PRESS
RELEASE
310.450.8338, ext. 229 07 JUL 2008
SMMUSD Board of Education to Appoint Interim Superintendent
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education is scheduled to approve the appointment of Tim Cuneo as Interim Superintendent of the District on Thursday, July 10, 2008. Mr. Cuneo replaces Dianne Talarico, who recently accepted a Superintendency in Northern California. Mr. Cuneo brings extensive experience in all aspects of K-12 education, including student achievement, curriculum development, governance, budget management, and community relations.
As Interim Superintendent, Mr. Cuneo will be responsible for
all day-to-day activities within the District.
“After hearing from parents, assessing our needs, and
interviewing four highly qualified former Superintendent's, we are thrilled to
offer the Interim Superintendent position to Tim,” said Board President Oscar
de la Torre. ”As the District continues
to provide excellent education for its students, Mr. Cuneo’s experience will be
a critical and strategic part of our plan to strengthen governance, improve
special education, and implement school construction plans as outlined in
Measure BB. He brings extensive
background in Board protocol, policy development, and team building, which
will deliver an immediate benefit to our District.”
Most recently, Cuneo served as senior partner with
Cuneo-Zinner Group in San Jose, CA, specializing in organizational development
for both public and private educational ventures. In 2007-08, he served as the
Foreman pro tem for the Santa Clara County Grand Jury. Prior to that, Cuneo was
Interim Superintendent for Scotts Valley Unified School District and Senior
Executive Director for 21st Century Education Initiative as part of
Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network.
In his role with Joint Venture, Cuneo was responsible for all aspects of
the highly successful public/ private partnership investing in K-12 school
reform.
From 1966 to 1996, he held numerous Superintendent,
Assistant Superintendent, and Dean of Curriculum and Instruction positions with
Oak Grove, Whisman, Pajaro Valley Unified, and Fremont Union High School
Districts.
Cuneo is a former president of the Association of California
School Administrators (ACSA). In
addition, he has served on a variety of boards from PACE (Policy Analysis for
California Education), the Tech Museum of Innovation, Hewlett Packard Employee
Scholarship Committee as well as the Xerox National Education Advisory
Council. Cuneo holds a BA in Biological
Science from Chico State University, an MA in Counseling and Guidance from
University of Santa Clara, and a California Administrative Credential from San
Jose State University.
About the
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District serves
approximately 10,500 students in grades K-12.
The District has sixteen schools; eleven elementary schools, two middle
and two high schools, one continuation high school, and early childcare. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified schools are
ranked as some of the highest performing public schools in Los Angeles County.
In partnership with families and the community, the mission of the Santa
Monica-Malibu Unified School District is to promote extraordinary achievement
for all students while simultaneously closing the achievement gap.
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SANTA
MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
1651 16TH
Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404
ph:
310.450.8338; fax: 310.581.1138
www.smmusd.org