Sid Haro of Alameda County Office of Education named Assistant Superintendent of Human Relations, effective July 1

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​Sid Haro will become Assistant Superintendent of Human Relations for Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD) on July 1 after a 25-year career in education.

“Coming to Milpitas is like coming home for me,” Haro said this week. “My family has deep roots in Milpitas (over 60 years) and I am now back in a position to work directly in support of our schools, staff, students, and families. In a way, my career path evolved, yet stayed the same. I believe in the service that I will be providing. I believe in the work of our Superintendent and Board of Trustees. I believe that through the skills, experiences, and resources that I have gained through my career, I will be an even better teacher, educator, and resource for Milpitas.”

In Closed Session on Tuesday (June 27), the MUSD Board of Education approved Superintendent Cheryl Jordan’s recommendation for Haro, currently Chief of Personnel and Leadership at the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE), as the new Assistant Superintendent.

“Sid Haro's experiences in HR, teacher development, and leadership coaching will be a great asset to our team, and his focus on building effective systems through servant leadership is why I feel he'll be an excellent addition to our MUSD family,”  Superintendent Jordan said on Wednesday morning. “Sid’s cultural ties to Milpitas will benefit him as he collaborates with us in deepening our Culture of We.”

During her report in Open Session, Jordan introduced and congratulated Haro on the appointment. After being recognized, he came forward to thank the Superintendent and Board Members during a brief speech.

“I am so pleased to be here as part of the Milpitas Unified School District team,” Haro said. “I believe in service, and I’m humbled to do so. I believe in the power of education, and as I really thought about joining our team here and what it really means, I’m looking very much forward to engaging in the work on behalf of our children , our community, our students, and all of our stakeholders.”

Haro also acknowledged his family (many in attendance that evening) for helping support him on this next step. They include Shirley, his high school sweetheart and wife of 38 years; daughter Sara, a graduate from the University of California at Santa Barbara and teacher for the ACOE; son Ysidro, a graduate from West High School (Tracy Unified School District) currently attending Las Positas College; and aunt and Milpitas resident Sally Ontiveros, who retired from MUSD and worked in Human Resources for 36 years.

“I am a better educator because of them,” he said.

Haro began as an elementary teacher in Oakland Unified School District. From there, he taught in Hayward Unified School District at the secondary level,  simultaneously working as a museum science teacher with the Coyote Point Museum for Environmental Sciences and the Oakland Museum of California.  These experiences were very positive for him and “due to it, I wanted even more student contact and impact,” Haro said.

Among his many roles, he has successfully served as a teacher, site administrator, Director of Leadership Development, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, and in his current role as Chief of Personnel and Leadership with the ACOE.

“In this new role, I was able to engage in the type of work that I have grown to love and has such a great impact on our students and schools, Human Resources, leadership development, and coaching,” he said.

Haro’s role and responsibilities were varied and integral to the success of the ACOE. Through recruitment, retention activities, professional development, and working in close collaboration with both staff and their collective bargaining units, he has been able to assist in carrying out the  superintendent’s and school board’s mission and vision for its students, staff, community and stakeholders.  This is something Haro is excited about bringing to MUSD in order to positively impact student lives and academic achievement.

“My experience and knowledge in the areas of Human Resources, teaching and learning, leadership development, and gained serving as a superintendent’s cabinet member has provided me with the skills and expertise to be of great support and service to your district administrative team, superintendent, school board, and community,” Haro said. “I am hopeful that I can leverage my experience and skills for the benefit of our students and staff, and make a positive impact on our community of Milpitas.”

Haro outlined some of his goals for the position and department, in the first 30 days, 90 days, and beyond, noting the importance of starting with relationship building between those both in and out of his department in addition to learning and internalizing MUSD’s good work, needs, and entry points for his support.

“Leadership matters,” he said. “I plan to bring forward the elements of proven exemplary leaders that include: modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and validating the heart.”

He also looks forward to collaborating closely with MUSD’s collective bargaining leadership and unit members in the area of the Leadership Management Initiative (LMI).

“This is something that they have already embarked upon, and the LMI group is one who I have established a deep relationship with,” he said. “It is foundational that management continues to work towards a culture of collaboration and trust.”

Haro is known for being an innovative and experienced cabinet-level educational administrator possessing outstanding presentation, communication, and cross-cultural team management skills.

Haro’s colleagues have shared he is an instructional leader of irreproachable character with a variety of strengths, including being a passionate systems thinker focused on relationship building and collaboration,  effective communication, student advocacy, and creative problem solving.

While Haro was originally a finance major who wanted to be a banker, he credits Kenny Gomes -- his best friend from sixth grade -- for inspiring him to turn his career toward education.

“(He) had become a teacher and was so excited and energized about it, I decided to look into it,” Haro recalls. “The elements of using your intellect, satisfying your curiosity in a professional setting, and being in a respected profession were the first things that attracted me to education. However, once I was able to begin to understand what it was to be a ‘teacher,’ I was (and continue to be) humbled and drawn toward the deep service aspect of our profession. It became more about how I could best serve our students, particularly those who come from a family with little education, resources, or simply a need to meet their child’s academic or best interests. It was a wonderful fit for me that allowed me to give back to our community.”

Haro graduated from William C. Overfelt High School in 1977 and earned his Associate’s Degree from Evergreen Valley College in 1982. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies, Business Administration from California State University at Hayward in 1993. In 1999, he returned to CSU Hayward and earned his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership in 2001. Haro earned his multiple subject teaching credential in 1994 and Clear Administrative Services Credential in 2005 through CSU Hayward.

“ I am the first in my family to gain a college education and come from a family of migrant workers,” Haro said. “It truly has become part of who I am and what I have to do to repay a debt that I can never repay.”

Watch the full video of Haro’s speech during the June 27 Board Meeting online now.

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