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Tanya Harris with a group of students

The former Otis principal will now bring her focus on equity and early childhood education to the district as a whole.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Issued By:    Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi (510) 337-7060 and
                     Board President Heather Little  (510) 337-7187      
 
Tanya Harris to Re-Join AUSD as Director of Elementary Education
 
Alameda, California — December 16, 2022 Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi announced at the December 13 Board of Education meeting that Tanya Harris, a former AUSD principal, will be stepping into the role of Director of Elementary Education in January.
 
Ms. Harris, who served as the principal of Otis Elementary School from 2016 to 2022, has a strong background in elementary education and early child development and is deeply committed to providing access to high-quality educational experiences for all learners. As a manager, she is dedicated to leading collaboratively and creatively and providing meaningful professional development.
 
Prior to joining the Otis team, Ms. Harris directed the Emeryville Child Development Center. She also worked in the Leadership, Curriculum, and Instruction Department at Oakland Unified School District and managed the district’s implementation of its transitional kindergarten program.   
 
Most recently she worked as a Lead Trainer with the 21st Century School Leader Academy based at UC Berkeley. There she designed and planned equity-focused professional development for California educators and helped design coursework to support preschool through third grade.
 
Ms. Harris received her BA in Psychology from CSU Long Beach, her teaching credential from Holy Names College, and her Master of Arts and administrative credential from UC Berkeley.
 
“I am excited for this opportunity to focus on our elementary and early childhood education with AUSD,” Ms. Harris says, “and to support the district’s commitment to equity and providing high-quality instruction beginning in our youngest grades. I have long enjoyed relationships with the other elementary principals in this district, and I am eager to deepen and strengthen those relationships in my new role.”
 
“Ms. Harris is an excellent candidate for this position, and we are very enthusiastic about her return to AUSD as a director,” says Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi. “She has the background, the commitment, and the relationships that are needed to excel in this position and help lead our work on high-quality instruction for all in the preschool and elementary grades.”