Welcome Back MUSD! Let's build our future together!

It all starts with “good morning.” A good morning to oneself. A good morning to a significant other, a parent, colleague, a sibling. When you arrive to work in the Milpitas Unified School district that good morning will extend to a coworker, and when the first day of school starts that good morning will extend to our students. 

When I wake up in the morning, on most days, I greet myself with a good morning. Now sometimes I don’t respond, but more often than not, I respond in 3rd person: “Good morning, Chris Norwood.”

That first greeting has meaning. I am hopeful we are all are greeting each other with positivity to start our days. Every employee, child, and adult learner of MUSD is a part of our multicultural village, our fabric – our diverse tapestry. . 
Over the past several months, several of our colleagues lost loved ones. We see you. Our hearts and prayers are always with you. 

Over this past summer we had some amazing summer school programs across the district. We even had a program at the West Valley Campus in Saratoga. For all those who were able to give and share time with our children over the summer. We see you. We thank you. 

We’ve had shifts in leadership at the District office, our school sites, leading our associations, and new leaders from other spaces and places join us. We see you. We thank you. 

In case you didn’t know it, last school year, MUSD had several ACSA Award winners and the ACSA Superintendent of the Year. We see you. 

Now I need everyone to look around, make eye contact with someone you don’t know and tell them - I see you.  Tell them I’m here for you. Tell them I appreciate you. Those are the words our children and their families will need to hear whenever and wherever possible. 

I am a firm believer of the saying - Can’t know where you’re going until you know where you have been. 

Where have we been? 
The city of Milpitas was incorporated in 1954. Its relationship with public education began 51 years earlier in 1903 with Airpoint School in 1903. 

After Airpoint School there was:

• Milpitas Grammar School 1912 (Milpitas Library site) which served all grades until 1956. 
• Joseph Weller Elementary School opened in 1956 (formerly Sunnyhills Elementary School) was the first school of the school district…)
• Anthony Spangler Elementary School opened in 1956
• Samuel Ayer the first high school in Milpitas (1956) originally a part of East Side Union High School District
• Alexander Rose opened in 1959
• Thomas Russell 1961
• Gertrude Abel Elementary 1962 
• William Burnett Elementary School was dedicated in 1963
• Curtner Elementary School opened in 1964
• Robert Randall Elementary School opened in 1965 (named after the 1st Superintendent who passed away at the age of 39)
• Martin Murphy 1966 (Merryhill)
• Marshall Pomeroy in 1967
• Rancho Middle School in 1967
• John Sinnott 1968
• Pearl Zanker 1969
• Milpitas High School 1969
• Calaveras Hills High School 1969
• In December 1968 - The Milpitas Unified School District was born

 When I moved to Milpitas in 1973 as a 3rd grader, the population of the city was approx 27,000. As of the 2020 US census- the population of Milpitas has reached 80,000. 

In 2016, we began a new era of growth in the city. 

• San Jose City College Milpitas Extension 2016
• 2018 Mabel Mattos
• Milpitas Middle College High School 2021
• MUSD Innovation Campus (Phase 1) 2023

Now Where Are We Going? 
We are going to serve. We are going to struggle. We are going to have good days and not so good days. We are going to work together. We are going to cry together. We are going to solve problems together.

The future of the Milpitas Unified School District is in our hands. And when I say our hands, I mean the Milpitas School District Governing Board, Superintendent, each executive cabinet member, classified management and employees (part-time and full time), certificated management and employees, contractors, volunteers, regionally elected officials, community leaders, residents and Milpitas families. 

Did you know the current Mayor, Police Chief and School Board President are all graduates of Milpitas High School?

Our Milpitas Unified School District forefathers and mothers continued to invest in expanding and improving the quality of education in Milpitas. We will build upon their legacy. 

They built schools in local communities to create more equity and opportunity. We will continue to build upon that legacy. 

The DNA of Milpitas represents integration, inclusion, acceptance, creativity, leadership, compassion, responsibility, integrity, accountability and respect. And we, the Milpitas Unified School District represents that DNA through our 5 strategic goals - led by our #1 Strategic Goal - “Build A Culture of We”. 

We are committed to building a culture that recognizes our neuro-diverse students as students with unique gifts and abilities. 

A culture that positively greets one another each day and solves challenging problems together. 

A culture that recognizes everyone has a vital role to play. Our custodians, secretaries, MOT, student nutrition, teachers and administrators are part of that fabric that makes us the strongest.  We will always be stronger together. 

Team work - makes the dream work
Team work - makes the dream work. 
Team work - makes the dream work
Team work - makes the dream work. 

As the current President of The Milpitas Unified School District Governing Board of Trustees, I am honored to represent the work of each and everyone of you in the local supermarket, Sacramento, Washington DC, and everywhere in between. 

We understand that your success means success for our children and their families. 

And each of my colleagues, Vice President Ha Minh Ngo, Board Clerk Kelly YipChuan, Trustee Anu Nakka, Trustee Robert Jung ALL feel the same way. 

Welcome Back MUSD and thank you for your commitment. The Milpitas community appreciates you!

Chris Norwood
2020 State Board Member of the Year,
Current MUSD Board President

---