After 13 years of serving across the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD) as a site administrator at several campuses, the district selected Assistant Principal Valerie Arbizu as the SMUHSD Interim Director of Student Services. Following an official announcement on Tuesday, Nov. 19, Arbizu will officially begin her new role at the SMUHSD District Office on Monday, Dec. 2, assuming the responsibilities of former director Don Scatena, now Deputy Superintendent of Student Support Services.
“I’m excited for a new challenge,” Arbizu said. “I’m kind of in a moment where, in terms of site administration, I’ve done it, and so now I’m excited to learn new things and just use my skills in different ways.”
Scatena’s sudden announcement earlier this school year to leave his position as SMUHSD Director of Student Services created a gap in the district’s functionality. Arbizu, with her extensive experience in student services, said she expressed interest in the vacant position.
“[Arbizu’s] background and knowledge of the district and the community and the different roles she has had puts her in a great position to continue on our successes but also build on our successes thus far,” Scatena said. “Her and I have worked closely over the years, and we have already done training [for this transition].”
As the Interim Director of Student Services, Arbizu will now oversee district-wide enrollment, attendance policies, and behavioral issues. Her responsibilities also include supporting behavioral programs and managing student placement and disciplinary action.
Principal Jen Fong acknowledged the impact of this administrative shift midway through the school year but emphasized administrators’ efforts to ensure a smooth transition.
“We hope that most students don’t see a change to their services,” Fong said. “We are a very strong administrative team and a very strong school, so we have the capacity to handle some transition and change. I think the biggest thing that people will notice is just a slower response time from the administrator, as we only have three people instead of four.”
Assistant Principal Jenny Gibson will move into Arbizu’s role for the remainder of the year, taking over the counseling department. Although her previous role focused primarily on facilities, athletics, and school-wide testing, this transition now tasks Gibson with deeper collaboration with the counseling and wellness teams.
“It’s a learning curve for me,” Gibson said. “I don’t foresee this [transition] as an obstacle, but more as an opportunity to learn more about the aspects of high school administration that I wasn’t as deeply involved with. [Overall], I’m just looking forward to connecting with students in a deeper and more meaningful way to really make an impact on their academic and social-emotional wellbeing.”
As for Scatena’s new role as Deputy Superintendent of Burlingame School District, he will continue overseeing safety, attendance, and enrollment while working with students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and wellness and health needs. Scatena’s previous position as principal of Middle College will also be handed off to Principal Ronald Campana of Peninsula High School.
“Currently, I’m getting familiar with where the Burlingame School District is at in many aspects of the job and understanding the organization chart and areas and gaps that need to be filled immediately, including [short and long term plans],” Scatena said.
Although mid-year administrative changes are challenging for both the district and high schools, Arbizu said she views this shift as an opportunity for the community to grow.
“It’s hard to leave places where you have solid connections, but at the same time, that’s where growth is,” Arbizu said. “I’m really excited to learn something new, but it feels like a ripping-off-the-bandaid situation where you now made a decision, and if it lingers too long, that feels odd too.”