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A Redwood City native and veteran education leader has returned to the mid-Peninsula to take the reins of the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District.
Guadalupe Guerrero, 56, will officially start Monday, Oct. 19, as the district’s new superintendent.
“It’s kind of full circle,” Guerrero told the Pulse after the district board meeting Thursday night, Oct. 15, where he was named Belmont-Redwood Shores’ top educator. “Coming back was a big part of the appeal, and Belmont-Redwood Shores is a well-recognized system. I thought what a wonderful opportunity that would be, and here we are.”
Guerrero brings more than three decades of experience in public education to Belmont-Redwood Shores. His education career began as a bilingual classroom teacher and later included serving as deputy superintendent of instruction, innovation and social justice for San Francisco Unified.
He also served as superintendent of Portland Public Schools in Oregon and most recently CEO of the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, a nonprofit organization supporting underprivileged students.
What impressed Belmont-Redwood Shores about Guerrero “was not only the depth of that experience but his strong instructional leadership, his collaborative approach and his commitment to keeping teaching, learning and student well-being at the center of the work,” district board President David Koss said during the meeting. “We believe Mr. Guerrero is an exceptional match for BRSSD and for the opportunities before us.”
Guerrero’s contract runs for just under three years until June 30, 2029, with a base salary of $305,000, Koss said. The contract includes a $7,500 tax-sheltered annuity payment for his retirement plan and other benefits.
The district will also reimburse Guerrero up to $10,000 in expenses associated with his move from Los Angeles to the Bay Area, Koss said.
Guerrero attended the meeting with his wife, Carolyn, also an educator, and addressed the board and those in attendance.
“A consistent value of mine in all of the roles and places that I’ve served is this belief that when the collective or the school system focuses on creating the most ideal conditions in our school communities, we support our teachers and our school leaders and our students have the best possible opportunity to have a positive school experience and achieve success,” Guerrero said.
“I’m really excited to come in running first thing on Monday and spend my initial emphasis in the place that I like to be the most,” he also said, “and that’s in the schools, interacting with teachers and classrooms and most importantly being able to meet the students of this school district.”
Born in Redwood City, Guerrero spent his early childhood in and around San Mateo County.
“We’re glad to be back in the Bay Area,” he told the Pulse. “Half my life has been in San Francisco, but here on the Peninsula, I also have connections.”
Before Guerrero was announced as superintendent, teachers’ union President Lisa Fahey called for improved communication from district leaders.
“As we welcome new leadership, I think it’s an important time to reflect on where we are as a district and where we need to grow,” Fahey told the board.
One particular area for growth is having “proactive communication, timely responses and follow-through on commitments,” she said. “Teachers should not have to chase down information, repeatedly ask for answers or wonder whether their concerns have even been heard.”
But she knows communication is a two-way street. “I’m committed to sharing teachers’ perspectives even when those perspectives are difficult to hear or for me difficult to share,” Fahey said.
After the meeting, Guerrero told the Pulse that fostering open lines of communication is essential “with all stakeholders, particularly educators because they’re critical in this work and certainly families.”
As a superintendent, he added, “I feel a responsibility to make sure I create regular opportunities in a variety of formats not just for parents who can show up to a meeting but … those that aren’t visible to make sure their perspectives are being heard.”
Guerrero’s hiring ends a months-long superintendent search process that included input from Belmont-Redwood Shores staff, families and community members, the district said.
The district began its search for a new superintendent when the previous one, Dan Deguara, announced in May that he was leaving after six years at the helm. Deguara took the same leadership position at Los Gatos Union, closer to his San Jose home.
While Belmont-Redwood Shores conducted its search, Craig Goldman, previously the district’s chief business official, served as interim superintendent.
