ESCONDIDO — The Escondido Union High School District board named Jose Espinoza as the incoming principal for Valley High School at a May 16 meeting.
Espinoza will finish his role as principal at Henry J. Kaiser High School in the Fontana Unified School District before officially starting his new position in Escondido on July 1. Espinoza previously held director roles in the San Bernardino County Office of Education, overseeing assessment, English language learners and school improvement.
“My immediate goal is to meet the Valley High School staff, students and parents, learn more about the amazing programs available to students and what I can do to support them,” Espinoza said.
Valley is the district’s continuation school, which aims to help students at risk of not graduating on time in a conventional high school setting.
“I have always had a special interest in working with students in need,” Espinoza said. “I think this interest stems from having been a continuation high school student myself. Valley High School is a school that does exceptional work supporting and educating the most vulnerable students, and I wanted to be a part of that effort.”
Espinoza holds a master’s degree in education from California State University, San Bernardino and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and comparative literature from the University of California, Irvine.
The school board and superintendent are confident in choosing Espinoza to lead Valley, given his experience and drive to ensure students succeed.
“Jose’s extensive experience with deconstructing standards, assessment development, curriculum development, program monitoring and leading equity efforts will make him an exceptional leader,” said Superintendent Anne Staffieri. “We are thrilled to welcome him as the new principal of Valley High School.”
