ACSA Vice President Charles Weis has been named Santa Clara County superintendent of schools on a unanimous vote by the Santa Clara County Board of Education. Weis, the current Ventura County superintendent of schools, is scheduled to assume the position on July 1.
“We are all eager to see the COE move forward under Dr. Weis’ leadership,” said Jane Howard, president of the board. “He is known throughout the state as an excellent administrator and leader, and we feel he and the county office are an excellent match.”
The Santa Clara County Office of Education serves 32 school districts, and manages a staff of about 1,900 and a budget of about $280 million. The position reports to the seven-member board.
Weis said he looks forward to working in Santa Clara county.
“I am very excited to take on this new challenge and move to Northern California,” he said.
Weis outlined initial plans to meet as many Santa Clara County residents as possible, as well as visiting all SCCOE programs operating in the summer; community and business leaders; district superintendents in the county’s 32 school districts; media staff that cover schools in the county; and school district administrators, teachers and other staff.
“When meeting these people, I will listen intently to hear what they want from their county superintendent,” Weis said. “After most of these meetings, I will meet with the SCCOE leadership team, including the board members, to plan our next steps.”
Weis was born in Santa Monica and raised in the Granada Hills area of Los Angeles. He earned a bachelor’s degree at UCLA, master’s degree at CSU Northridge, and his doctorate from UC Santa Barbara.
He owned and operated a consulting firm from 1974 to 1980, serving school districts and businesses throughout California. In 1980, he became a director of special services for Fillmore USD, where he also served as a high school and elementary school principal, and assistant superintendent of educational services.
He went to the Ventura COE in 1990, and was appointed county superintendent in 1993. He was elected to his first term the following year. In 2006 he was re-elected to his fourth four-year term.