Superintendent
Superintendent Performance Goals for the 2025 – 2026 School Year
As approved by the Governing Board July 2025
Goal 1: Academic Performance
The Chief Academic Officer will work with the Curriculum & Instruction team and site leadership to successfully show growth from the previous 2024-2025 school year. Growth will be measured on the following assessments:
- FastBridge Reading K – 2
- AASA ELA and Mathematics 3 – 8
- AzSCI 5, 8, 11
- ACT Aspire/ACT
Goal 2: Family & Community Engagement
The Superintendent and the District Leadership team will facilitate quarterly parent/community forums creating an ongoing dialogue ensuring transparency around district goals and soliciting feedback from the community. In addition, there will be a site-level focus with the expectation to increase opportunities for parents to have a voice around key topics which will result in ownership and building a greater community.
Goal 3: Strategic Plan Implementation and Engagement
The Superintendent, in collaboration with the District Leadership Team, will develop and launch an implementation plan for the newly adopted five-year Strategic Plan. A marketing and communications strategy will also be developed to ensure stakeholder understanding, engagement, and ownership of the plan’s goals – especially as they relate to improving the student experience and advancing the district’s Graduate Profile.
Goal 4: Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan
The Chief Operations Officer along with the Chief Financial Officer will implement a five-year capital improvement plan that prioritizes projects identified in the recent Capital Needs Assessment, using available district resources to maximize impact. This plan will guide the allocation of funds toward the most critical infrastructure, safety, and modernization needs, ensuring equitable, sustainable improvements across all schools while maintaining fiscal responsibility and enhancing the overall learning environment for students and staff.
Goal 5: Student Well-Being and Family Support
The K-8 Directors and the Student Services Department will work with school leaders to activate community partners and local organizations to promote attendance, student well-being and provide resources for students and families.
About the Superintendent
Jose Gastelum has been a dedicated leader in the Sunnyside Unified School District (SUSD) since 1997, beginning his career as a Spanish teacher. Over the years, he has taken on various leadership roles, including Director of Secondary Schools, Principal, and Assistant Principal, and Chief Student Services Officer, a role that equipped him with the experience and vision to step into the position of Superintendent in 2022.
A proud alumnus of the Sunnyside community, Mr. Gastelum earned a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education from the University of Arizona and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. His leadership is rooted in a commitment to academic excellence, equity, and creating opportunities for post-secondary success for all students.
Under his guidance, SUSD has strengthened its dual enrollment programs, allowing high school students to earn college credit at no cost. This initiative empowers students to begin their higher education journey while still in high school, removing financial barriers and paving the way for their success in college and beyond. In addition, his leadership has been instrumental in securing critical investments in the district’s future, including the successful passage of Propositions 498 and 499 in 2023 and Proposition 416 in 2025. These voter-approved measures are enabling the district to enhance safety and security, modernize aging facilities, and expand learning environments to better serve students and staff.
Mr. Gastelum is recognized for his thought leadership at the national level, having presented at the National Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (AZALAS) Conference and several other educational conferences across the country. His advocacy extends beyond the K–12 experience, championing post-secondary education and collaborating with institutions to ensure students are equipped with the resources and skills needed to thrive in higher education.
For his significant contributions to education, Mr. Gastelum was honored with the Educational Diversity Award by the Pete C. Garcia Victoria Foundation, which is dedicated to improving conditions in underserved communities throughout Arizona. He also serves on the Board of Directors of AZALAS, working to promote excellence and equity in education, and was named Commissioner for Public School Superintendents by the Metropolitan Education Commission.
As a leader who values both community and innovation, Mr. Gastelum remains committed to ensuring all students in the Sunnyside Unified School District have access to the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to achieve their full potential.
Contact the Superintendent
joseg@susd12.org
In the Media: Prensa Hispana Article