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Editor’s note: David Haglund has served as superintendent of the Pleasanton Unified School District since July 2017. He submitted this Guest Opinion upon his announcement this week that he is stepping down from the district after the 2023-24 academic year.
Almost seven years ago I was honored with the opportunity to serve as Superintendent in Pleasanton, a community I would grow to love.
My thanks to Joan, Mark, Jamie, Valerie and Steve for your confidence in me and our ongoing friendships. While I have mixed emotions in sharing my decision to leave PUSD at the end of this year and refocus attention on family, it was important to me to say thank you.
While serving the Pleasanton community I have had the privilege of witnessing and engaging with the dedication and passion of our students, staff, parents and community members.
Together, we have achieved numerous milestones and overcome significant challenges, all while maintaining a steadfast commitment to providing a world class education for our students — each of whom is empowered to go out and make a better world. That legacy is fostered in our classrooms by our inspiring educators and support staff.
Reflecting on these past seven years fills me with both pride and gratitude. Together as a community, we have funded construction projects to restore aged facilities through Measure I1 and passage of Measure I.
These investments prioritized the renovation/construction of our high school gymnasiums, performing arts centers and an Educational Options Center that will provide an innovative, flexible learning environment for the students who learn differently. I am grateful for the leadership of Todd Utikal and Bill Butler — as well as their team of volunteers. We would not have these vital school improvements on the horizon without their passionate advocacy with the voters of Pleasanton.
I want to extend my appreciation for the members of several community groups who reached out to include me as part of their families. I will cherish memories of celebrating Dandiya with our Indian community, welcoming the lunar new year with our Chinese families, and standing with our Pleasanton Students Interschool Action Council (SIAC) and other youths committed to making a difference inside and outside the classroom.
I am also grateful for our PTA leaders and friends at Pleasanton Partnerships in Education who invest so much time and resources to support our teachers and students. I owe a specific debt of gratitude to my Rotary friends who stood by my side to support and encourage me during challenging times, as well as partnering to promote positive community activities.
While I am excited to embark on the next chapter of my life and focus on my role as a grandfather to three incredible young human beings, I will deeply miss the relationships that have enriched my life while living and working in the community. I am exceedingly grateful for the friendships I have developed, the memories we created together, and the invaluable lessons I have learned about myself and my role as a leader. I am better because of the trust, encouragement, and confidence invested in me by members of this community.
A few years back, the Board of Trustees and I collaborated in developing a succession plan in order to be prepared for this eventuality. This included establishing a role of deputy superintendent and subsequent intentional actions to be sure the team was ready for this eventuality. I am confident that with the support of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Diolazo, the leadership team, and our faculty and staff will continue to invest in this organization with integrity, compassion, and a dedication to excellence.
Together, this Community of Character will inspire and empower future students to reach their fullest potential. You will also continue to inspire and empower one another. That is what strong, purposeful communities do.
Please know that while I may be leaving my role and responsibilities here in PUSD, I will forever remain a proud member of this extraordinary community of character. I hope to stay in touch with those of you who have walked alongside me during my time here in Pleasanton, and to hear of things still to come from our efforts.
With gratitude,
David Haglund
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Notice who he didn’t thank… the teachers and support staff. No surprise there. Just his full ego on display, touting the accomplishments of others as his own. That’s the real David Haglund.
He was never a member of this community. Never lived here. Never had family who attended these schools. Still maintained his residence in So-Cal. He spent 7 years here fleecing the district for his own benefit (practically doubled his own compensation – PUSD may still be on the hook paying his medical benefits for up to five years) and destroyed the morale of his entire staff. He pushed the district to the brink of strike TWICE in just the last five years. His “leadership” was an unmitigated disaster that PUSD will spend the next decade recovering from. That will be his legacy. At least the primary abuser is gone now and the recovery can begin.
Good riddance, Dave.
Truth is exactly correct. Thank you for summarizing the last seven years.
I am hoping I misread that this superintendent has chosen the next superintendent. There must be a search, and it should be for a person who is a current superintendent.
PUSD is not a starter district, not even for someone who is currently serving in our district. Especially anyone currently serving in our district. The current superintendent had no experience in this role, and Truth has explained the result.
I hope community members will let board members know how they feel either by attending a meeting or by email. They all need to hear from us.
Agree on all points. Not the same district I was hired into in the early 2000s. Makes me sad and disappointed because so many things could be fixed easily. Here’s hoping the next brings better times.