises. This balanced approach not only equips aspiring leaders with the tenacity required for the role but also prepares them to handle the unpredictable challenges inherent in educational settings.
Furthermore, her leadership vision underscores the importance of maintaining a clear and consistent mission. Every presentation within her district starts with the mission and vision, ensuring that they are not just words but guiding principles that inform every action and decision.
Valdez’s integrative approach, from leveraging systematic professional development to applying community-centric educational models, offers a comprehensive framework for transformative leadership in education.
Her experience affirms that the route to successful educational outcomes lies in a committed, aligned, and resilient leadership—one that views education not just as instruction but as a shared journey towards community upliftment and individual success.
Yolanda Valdez
Yolanda is a seasoned school administrator with over 33 years of experience in education. Currently serving as Superintendent of Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified School District in Central California, she leads a rural, predominantly Hispanic and English-learning student population of 4,000. Throughout her career, Yolanda has held leadership roles at all school levels and served on various local and state committees.
Under her leadership, the district has improved graduation rates, doubled UC and CSU acceptances, and introduced new career pathways. Yolanda holds degrees from Fresno State University and is actively involved in leadership development, coaching emerging superintendents, and serving on several educational boards. She is a committed advocate for student success and servant leadership, guided by her mantra: "Dream Big, Work Hard, Give Back."
CT Leong is the Co-founder of EngageRocket and CEO (Americas) of EngageRocket, a SaaS startup with a mission to turn digital connections into meaningful human connections at work. Before becoming an entrepreneur, he was a Regional Director of Gallup - one of the world's top HR advisories. He graduated with a degree in Economics at the University of Cambridge, and has an MA in Political Science from Columbia University.