Setting the stage for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education made several staffing decisions during its final meeting of 2023.
At the Dec. 14 meeting, the board unanimously approved the promotion of McKinley Elementary School assistant principal Daniela Weiner to the school’s principal role, taking over for Dr. Ashley Benjamin. Benjamin was recently appointed as the district’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and had been working in both that role and as McKinley principal during the transitional period.
Weiner has served in education for over 20 years, beginning her career as a member of the Peace Corps in Honduras, working as a volunteer in rural schools. Her international experience also included a role in the U.S. Agency for International Development in international education policy initiatives throughout Latin America and Africa. On the homefront, she previously worked in the New York City Department of Education as a dual-immersion teacher and instructional coach.
With SMMUSD, Weiner began her career as an instructional coach, working for seven years in the role throughout several elementary schools, including McKinley as well as Franklin Elementary School and Edison Learning Academy. A familiar face in the district, she also served as assistant principal for both McKinley and Grant Elementary School.
After the board vote, Weiner thanked her constituents for their support, saying she is "absolutely thrilled and humbled" to have been chosen.
"It’s not merely a position, it’s a profound privilege to lead a community I know and I love," Weiner said. "McKinley’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion resonates deeply with my own values, and I’m excited to champion these principles as we continue to work together to create an environment that fosters curiosity, belonging and empowerment for every student … this is an absolute thrill for me."
The board itself made several changes during the meeting, including the election of Jennifer Smith and Jon Kean as Board President and Board Vice-President, respectively, for 2024. Smith and Kean were nominated by their fellow board members, and will be replacing Maria Leon-Vasquez and Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein in the respective roles.
"I think you know how hard I will work at it, and I appreciate (this nomination)," Smith said to her colleagues. "I hope that I’ve shown you my commitment to this and I can’t wait to work with all of you in a slightly different capacity."
Both Leon-Vasquez and Tahvildaran-Jesswein will remain on the board, with their current respective terms ending in December 2024 and December 2026. SMMUSD Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton, who was selected as the board’s secretary for 2024, stated that he appreciated the duo’s dedication to the SMMUSD community and serving students.
"We have our own individual perspectives … but you can come to a consensus about an idea or a problem for the good of our students," Shelton said Leon-Vasquez and Tahvildaran-Jesswein’s tenures. "I appreciate the two of you being able to lead through and execute things … you’ve been able to waver with me (through) the storms and the things that have come to pass, and we’ve made it, and we’re going to continue to make strides for our students in a way that (the community) can only applaud and encourage us to continue."
In their final statements in their roles, both were appreciative of their time served, with Leon-Vasquez noting that her inclusion on the board as an immigrant mirrored the district’s commitment to diversity.
"Throughout the (times), things happen, things change, but the bulk of it lies in the makeup of the board and our superintendent and how we’re going to lead this district … (Tahvildaran-Jesswein and I) worked very well together because we understood the concept that we needed to have full representation in this board, and I was very grateful for that," Leon-Vasquez said.