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Principals Gerardo Guzman-Rico of Valley View Elementary and Michael O’Brien of Vintage Hills Elementary are resigning from their positions and leaving the Pleasanton Unified School District at the end of the school year this month.
Guzman-Rico served as vice principal at Valley View before being appointed to principal for the 2021-22 school year.
“I am leaving Pleasanton Unified School District simply because I live too far from the city. Commuting to this area has been challenging and I need more time with my family,” Guzman-Rico told the Weekly. “Pleasanton Unified is truly a great place to work and grow as a professional.”
Vintage Hills is currently in the hiring process for a new principal with the goal of identifying a selection this month, said Patrick Gannon, Pleasanton Unified School District’s director of communications.
He said that Valley View has already completed that process and the district has named Julie Plaisance as the new principal.
Plaisance has seven years of school administrative experience, which includes leading a K-8 dual immersion school in Contra Costa County through the pandemic and the reopening of her school.
“Mrs. Plaisance brings a focus on building positive culture and fostering a shared vision within the school communities she has helped lead and serve with,” according to a statement sent by the district to Valley View parents. “Her leadership is grounded in a deep appreciation for collaboration, family engagement and a focus on social emotional learning as well as fostering safe and positive learning environments for the students and staff she serves.”
In addition to her administrative experience she also has 13 years of experience teaching in second through eighth grades and speaks three languages in addition to English.
“Her leadership is grounded in a deep appreciation for collaboration, family engagement and a focus on social emotional learning as well as fostering safe and positive learning environments for the students and staff she serves,” according to the statement.
O’Brien, who served as principal at Vintage Hills for the last three years, said he is leaving to pursue a new job leading the Champions University program and serving as vice president of education and management training for Service Champions, a residential heating and air conditioning company.
But he said the last 24 years at PUSD has been invaluable and has nothing but respect and admiration for the people he has worked with during his time there.
“I’ve loved teaching hundreds of students over the years and feel that I’ve made a positive impact on their lives,” O’Brien told the Weekly. “I will miss the interactions with students immensely, but also look forward to having more time involved as an active parent at the schools of my own four children in the PUSD school system.”
