SOLEDAD — Soledad Unified School District is losing one of its own, 26-year staff member Jorge Guzman, who has served in many capacities over the years and will be celebrating his final day at the district on Sept. 29.
Guzman’s 26-year service to the Soledad public education system began in March 1991. There was an opening to teach reading and serve as the assistant principal at San Vicente School. According to Guzman, the role of assistant principal was short lived, moving him up the ranks to principal within three to four months. He served as principal there for eight years.
“The School District and the city was growing and as they were building we had to build schools,” said Guzman.
At that time, Jean Martin was the superintendent and there was a need for Guzman at the District Office. Guzman stepped into the role of associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction from 1998 to 2003. The District Office, however, had not been built yet, so Guzman’s office with Secretary Susie Gonzales was at Main Street School.
By then, Soledad High School and Rose Ferrero Elementary School had both been built and Martin thought it was time to retire. Martin’s retirement left the superintendent position open and Guzman assumed the role for the next seven years.
“I became superintendent and the growth just kept going,” Guzman said. “I was honored to have been involved in opening and constructing Frank Ledesma Elementary School and the Jack Franscioni Elementary School.”
When the recession hit in 2008, five years into Guzman’s role as superintendent, he said it was very emotional because the district had to sustain the core programs for the youth but programs were being cut and losing positions that impacted people’s lives.
“That was impactful, but the community came together, the board, staff and union to give up work days and furlough days and give back,” Guzman said. “And, we survived the economic downtrend. We stayed fiscally solvent through all of it but the music program was impacted, resources for students and teachers were impacted and that was tough.”
Two years after the recession, Guzman returned to his position as associate superintendent of educational services, and Deneen Newman, associate superintendent at the time, moved to superintendent of Soledad Unified School District. Guzman returned to the superintendent role after the superintendent scandal last year.
“I was honored to step back in and really restore our district to what it was,” Guzman said. “Great, innovative, forward thinking and our community was very resilient.”
Before coming to Soledad Unified School District, Guzman was part of another school district for approximately nine years. He has served in the public education sector for 35 years overall.
“I loved every minute of it with the challenges it came with,” Guzman said. “The people are generally very caring and want the best for kids and that’s what’s neat about it. It’s meant a lot to me and I’ve been honored to be given the privilege to work with students because I still believe they are the greatest resources that walk through the halls of our schools.”
Guzman is looking forward to a new adventure in retirement and has often told people that he is going to put in his application to be a greeter at Wal-Mart.
Guzman said he wants to take some time to travel and spend some time with his grandson, Dominic, who attends San Vicente School. He also wants to work on some unfinished home projects.
