The 2023-2024 school year brings new assistant principals to SMS and Vargas and a new Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Program Manager position!
Rigoberto Gomez
This year we welcome Rigoberto Gomez as the new Assistant Principal for Vargas Elementary! Rigoberto grew up in Southern California with parents who migrated from México. His parents instilled in him a hard work ethic and emphasized the power of how a strong educational foundation can transform lives.
He taught 5th and 6th grades in the city of Compton for 5 years. Once he earned his Administrative Credential, he moved to San Jose to accept an Assistant Principal job over 10 years ago, working as an administrator in Elementary, Middle, and High Schools.
He met his wife in San Jose. The two have a six-year-old son. Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to work with diverse students and families. He looks forward to working with the Vargas community to collaborate with staff and parents to ensure that students are getting the best well-rounded educational experience, and helping to further cultivate a culture of respect and inclusivity.
Angela Guzmán
SSD welcomes Dr. Angela Guzmán as the new Assistant Principal for Sunnyvale Middle School. Angela was born in Mountain View and raised in Sunnyvale. Both of her parents are from México, and they established themselves in Sunnyvale about 55 years ago. She is the fourth of five children and is a first-generation college graduate. She received her bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, her master’s from UCLA, and just recently received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from San José State.
She currently lives in San José with her husband and three children (who keep her very busy with sports and academics), along with their doggie, Tito. In her spare time, she enjoys trying out new restaurants, listening to music, and snuggling up on the couch with a delicious cup of coffee and a rom-com movie. Also, she loves the Dodgers!
She has been an educator for the past 20 years, most recently as a school administrator in San José. As an anti-racist educator, she guides her work through an equity lens and keeps students’ needs at the forefront. She most recently served as the interim Coordinator of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for the Sunnyvale School District. As a Sunnyvale Middle School alum, she is excited to be “back home” as an assistant principal to support the next generation of Sunnyvale students in their academic journeys!
Jane Chen
Jane Chen has been selected as the new Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Program Manager. Prior to this position, she was an Assistant Principal on Special Assignment at the District Office supporting math and science. She also served for four years as the site administrator at Sunnyvale Middle School.
She has also served as an Instructional Coach for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and as a sixth-grade teacher at SMS. As an educator, she served as a mentor teacher, department chair, curriculum developer, professional development developer, and strategic planner for California Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Math. Jane completed her master’s degree and credential in educational administration as part of the Santa Clara University program.
Please help us in welcoming these wonderful administrators into their new roles!
Article coordinated by District Communications Coordinator Alia Wilson.
