Mary La Rosa of Ross Middle School has been chosen as the top secondary (middle or high school) principal in Region 7 of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). Region 7 includes all schools in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Tuolumne, Calaveras and Amador counties.

La Rosa has been principal at Ross since July 2020, having taken over amid the COVID-19 pandemic that forced schools to implement distance learning with students and teachers communicating via computer. For La Rosa – who had been an English Language Arts teacher and assistant principal at Ross – the circumstances made for a steep learning curve.

“Mary stepped up to lead the staff during incredibly challenging times,” said Hughson Unified Superintendent Brenda Smith, who nominated LaRosa. “She was fearless in her leadership and tackled the new role with grace, determination, and a desire to help our students feel secure and valued during very uncertain times.”

For her part, La Rosa said she prayed a lot during that time for “wisdom, discernment and guidance.”

“My bosses always had an open door to me and still do,” she said. “The staff at Ross extended grace to me while I tried to learn how to shift from being an ELA teacher for 24 years to a principal. Heck, I am still learning. I would also say my family has been and continues to be my biggest support and source of encouragement.”

Smith praised La Rosa for her “exceptional leadership qualities and an unwavering commitment to student success.”

“Her impact on the school community has been profound, marked by significant improvements in student achievement, a positive and supportive school climate, and a strong emphasis on collaboration and professional growth for staff,” Smith said.

The superintendent cited multiple examples of La Rosa’s leadership qualities and her success in “fostering a culture of high expectations for both students and staff.” Smith called La Rosa “a visible and accessible leader who builds strong relationships with students, parents, and staff.”

During her tenure as principal at Ross, La Rosa has implemented innovative initiatives that have positively impacted student learning. These include:

·         Establishing a strong foundation for school improvement through the development of a shared vision, mission, and collective commitments within robust Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).

·         Successfully leading the school to achieve Platinum Status in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), creating a positive and safe learning environment for all students.

·         Guiding Ross to be recognized as a 2024 California Distinguished School, a testament to the school’s work to decrease the achievement gap for its relevant subgroups.

La Rosa said one of the things she’s most proud of is the progress made in the past two years implementing the PLC program.

“Our staff continues to work hard to ensure we are focused on student learning, which requires a lot of intentional collaboration,” she said. “We are learning ourselves, and I am proud of my entire staff for meeting the challenge to continually re-evaluate, try something new, fail, try again, and look at data so we can strive to be the best we can be for our students.”

La Rosa began her career in Hughson Unified in 1996 as a high school English teacher. She served as Ross’ assistant principal in 2002-03 before returning to the classroom as a reading specialist at Hughson Elementary for six years. She then taught English at Ross for 11 years before becoming its principal. She never imagined being singled out as the top principal among all middle schools and high schools for ACSA Region 7.

“This award is a collective effort of the entire campus,” La Rosa said. “Without our custodians, librarian, paraeducators, office staff, counselor, cafeteria staff, groundskeeper, teachers and my amazing vice principal, Mr. Smith, this award would not be possible. Ross Middle School is a team and I proudly accept this award on one condition:  I am one piece of a much larger picture. I am blessed, and this is not a job to me; it's a calling.”

La Rosa will be honored at the ACSA convention in South Lake Tahoe on May 2.