July 2011 Greetings to All in Our Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Community, I am thrilled to introduce myself to all of you as the new superintendent of SMMUSD. During the past nearly twenty-five years, I have had a rich and varied career in education, beginning with my student teaching days in San Francisco up to my most recent post as Chief Leadership Officer for the Palmdale School District. I am eager to bring my experience and passion for public education to SMMUSD. As I have begun to meet people in the area, I am continuously impressed with the pride our community has in our schools and with the personal commitment so many have made to make our schools great. I know this year will continue to be a financially challenging one. We will need to work together to respond appropriately to the budget constraints, while striving to use our resources wisely to provide the best education possible. This is clearly a community that unites to support the endeavors of staff and the Board of Education as they strive to provide a high quality learning environment for all of the students we serve. As such a community, I have no doubt that we can work collaboratively to handle these difficult times and continue to move the district forward. As I become familiar with all there is to know about the Santa Monica-Malibu USD, I know that there is much work that has already begun and upon which we will build. This includes the outstanding work done by staff and the community in developing the Strategic Plan 2015. I will be continuing this work and collaborating with the committee and the community to develop our implementation strategy and timeline. I look forward to the opportunity to get to know all of you and will be spending much of my time in the next few months meeting staff, parents, students, and community members. I want to begin to understand the culture and climate of SMMUSD, learn about our rich traditions, and hear the hopes the community has for the future of our district. I will work to continue the partnerships already established in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and to build on the work already in place. Meanwhile, we will pursue innovation and improved practices and we will reach out to forge new relationships that will help us continue to provide an excellent education for each and every student in our district. I look forward to working with all of you. Sincerely, Sandra Lyon Superintendent
		SENIOR CABINET
		Janece Maez, Chief Financial Officer, Assistant Superintendent Debra Moore Washington, Human Resources, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sally Chou, Chief Academic Officer