For 22 years, David Ortiz has been the principal of La Colina Junior High School in Santa Barbara.
He may be retiring, but he plans to keep busy and has a list of other personal goals he wants to pursue. He has 41 years in education, and of that, 31 of them were spent with the Santa Barbara Unified School District.
“I wanted to continue, but it was perfect timing,” Ortiz said. “It was time for me to go explore other platforms or other journeys.”
But he’ll never stop helping kids in the local community, he says, because “that’s my mission. That’s my calling and I love doing that.”
Ortiz began his educational career in 1978 and figures he’s helped educate more than 30,000 students, as well as mentor several faculty, administrators, counselors and others.
“The greatest stories would be that of all the generations of students,” Ortiz said. “I’ve appreciated all of their incredible accomplishments, but my favorite story is about the students’ loving, caring spirit, and as I retire, those memories will be indelible in my heart.
“Their smiles, joy and our time together — it has been fantastic,” he continued, adding that he appreciates the staff members, too.
“When you can have a hand in the growth of others … it has been so joyous to have this opportunity,” he said.
Before he became La Colina Junior High’s principal, Ortiz served as a substitute teacher at the school at 4025 Foothill Road, and he was a baseball and basketball coach, too.
At one point, he even held a job that loaded candies and cigarettes for vending machines.
He made the transition to the Santa Barbara County Education Office and worked 10 years as a teacher at Los Robles High School, the education arm of Los Prietos Boys Camp in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Beginning in 1990, Ortiz served as assistant principal at La Colina Junior High under the leadership of Robert Bowen, and he was awarded the principal job in 1997.
“Like with valuable relationships, I fell in love with it,” he said. “It’s a dynamic position and so diverse. It’s challenging and intriguing at the same time.
“It just grew. Seemingly, in the blink of the eye, it’s 22 years later, and he we are.”
Frann Wageneck, SBUSD’s assistant superintendent of student services, first met Ortiz in 1978, when he was a teacher at La Colina and she was a student. She didn’t have him as a teacher at the time.
Their professional careers crossed paths in 2002, when Wageneck began working as a school counselor at Community Day School, which was located on the La Colina campus.
In 2004, La Colina Junior High had an opening for a school counselor and Ortiz hired Wageneck for that position. He was her boss for nearly four years until Wageneck became an administrator and moved into an assistant principal role at another school.
“I for one, owe my career to David,” she said. “He believed in me at a time when I needed a champion. He is the one who saw the potential in me and encouraged me to pursue a career as an educational administrator.”
The most significant quality Ortiz has is his focus on high expectations for both students and staff, Wageneck said.
There currently are seven site and district administrators who worked for Ortiz as teachers, school counselors or assistant principals, including two assistant superintendents, she noted.
“He expected the best out of everyone, and consistently communicated that to all of us,” Wageneck said. “He thoroughly believed that his students deserved the best educational experience possible.
“Therefore, he set the bar high everywhere, from the physical condition of the campus to rigorous academic experiences for all students.”
As a Santa Barbara native, Ortiz graduated from area schools, including McKinley School, La Cumbre Junior High and Santa Barbara High, where he was a member of the Class of 1972.
He obtained his master’s degree and two administrative credentials from UC Santa Barbara.
Ortiz has been a longtime advocate for several initiatives and community partners including, the Safe Routes to School, Prime Time Band, Sustainability Just Communities, Council on Alcoholism & Drug Abuse and Fighting Back, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) and others.
At La Colina Junior High, he was a leader in the performing arts space, excellence in academic preparation and commitments to equity.
The school is deeply involved in helping curb environmental issues, Ortiz said, and ensuring recycling programs are optimal, not only with trash and recyclables but with food waste, too.
“You want kids to gain knowledge and skills, but you want them to have fun and feel safe,” he said. “That is what this is all about.”
During his career, Ortiz spoke at the annual Santa Barbara Partners in Education Business and Education Partnerships Breakfast. Last year, he gave a speech titled, ”Doing the Essential,” and urged the hundreds of business, civic and education leaders in the audience to connect with students and talk to them about their ability to “dream it, believe it and achieve it.”
He also has had a longtime involvement with the Mountain View School sixth-grade exit interviews, a tradition at the Goleta Union School District campus.
Among his accomplishments, Ortiz was awarded the California Outstanding Young Teacher Award and the Crystal Apple Award from the county Education Office for his dedication to students and service.
For the final time as principal, he presided over La Colina’s graduation ceremony, sending the Class of 2019 on to high school.
The side streets and campus parking lot filled early, as did the chairs placed in the campus’ outdoor courtyard on a recent Wednesday for the 59th promotion ceremony.
The gathering itself marks a special day for students embarking on a new milestone in life. La Colina Junior High feeds primarily into San Marcos High School, but some students attend Dos Pueblos and Santa Barbara high schools.
The members of the graduating eighth-grade class, decked out in their Sunday best, walked in accompanied by the school band.
“Like you, I graduated from junior high school today,” Ortiz told hundreds of students sitting in front at the ceremony. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this would ever happen — I never thought I would be right here, and it has been a fantastic journey.”
He said he is “deeply honored and appreciative” to be associated with generations of students, parents and faculty, adding, “I will remember our story forever.”
In his remarks, Ortiz stressed the power of perseverance, and told the students that “dreams do come true — most important, remember that to live your dream you have to earn your dream every day.”
Ortiz dedicated his remarks to Leslie, his wife of 41 years. The couple met during their senior year at Santa Barbara High and they have two sons.
“Through her love, support and patience, I have been able to heighten my commitment and relationship with my professional family,” he told the crowd.
Ortiz announced his plans to retire in January.
La Colina Assistant Principal Jennifer Foster was hired as principal and begins as the campus’ first female leader on July 1.
“That was the icing on the cake — the opportunity to turn it over to somebody you respect and admire,” Ortiz told Noozhawk. “It’s in the best of hands, not only here on the site, but the district itself.”
La Colina Junior High serves about 900 seventh- and eighth-grade students, according to district officials. More than 35 percent of students come from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and about 6 percent are English-language learners.
Ortiz will leave positive leadership and professionalism legacies, said Shawn Carey, the district’s assistant superintendent of secondary education.
“He has unquestionably left a positive legacy for La Colina and the La Colina community, but also for our entire school district, and therefore, the entire community,” she said.
“It’s one that is characterized by integrity, high expectations and a commitment to being student-centered.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
