Patrick Sánchez was selected as Superintendent at Newark Unified School District in 2016, bringing with him over 20 years of comprehensive administrative experience and a proven track record of transforming four inner city schools and one inner city school district through collaborative leadership and community engagement.
Superintendent Sánchez is committed to enabling a “student-serving” culture, and building strong parent-community ties. He views shared leadership and collaboration as essential elements to empowerment and excellence for all children.
Superintendent Sánchez strives to make a difference in the lives of people, and his hard work has been widely recognized at the highest levels. Most recently, he was named Latino Superintendent of the Year by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) in 2015. Former President Obama recognized him as a Champion of Change – which included an invitation to the White House to share ideas and insights. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan applauded Superintendent Sánchez with national recognition for his collaborative work, and encouraged replication of his model of supporting parental involvement and engendering community support across the country. He recently has been recognized by the Association of California Administrators as the Region 6 Superintendent of the year.
Prior to coming to the Newark Unified School District, Superintendent Sánchez served as Superintendent of Adams County School District for four years, Colorado’s 26thlargest school district serving more than 7,500 students annually. There, nearly 90 percent of students qualified for free and reduced lunch, about 87 percent of the students were children of color, and approximately 55 percent of the students were English-language learners. In this role, Superintendent Sánchez implemented numerous reforms to transform this historically low-performing district. Through addressing racial educational disparities, providing access to culturally-responsive learning environments, and implementing powerful instructional strategies to facilitate seamless English-language acquisition he spearheaded meaningful changes to create an environment of high expectations for students and staff.
Throughout his career, Superintendent Sánchez has demonstrated a deep commitment to working with traditionally marginalized students in inner city schools. His extensive educational background includes time spent as a central office administrator in Human Resources, principal of three high schools, principal of one middle school and other key leadership roles. He also served as a Career and Technical Education Teacher, State Director of the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America and Assistant State Director for Trades and Industry for the Colorado Community College system. Superintendent Sánchez also worked in Central America for the American School of Guatemala as a secondary principal and transportation director.
Of personal significance, Superintendent Sánchez’s rich background speaks to his deep rooted understanding of the value of higher education. Originally from San Luis, Colorado, he is the youngest of seven children and the first person in his family to graduate from high school, college, and to receive a graduate degree. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in secondary industrial science and a general education license from Colorado State University. He obtained a vocational instructor license in trades and industry. Superintendent Sánchez completed his Master of Arts in administration, supervision and curriculum development at the University of Colorado at Denver, and went on to obtain his professional principal license.
In his free time, Superintendent Sánchez enjoys spending time with his two children, hunting, fishing and hiking.