Superintendent's Entry Plan

The Orange Unified School District aims to be a leading learning organization locally, nationally, and globally. This entry plan outlines a deliberate and proactive approach for Dr. Monárrez to guide OUSD towards greater educational success. The journey begins with understanding the organization, the people, policies, and practices that define Orange Unified School District. 

This entry plan is crafted with the following core beliefs in mind:

• All children must be at the center of all decision-making.
• Every child has inherent value and potential.
• Prevention and early intervention are key to accelerating student achievement.
• Including people in the decisions that impact them is crucial to organizational health.
• Building trust and strong relationships through clear communication is essential.
• A culture of continuous improvement drives organizational success.
• Our schools must be safe, supportive environments that foster a sense of belonging for all students, staff, and families.
• Responsible allocation of financial resources is necessary to improve student outcomes.

This entry plan outlines five overarching, aspirational goals that will guide the Superintendent of Schools' initial focus during her first 100 school days at OUSD. These goals, presented as a general framework for prioritizing activities, are not ranked by importance or priority as Dr. Monárrez leads OUSD toward greater achievement.

1. Empower each student for future success in college and careers by strategically understanding how OUSD deploy resources and address disparities in achievement.
2. Build and maintain a foundation of trust and collaboration with the Board of Education to achieve exemplary district governance.
3. Streamline organizational processes, maximize efficiency and ensure fiscal responsibility to assure schools receive exceptional service and achieve high performance.
4. Nurture a district culture grounded in respect and positivity, with teaching and learning at its core.
5. Foster public trust and build confidence by prioritizing open, honest communication and nurturing strong community relationships.

To achieve these goals, the following actions will take place:

Listen:  To gain a comprehensive understanding of all facets of OUSD, Dr. Monárrez will engage with scholars, teachers, caregivers, principals, district administrators, union leaders, employees, community and business representatives, as well as state and local leaders. The goal is to learn about their proudest achievements and the most significant challenges they face. 

Learn: Analyze student performance and achievement data. Review existing district policies and the implementation of district initiatives. Receive briefings on strategy, policy, and current challenges from OUSD staff, families and community members.

Share: Foster a positive and inclusive atmosphere centered on ongoing growth by proactively building stronger community connections. This will be achieved through open communication about my leadership background, educational philosophy, and fundamental principles.

Build: Establish mutually respectful relationships and build rapport with the OUSD Board of Education, OUSD leadership, employees, and community, state and local leaders.

Plan: Synthesize learning and present a summary report with themes and recommendations for future actions to the Board of Education at a regularly scheduled Board meeting. 

Throughout this entry plan, Dr. Monárrez will engage with individuals and groups within the school system and the wider Orange community to gain valuable perspectives. The methods for gathering this insight will be diverse, including individual meetings, group discussions, questionnaires, informal coffee chats, and other opportunities for connection 

This list of people to meet is not an exhaustive list and not in any particular order.

• An outline of a process for the development of an OUSD Board of Education and Superintendent Governance Team Shared Standard Operating Agreements.
• Completion of visits to a large number of schools by November and 100% of schools by the end of the 2025-26 school year.
• Calendared meetings with a vast number of people within the first 100 days.
• Mid-year summary report of observations, themes, and priority actions for the 2025-26 school year.
• Identification of themes and priorities to guide the strategic planning effort and initiation of a collaborative strategic planning process for future years.