School officials praise the appointment of new AUSD superintendent

Alhambra School Board members praised the recent decision to appoint Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Laura Tellez as the new superintendent, citing her leadership skills, ability to listen, and knowledge of the system.

Board Member Adele Andrade-Stradler, who is running unchallenged for re-election this November, praised the appointment, saying that Tellez will make a "dynamic leader." "She's been a really great and fair negotiator with our teachers," Andrade-Stradler said. "She’s been very open and very bright. She clearly has the educational and work background to be able to take on the job of superintendent."

Tellez, who holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from the University of La Verne, worked as a teacher and an administrator in the Garvey School District for 17 years before transferring to Alhambra Unified as Assistant Superintendent of Business Services in 2003. Facing tremendous budget challenges, this background will be much needed in her new role.

"We like to try to promote from within our district and we're always looking for the future of building new leaders for our school district," Board Member Bob Gin told the Pasadena Star-News. "We just feel that it's a better avenue for us. They have a good relationship with the district, they know the environment, they understand what we expect for our schools and our students."

Alhambra Teachers Association President Rosalyn Collier told the Star-News that Tellez has a strong reputation and ability to mediate between district teachers and staff. "What I find probably the best characteristic is Laura does not do top-down management. Laura listens, and she weighs all sides of the argument," Collier told the Star-News. "She's not a push-over but she will weigh all sides of the argument and she'll do her research."