Dr. Randal Haggard
District Superintendent
I spent most of my childhood in San Luis Obispo and attended elementary and middle school there before moving to the San Joaquin Valley where I attended high school. I completed my Bachelor of Arts, Teaching Credential and Master of Arts degree at Fresno Pacific University, and my Doctor of Education degree was conferred at University of California, Davis. I am credentialed as a teacher, administrator and reading specialist.
I have happy memories as a student, particularly with gifted elementary and middle school teachers who encouraged me to pursue learning and achieve my goals. Their encouragement and example lifted me to become the first person in my family to graduate from college; their inspiration led me to pursue a career in public education.
I started my twelve years as a classroom teacher in Upland, California before moving back to central California. My first administrative post was with Yosemite Unified School District in the Sierra Nevada foothills where I spent the last nineteen years. I served as a high school Assistant Principal, K-8 Principal, and TK-Adult Director of Curriculum with Yosemite Unified before coming to beautiful Buellton to serve as Superintendent.
I believe that working in education is both a calling and a sacred trust. Our mission is to provide rich experiences for children and young people to learn to make meaning of the world around them, and to become critical thinkers about the decisions they face. We live in the greatest nation in human history, and a fundamental aspect of our duty in public schools is to provide knowledge and experiences which develop citizens for our republic.
I am passionately committed to God, my family, and our country. I would like to consider myself an amateur scholar in biblical studies, and the life and literature of William Shakespeare. Three of my heroes are Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King, Jr.; their examples of sacrifice for others inspire me daily.
I love all forms of music, but I am particularly fond of rock-n-roll (especially live). I make noises with a guitar, enjoy reading and travel, and love wild places.
Antonetta, my wife, is currently a 2nd grade teacher in Santa Maria. My son Fletcher (age 21), and my daughter Libby (age 19), attend universities in northern California. We have two dogs and two cats that keep life interesting for us all!
I have been blessed in every part of my life, and feel especially fortunate to be able to serve the community of Buellton as Superintendent.