Riverside Educator Takes County Job

The superintendent of a Riverside County school district has been named the new assistant superintendent for educational services at the Ventura County schools’ office.

Sandra Shackleford, currently superintendent of the 4,500-student San Jacinto Unified School District, will move into her new position Friday.

She will replace Steve Kingsford, who has served as assistant superintendent for 16 years. He is retiring Thursday.

Working under Ventura County schools Supt. Charles Weis, Shackleford will oversee the 13 county-run schools that serve 4,000 disabled or troubled students.

She will also supervise the departments in the county schools office that offer expertise on everything from curriculum to finance for Ventura County’s 20 local school districts. Her salary will be $80,781.

“She’s going to be great,” Weis said.

In addition to her nine years as superintendent of the San Jacinto district, 35 miles southeast of Riverside, Shackleford, 51, has worked as an assistant superintendent, teacher, principal and math specialist.

She is completing a doctorate in education at USC.

For her part, Shackleford said she looks forward to her new position because county schools offices are becoming increasingly important in California education.

More and more, she said, county superintendents are guiding local school districts on issues ranging from school violence to curriculum.