Welcome, to all the new families (and principal!) at Joaquin Miller this year. And to all returning families, here's to another great year.
Here's a note from OUSD's Eric Nelson about JM's new principal:
Dear Members of the Joaquin Miller Community,
I am extremely excited to announce the appointment of Ifeoma Obodozie as principal at Joaquin Miller Elementary School. A letter about Ms. Obodozie and the selection process is pasted below and will be sent home via regular mail to all Joaquin Miller staff and families on Monday, August 20th. Please forward this announcement to anyone you think should hear this great news!
Thanks to everyone who was involved in the OUSD principal selection process; your work is appreciated and helped us secure a fantastic principal. Ms. Obodozie and retired JM principal Linda Lu have already met and collaborated, working together to make sure there is a seamless transition for the JM students. I am happy to report that Ms. Lu recently emailed me to give her vote of confidence in Ms. Obodozie, stating that she is a strong leader and will make a great principal at JM.
Thanks and take care,
Eric Nelson
OUSD
August 16, 2007
Dear Joaquin Miller Elementary Students, Staff, and Families,
I am writing to announce that Ifeoma Obodozie has been hired as the new principal at Joaquin Miller. She replaces long-time principal Linda Lu, who retired at the end of the 06-07 school year.
Ms. Obodozie has a strong educational background that readies her for this position. She has most recently been Vice Principal of Adult Education in Livermore and prior to that was a successful upper elementary teacher for 13 years in Hayward, Salinas and West Contra Costa. She has assumed a wide range of leadership experiences in education, building an array of impressive skills. She has been summer school principal, coordinator of gifted student programs, mentored new teachers and was a lead teacher of students acquiring English. It is clear these experiences will help her devise ways to meet the needs of each and every Joaquin Miller student, helping them succeed at high levels. Before her educational career, Ms. Obodozie was a marketing executive in the private sector.
This recommendation culminates a comprehensive Oakland Unified School District principal selection process, completed in conjunction with Montera Middle School. Input was gathered from 125 parents and 25 staff at an evening event in July and from many others via emails. 30 parents and staff participated in a principal selection day, representing the viewpoints and needs of all the Joaquin Miller students. At the culmination of the selection day, Ms. Obodozie rose to the top of the list. Her experiences matched the needs of Joaquin Miller as cultivated during the input process: she has strong curricular knowledge, excellent communication skills, is a keen collaborator and has a relentless focus on equity. OUSD State Administrator Dr. Kimberly Statham enthusiastically supported the hiring committee’s recommendation and approved hiring Ms. Obodozie.
Ms. Obodozie is excited to be the next leader at Joaquin Miller and is busily preparing for the opening of school. She has already taken part in a retreat with her fellow OUSD principals and I am happy to report that she and Mrs. Lu are meeting to ensure a smooth transition for students. Mrs. Lu is sharing the stellar organizational and budgetary systems that have led Joaquin Miller to run so smoothly for so many years.
We all will certainly miss the amazing leadership that Mrs. Lu provided for two decades at Joaquin Miller; she leaves big shoes to fill. I know that everyone in the Joaquin Miller community will welcome Ms. Obodozie with open arms and open minds as she listens and learns and utilizes her own style of leadership.
I join you all in welcoming Ms. Obodozie and am looking forward to an amazing year at Joaquin Miller. I hope to see you soon at the school. Please feel free to call me at 879-8663 at any time with any ideas or questions.
Take care,
Eric Nelson
Network Executive Officer
Oakland Unified School District