PARAMOUNT : School Board Names 1st Latina as Superintendent
The Paramount Unified school board has named Michele Barraza Lawrence as its first woman and first Latina superintendent.
The deputy superintendent at ABC Unified, Lawrence, 44, has worked as a high school art teacher, community college instructor, assistant principal and principal, first at Norwalk High and then at Whittier High.
Board members unanimously approved a two-year contract for $96,480 a year at a special meeting Wednesday. On July 1, she will replace longtime Supt. Richard Caldwell, whose contract was not renewed.
“I feel very honored,” Lawrence said Thursday. “It’s something that I have worked for most of my career, and I feel fortunate that Paramount saw my experiences fit their needs.”
Paramount Unified is a growing district of 13,500 students. Lawrence’s immediate challenges are likely to include a proposal for year-round schools and negotiating a teachers contract.
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