Trudy Tuttle Arriaga
“What we really provide is a very comprehensive and integrated program that goes well beyond what students learn in
the classroom. Much of what we do in school is work with our parents so that they will be in a situation where they are able
to provide for their kids.”
AGE: 42
HOME: Ventura
PROFESSION: Principal, Sheridan Way School
LATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Arriaga is not content merely to educate the children at her west Ventura elementary school, located in a Latino, working-class community. Through aggressive grant writing, she has generated more than $1 million to launch programs for the entire family addressing everything from health care to joblessness to marriage and family counseling.
GOALS FOR 1998: With welfare reform kicking in next week, Arriaga expects Sheridan Way could play a key role in extending social services to Ventura’s west end. Her goal is to build on programs already in place at the campus, including those that help parents with literacy and English skills so they can break the grip of government dependence. She is also pushing hard to turn a long-held dream of a west end swimming pool into a reality.
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