The introduction of Steve Holmes as superintendent of the Sunnyside Unified School District felt more like a welcome-back party than a roomful of educators meeting their new leader.
But that is what the Sunnyside Governing Board wanted — someone who could hit the ground running.
Holmes’ intimate knowledge of the district and its challenges as a former student, community member and administrator gave him a leg up over Manuel Valenzuela, the current superintendent of the Sahuarita School District, who was also vying for the job.
A three-year, $150,000 contract was approved for Holmes late Thursday night by a vote of 3–2.
Governing Board members Becki Quintero and Eric Giffin opposed the selection of Holmes, with Giffin saying he felt Valenzuela was the more qualified of the two finalists.
While Governing Board President Daniel Hernandez Jr. acknowledged Valenzuela’s talent, he felt the longtime educator would have faced a steep learning curve.
Hernandez was joined in his support for Holmes by Eva Carrillo Dong and Buck Crouch.
“It really boiled down to we needed someone who could hit the ground running on Day One,” Hernandez said. “It’s extremely important that we highlight that Steve is a part of this community. It’s in his DNA.”
Added Crouch: “I’m very excited about the choice we made. I think this bodes very well for Sunnyside.”
While Holmes has spent the majority of his professional career in the Tucson Unified School District, where he currently serves as assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, he worked for Sunnyside for four years underneath controversial Superintendent Manuel Isquierdo, who was ousted because of personal indiscretions, management style, spending concerns and declining student achievement.
As a result, Holmes has worked to distance himself from Isquierdo, saying he left the district because of differences with its leadership and says he is looking forward to a future in Sunnyside in which the past is left in the past and relationships and trust are mended.
“People that worked with me know that I have a different leadership style than the previous administration,” Holmes said. “I don’t want my role to be defined by who I worked for, but what I’ve done.”
Also setting him apart from his predecessor — his collaborative spirit.
“I want to serve with you; I want to collaborate with you,” he said. “I have ideas on how we can go about making the changes necessary to improve our district, but I can’t do that alone, and I won’t do that alone. I’ll do it only with the input from many people.”
In addition to feeling that Holmes is not as qualified as Valenzuela, Giffin acknowledged that the Isquierdo connection weighed on him. Still, he said he would support Holmes moving forward.
“I’m behind him 100 percent,” Giffin said. “I’m hoping that I was wrong. ... As far as Mr. Holmes goes, I’m sure he’s up for the job and I hope my fears are unfounded.”
If the trust, confidence and respect can be built up again, Holmes believes Sunnyside will be able to focus on the true business of the district — student achievement.
Sunnyside is the city’s second-largest school district, serving 17,600 students. It has long struggled with academic achievement, earning a grade of C from the Arizona Department of Education.
Among the areas that need improvement are assessments of student learning that produce data showing whether students are advancing, Holmes said.
There has also been a tendency in the district to jump from initiative to initiative, but Holmes said he believes Sunnyside needs to put an end to that, instead finding what works and sticking to it.
While this is Holmes’ first stint as a superintendent, he said he believes the roles he has served in — teacher, administrator, central office — have prepared him well for what he refers to as his “calling.”
“This is home,” he said. “I’m not using this as a steppingstone to go anywhere. I want to stay here; I want to retire here. I want to be in this community for the long haul and see things through. I want to mend the relationships that have been part of the last few years. I want to instill trust again. I want to get our focus back on the kids and not the politics. I want to be that leader that you can trust is going to do the right thing.”
