Spectrum June 2013 Issue - The Spectrum Magazine - Redwood ...

Superintendent Jim Lianides
• And So Much More! •
By Julie McCoy, contributing writer
Jim Lianides is passionate about education and
happens to be a well-known and well-respected
figure in the local education community. For
decades, he has helped ensure youth in Redwood
City and other parts of the Bay Area are provided
with access to a quality education.
Superintendent role
a “job of a lifetime”
Lianides currently serves as superintendent of
the Sequoia Union High School District, a public
school district that includes the communities of
Redwood City, Woodside, Atherton, Menlo Park,
Belmont, East Palo Alto, Ladera, San Carlos and
Portola Valley.
“This is a job of a lifetime to be superintendent
of the Sequoia High School Union District,” he said.
Diverse student body
The Sequoia Union High School District has a
diverse student body, according to Lianides. He
estimates that 40 percent of students are Hispanic.
Knowing Spanish helps him
interact with parents
While the Hispanic students tend to speak English,
often their parents don’t, Lianides pointed out.
But fortunately it’s not a problem when he needs to
talk to those parents, because he knows Spanish.
Regular meetings with
parents, principals and the
school board
As superintendent, Lianides meets not only with
parents but also with principals. He also attends
school board meetings and provides board members
with weekly updates about what’s going on. “All
day I’m constantly interacting with people,” he said.
Reward is working with
great teachers and
administrators
The reward of being superintendent, Lianides said,
is the opportunity to be part of “an amazing school
district with great teachers, a great administration
and a beautiful campus.”
Top challenges are
achievement gap,
enrollment growth
Meanwhile, the challenges are the achievement gap
that exists among students, which can be affected
by their diverse experiences, and the growth
in enrollment that the district is experiencing,
Lianides said.
The Sequoia Union High School District currently
has 8,300 students and enrollment is expected to
grow to 10,000 by 2020, something the district needs
to plan for and be prepared for, Lianides pointed out.
He obtains input from parents about how to handle
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the enrollment growth. “They know we need to build
additional facilities, that we will need to go to the
community for additional funding,” he said.
A great future ahead
What does the future look like for the school
district? “The school district has a great future,”
he said. “It has great people, great staff. It will
continue to serve students. This is a district that
will continue to meet its challenges.”
Nearly five years
with the district
Lianides has been with the Sequoia Union High
School District for nearly five years. He started
off as chief business official in October 2008 and
became superintendent in July 2010.
Thirty-five years of
experience overall
Prior to joining the Sequoia Union High School
District, he worked in the Pacifica School District,
first as chief business official for six years and
then as superintendent for three years.
He also was an elementary and middle school
principal in Mountain View and taught at Garfield
High School in Redwood City. He has been in the
field of education since 1978, he said.
Mom talked to him about
education being a good career
What inspired Lianides to get into the field of
education? He enjoyed his own educational experience
and teaching, he said. Also, his mom, who was a
secretary at Woodside High School, talked about
how teaching was a good career to get into.
Longtime Redwood City resident
Lianides, who was born in San Francisco, has
lived in Redwood City most of his life. He and his
parents, mom Aggie and dad Charlie, moved to
Redwood City when he was just 1 year old.
“I think I had a great childhood here,” he said.
“It is a great community today, but it was a great
community then.”
Lianides attended Redwood City elementary schools,
Kennedy Middle School and Woodside High School.
He participated in baseball, football and basketball
before high school and cross-country running and
track while at Woodside High School.
“I have very fond memories of growing up here,”
he said.
His 90-year-old dad continues
to live in Redwood City
While Lianides’ mom has passed away, he lives
close to his 90-year-old dad, who continues to
reside in Redwood City and is in good health.
A love of Redwood City
Lianides likes the weather in Redwood City, that
Redwood City is close to parks and other outdoor
activities, and that it isn’t far from San Francisco.
He also is pleased with all the developments going
on in Redwood City, he said.
“This is just a nice place to raise a family,” he
said. “My kids grew up in pretty much the same
neighborhood. That doesn’t happen that often.”
Two sons
living in South America
Lianides and his wife, Nancy, who is from Peru,
have two sons, who currently live in South
America. Matt, 30, resides in Lima, Peru, where
he is starting a bathing suit business, and Justin,