We are happy to announce new assignments for three of our administrators for the 2023-24 school year. We are grateful for their expertise and flexibility in serving all MVWSD students.

Terri Lambert will be the principal at Stevenson Elementary. She served as the interim principal at Stevenson this past year. She has 29 years of school administrative experience. She has worked as a District-level Educational Services Coordinator, and was the Principal at Mariano Castro Elementary neighborhood and dual immersion programs for two years and then at Mariano Castro for six years. She has worked as a Principal and Title I Coordinator in the Soledad Unified School District for 12 years and also 7 years as Principal in Greenfield Union School District. She earned bachelor’s degrees from the University of Waterloo and University of Windsor and an administrative credential from San Jose State University.

Cyndee Nguyen, who has been the principal at Bubb Elementary since 2014, will be the District’s new Director of Early Literacy. MVWSD recognizes the importance of a holistic approach to address the needs of emerging readers. The Director of Literacy will provide instructional leadership and strategic direction for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development to ensure literacy achievement and growth across all grades. Ms. Nguyen will train and supervise a team of intervention teachers and instructional assistants who will work with students and staff at schools that demonstrate lower student achievement for emerging readers (K-2). Ms. Nguyen began teaching first grade at Bubb in 2005. She served as an instructional coach from 2012-14 . She received her bachelor’s from UC Berkeley, as well as her master’s and teaching credential. She completed the Administrative Credential Program at National University. She is currently a doctoral student studying Educational Leadership at Fresno State University.

Perla Galeno will be an after school programming Supervisor to provide expanded oversight of MVWSD+ as part of the district's Expanded Learning Opportunities Program. She will co-coordinate the MVWSD+ program with Supervisor Erika Navarro. Since 2016, Ms. Galeno has been an Assistant Supervisor for Beyond the Bell, a partnership with the City of Mountain View for after school programming. She has also worked as a program assistant for the city of Hayward, campus relations coordinator for the Ravenswood City School District and recreation specialist at the City of Mountain View. She has a bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management from Cal State East Bay.

Danielle Lyons, currently Assistant Principal at Crittenden Middle School, will be the new principal at Theuerkauf Elementary School. Ms. Lyons has taught for 10 years; six of those years at Stevenson Elementary and she was an instructional coach at Stevenson Elementary. She has earned a M.S. in Educational Technology from Central Connecticut State University, a B.S in Elementary Education, and a B.A. in Theater from Southern Connecticut University.

Ms. Casey Cissna will be a new assistant principal at Graham Middle School this year; joining Ms. Galassi and Mr. Kim-Stevens on the Graham administrative team. Ms. Cissna was most recently an instructional coach for Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary School. She also was a K-5 STEAM Specialist and a third grade teacher for several years at Theuerkauf Elementary. She earned a bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and Education from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a master’s from Santa Clara University where she was a SEMILLA scholarship fellow focusing extensively on working with the Bay Areas' underserved youth.

Julie Thompson will be a new assistant principal at Crittenden Middle School. Ms. Thompson has 15 years of administrative experience. Most recently, she has served as assistant principal at Graham Middle School and as a principal in the Redwood City School District. She has also served as Director of Human Resources for the Campbell Union High School District, and as an assistant principal in the San Mateo Union High School District and in the Hayward Unified School District. Ms. Thompson has bilingual education experience as a Spanish/bilingual teacher in the Sequoia Union High School District and Ravenswood School District. She has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from UC Davis, a master’s degree in education from San Francisco State University, and a master’s degree in educational leadership from UC Berkeley.

Mariko Kobata will be the new principal of Bubb Elementary, replacing Principal Cyndee Nguyen who will be moving on to become the District’s new Director of Early Literacy. Ms. Kobata is currently a MVWSD Special Education Coordinator and has worked as an assistant principal at Graham Middle School. Ms. Kobata came to MVWSD in 2002 as a special education teacher at Graham, and later taught at Imai Elementary. Before MVWSD, she worked as a special education teacher for six years at the middle school level. She has a bachelor’s degree from University of Nevada and a master’s in educational administration from the University of Phoenix.