OUSD Administrator Recognized as Best in State by Association of California School Administrators

ORANGE, CA — March 27, 2017 — Orange Unified School District is proud to announce that Elsie Briseño Simonovski, Ph.D., was named 2017 California Continuation/Educational Options Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA).

Briseño Simonovski currently serves as principal at Richland High School, which was recognized by the State of California as a Model Continuation High School under her leadership. While fostering an environment of high expectations for all students and staff, Briseño Simonovski also worked to bring a Paxton Patterson STEM lab to Richland, a first for a California continuation high school. Additionally, she serves as the Education Options Council representative for Region 17 and is an active ACSA member.

“Dr. Elsie Briseño Simonovski is an incredibly dedicated and highly respected educational leader whose work to develop a culture of continual improvement with increased student support and engagement at Richland High School has clearly been a passion,” said Superintendent of Schools Michael L. Christensen. “On behalf of myself and the Board of Education,  I want to congratulate and thank Elsie for everything she is doing for our continuation students.”

Earlier this month, Briseño Simonovski was selected as Orange County Continuation/Educational Options Administrator of the Year by ACSA Region 17, which represents the 28 school districts in Orange County. Her nomination was then submitted and reviewed at the state level by a committee of school administrators and ACSA staff members who declared her the California Continuation/Educational Options Administrator for 2017.

Administrators of the Year & Friends of Education selected by ACSA Region 17 will be honored for their leadership skills, professionalism, creativity, innovation, and commitment to a quality education at ACSA’s annual Celebration of Excellence at the Irvine Marriott on May 8, 2017.

ACSA was established in 1971 and is the largest umbrella organization for school leaders in the nation, serving more than 16,000 school leaders throughout California. More information about ACSA’s programs and awards is available online at http://www.acsa.org.

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The Orange Unified School District educates approximately 26,000 PreK-12th grade students in the Cities of Orange, Villa Park, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, and unincorporated county areas.  In partnership with our community, we provide a safe, equitable, and innovative culture of learning for each scholar to have a competitive EDGE as a leader.