At its public meeting on March 28, the Board of Education approved hiring Juan Flores as the permanent principal of Ruby Bridges Elementary School. Mr. Flores stepped in as interim principal at the school after the former principal, Danielle Pharr-Matthews, resigned last summer.
Prior to taking the helm at Ruby Bridges, Mr. Flores was interim principal at Paden Elementary School. Bilingual and biliterate in Spanish, he has also served as a principal in Hayward Unified School District, an assistant principal in Castro Valley Unified School District, and a bilingual teacher.
“We appreciate Mr. Flores’ ability to step onto a new campus, connect with students, staff, and families, and create a stable and inclusive learning environment,” says Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi. “We think that style of calmness and connectivity will provide a wonderful foundation for the instructional work underway at Ruby Bridges.”
Mr. Flores received his BA from University of California, Berkeley, and his teaching credential, administrative credential, and Master’s in Educational Leadership from California State University East Bay.
“It is an honor and privilege to lead the Ruby Bridges Elementary School learning community," Mr. Flores says. "I look forward to collaborating with families, school staff and district, as we work together to help our students achieve to the best of their potential!"
“We’re so glad to welcome Mr. Flores to our district as a permanent employee,” says Board President Jennifer Williams. “His experience as a principal both in and outside of Alameda Unified will be a tremendous asset for the Ruby Bridges community.”
Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) serves more than 9600 students in Alameda, California, an island community in the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit the AUSD website, follow @AUSDNews on Twitter, or subscribe to our email communications. Questions? Contact Susan Davis, Senior Manager, Community Affairs, at sdavis@alamedaunified.org.