New administrators eager to plunge into LUSD responsibilities

Just a week after Lodi Unified School District named Scott McGregor interim assistant superintendent of elementary education and Jeff Palmquist assistant superintendent of secondary education, the two are already settling into their new roles.

“I'm excited to come back home, reconnect with a lot of amazing people and make some new acquaintances,” Palmquist said. “I'm really excited to hit the ground running. Really, it's a dream come true.”

Palmquist began his LUSD career as a kindergarten student in 1980, he said, and started working as a teacher at Lodi High School in 1998 before working his way up to assistant principal in 2012, which he said gave him a strong connection to the community.

Palmquist took a job as an assistant principal at Benjamin Holt Academy in 2012, where he was later promoted to principal in 2013 and then associate superintendent of Aspire Public Schools in 2016 while also working as an adjunct professor at Teachers College of San Joaquin.

“At the time I was lead principal (of Benjamin Holt), we decided to split the high school and middle school. We built a new facility, so I was leading one school while having another one built and then passing it on to someone else to lead,” Palmquist said. “I've been given a lot of opportunities to lead teams, lead projects, work on grants. Really, my big break was when LUSD gave me the opportunity to be a summer school principal. All those experiences, I think, have put me in a spot where I get to come in with some context of this role.”

Palmquist plans to collaborate with McGregor, with whom he said he already has both a working relationship and friendship, to achieve district-wide goals set by superintendent Dr. Cathy Nichols Washer and the board of education, such as improving school safety and encouraging positive environments for students as well as expand the district’s computer science and career technical education programs.

“We've already started collaborating on the content and structure of the principals' meetings, the priorities and goals that Dr. Washer and the board have set and how we can work together to meet those goals,” Palmquist said.

Palmquist said he has already met some of the personal goals he set for himself, such as meeting with each principal before Thursday's leadership development program, and still has others that he plans to accomplish once the school year begins.

“Specifically, I set a goal for the first semester to eat lunch with students at every school I serve,” Palmquist said. “That's easier said than done, but you can learn a lot in 20 minutes just by meeting kids where they are and see the world from their perspective a little bit.”

Palmquist also plans to invite other district leaders to join him when he eats lunch with students, a practice that he discovered earlier in his educational career.

“This is going to be my 22nd year in education, and I have never left eating lunch or hanging out with students feeling dejected or depressed. It always lifts my spirits,” Palmquist said.

Although he is excited for his new position, Palmquist acknowledged that the job will not be without its challenges such as the funding gap he said affects schools across California and keeping up with constant advances in technology.

“We're not doing kids any favors if we're not preparing them for the world they live in now, and for the future. Society is changing quickly, and we've got to keep pace, which is why we prioritize STEM (science, technology, engineering and math),” Palmquist said. “I will say, though, that LUSD is filled with a lot of talented people and I know we can meet those challenges.”

McGregor began his teaching career at Lincoln Unified School District in 1986, he said, and eventually became assistant principal and athletic director at Lincoln High School in 2001 before taking a job as vice principal of Morada Middle School in 2005.

In the 32 years he has spent so far in education, McGregor has also served as vice principal at Bear Creek High School and as principal at Elkhorn Elementary, Vinewood Elementary and most recently Lodi Middle School from 2012 to 2018, he said.

“It’s crazy to think that I’ve been in education this long,” McGregor said. “It seems like just yesterday I was a young teacher, eager to make a difference in the lives of children. That pathway has continued to this point, and it’s been fun.”

In addition to his work as both a teacher and an administrator, McGregor also coached varsity sports including swimming, water polo and basketball, he said.

“When any situation is thrown to you, the focus has to be on what’s best for the children,” McGregor said. “Teaching, coaching and serving in an administrative role gives you a wide variety of experiences to draw from to make the best decisions that give kids opportunities to experience success.”

Like Palmquist, McGregor is excited to continue getting to know the principals and teachers at the schools he now oversees, he said, so that he can better understand what their needs are and how he can help them meet those needs.

“It’s exciting,” McGregor said. “I feel very honored that Dr. Washer and the board have given me the opportunity to work with the elementary division and lead them. I want principals to believe in me and work with me, and I want to make it right for children and meet the goals that Cathy and the board have set forth for the elementary division.”