Lodi Unified principal earns respect
Lawrence Elementary principal receives Boss of the Year award
When Juan Carlos Villafana became Lawrence Elementary School’s principal in 2010, bilingual paraeducator Carmella Hoffman could tell that he was the right man for the job.
“I’ve been at this school for many, many years and I’ve had many principals. I admire every one of them because everyone has their own way of contributing, everyone has made a difference, but when Mr. Villafana came to this school, I felt like he was the perfect principal and boss for our environment. He’s bilingual, dynamic and not only does he have the gift to reach the students, but their parents and his staff, as well,” Hoffman said.
Because of these qualities, Villafana was presented with the California School Employees Association’s 2017 Boss of the Year Award. CSEA Chapter 77 President Debra Ludwig presented the award at the Lodi Unified School District Board of Education meeting at the James Areida Education Support Center on Tuesday night.
“He’s an all-around great person, and well respected by the parents and staff at Lawrence Elementary School. It is with immense pride that I present the CSEA 2017 Boss of the Year Award to Juan Carlos Villafana,” Ludwig said.
A graduate of Tokay High School, Villafana studied English at California State University,
“I’ve been at this school for many, many years and I’ve had many principals. I admire every one of them because everyone has their own way of contributing, everyone has made a difference, but when Mr. Villafana came to this school, I felt like he was the perfect principal and boss for our environment.” CARMELLA HOFFMAN BILINGUAL PARAEDUCATOR, LAWRENCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Sacramento, and has worked as a bilingual paraeducator and English teacher at various schools in Lodi and Manteca before becoming a principal at Lawrence Elementary, where Beatriz Cazares, a typist clerk, says he makes his staff feel welcome and appreciated.
“He’s very understanding, he works with us whenever we need something. He’s very respectful, just a funny, positive guy. He’s always singing, he makes a song out of everything we say. He even plays after school sometimes, on the intercom,” Cazares said.
Villafana makes it a personal goal to learn each student’s name, and has been known to play his guitar and sing during lunch breaks from time to time, according to Valerie von Elsner, his secretary. Von Elsner also said, in a letter nominating him for the award, that Villafana even visits sick or injured students in the hospital, makes home visits and even supports fundraisers for families in need.
“He really cares about his employees and the kids here at our school. He goes above and beyond every day for everybody at school, he works late, he works weekends. I think he genuinely cares about everyone. Even kids who have gone on to junior high and high school come back to visit and ask him for advice about where to go to college, what they should pursue, things like that,” von Elsner said.
For Villafana, interacting with the students is one of the most satisfying parts of his job.
He enjoys watching them grow and learn. His aforementioned love of music has made its way into his job in many ways, he said, including rewriting the lyrics to “Hound Dog,” by Elvis Presley to create the school song, “Lawrence Leopard.” Above all, he added, one of his ongoing goals throughout his career has been to see more students believe in themselves.
“I have a saying for the students in the morning: ‘You are special, you are important and you are going to do great things.’ I think in our age, where young people receive so many messages from social media, if I have the opportunity to give them a positive message about themselves, I’m going to take it,” Villafana said.
Villafana advises new principals, and those aspiring to the position, to be willing to take risks and to be visible on campus, something that he admits is challenging as the job can be demanding. He also expressed a humble gratitude at winning the award, thanking his family for their understanding and his staff for their support.
“I’m thankful to be here, it’s an honor and a privilege. I don’t see myself as a deserving person to get any accolades for work like this, we try to work as a team,” Villafana said.