New superintendent announces 100-day listening tour and schedule of stakeholder events

Superintendent Damon Wright outlined a 100-day listening-and-learning plan at the Santa Clara Unified School District board meeting on Aug. 14, announcing a schedule of public events and outreach to gather stakeholder input.

Wright said the plan will focus on four areas: leadership and governance, student achievement, culture and operations, and family and community engagement. He listed three public sessions scheduled for early September and described additional one-on-one meetings and virtual chats to invite broader participation.

Why it matters: The outreach is part of the superintendent’s onboarding and is intended to collect community input to shape district priorities and the superintendent’s early agenda.

Details from the superintendent

Damon Wright said, “On Tuesday, we officially launched the school year, and I gotta say it was great being back serving students, talking with our colleagues and serving our community.” He thanked staff and described visits to several school sites, saying students and staff showed positive energy for the start of the year.

Wright presented the 100-day plan details and event dates: a listening session on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Santa Clara High School; a Saturday session on Sept. 6 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Wilcox High School; and a Tuesday session on Sept. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. at McDonald High School. The superintendent said additional one-on-one coffee meetings across the community and evening virtual chats will be scheduled and posted on the district website’s 100-day plan page.

He also said executive staff will lead the listening events and that the outreach will inform priorities in areas including student achievement and organizational culture.

What the record shows

Wright described visiting several campuses on the first day of school—George Mayne (transcript spells “George Maine”), Montague, Scott Lane, Cabrillo and Wilcox—and called the start-of-year energy “very high.” He noted staff questions about a device-free plan that staff and students navigated without major issues. He also announced the board will be updated via the district website and that family participation is invited.

Next steps

The district will publish the schedule and registration information on the district website’s 100-day plan page and proceed with the announced listening sessions in September. Wright said he expects to incorporate stakeholder input into a forward plan for the district’s early leadership decisions.

Sources: Santa Clara Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting transcript, Aug. 14, 2025.