Longtime Santa Barbara Unified School District administrator Frann Wageneck is retiring in June and starting her own consultant company.
“I have been thinking about it for awhile,” Wageneck told Noozhawk Monday. “I have been doing this role for seven years. It is a tough job because of the nature of it. It takes a toll. There’s a big emotional piece to this job.”
Wageneck, 56, has worked at the district for 21 years, in many capacities, including principal of Alta Vista and La Cuesta high schools, assistant principal at Goleta Valley and Santa Barbara junior high schools, counselor, and now deputy superintentent for the past seven years.
Wageneck’s departure comes at a time of extreme leadership change at the district, which has seen an exodus of longtime administrators, for a variety of reasons.
Among the employees who have left or retired in the past year are Maria Larios-Horton, the former executive director of diversity, equity and family engagement; Todd Ryckman, the former chief educational technology officer; Anne Roundy Harter, former director of secondary education; Meg Jette, the district’s longtime fiscal services manager; Chelsea Guillermo-Wann, director of research and evaluation; Steve Vizzolini, director of Facilities and Maintenance; Fernando Garcia, project manager; and Camilla Barnwell, public information officer. Hilda Maldonado, the district’s superintendent, was hired in June 2020.
Wageneck said the next step in a career progression would be as a superintendent, but it’s not a role that she is interested in.
“That is not something I would want to do,” Wageneck said. “I have thought about it for several years and it is just not the right thing for me.”
Wageneck is highly regarded among district employees, particularly teachers, for her commitment to students serving in her various roles. Known as empathetic, patient and understanding, she brought her whipsmart experience to the board and provided experience and a framework for much of the narrative. She said learned the most leading Alta Vista and La Cuesta alternative high schools.
“I learned so much at La Cuesta and Alta Vista from students,” Wageneck said. “That’s really when it hit me how important it is to see each student as an individual and to figure out that it is essential to see what is going on with each student. What is the root cause? As educators it is essential that we have relationships with students and know who they are. It was an invaluable time, but probably the time of the greatest change in my career.”
She added, “It wasn’t even about being a principal; it was about learning how to serve our highest-priority students.”
Her new company is called Flux Coaching & Consulting, and she is leading it with her partner, Bonnie Beedles, a retired educator who specializes in creating programs for homeless and foster youth.
“I am really interested in coaching future and current administrators, really focusing on leadership and wellness, and how we have to take care of ourselves to take care of others and lead others,” Wageneck said. “I really want to work on consulting with school districts around climate in organizations.”
She said corporate America focuses more on health and wellness than school districts do.
“I also want to work with nonprofits, around the mental health work we have been doing,” she said.
Wageneck said the company name comes from being in a state of flux.
“With leaders, whether they be in schools or nonprofits, my coaching really will be about coaching them during that time when they are in a state of flux and helping them figure out what to do to get to that next place,” she said.
Wageneck said she and Beadles are looking forward to the next phase of their lives.
“During my career I have seen the school districts of our nation take on an increasing responsibility for the social needs of our society,” Wageneck said.
“Locally, that has given me the opportunity to labor with others to begin the work of addressing homelessness, poverty, racism, mental health, equity of opportunity, and so many other issues of social justice. That expectation for public schools will continue to increase because of COVID. It is because of the many connections that I have to so many amazing people, both within and outside of the district, that my decision to move on was so difficult.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
