After an extensive search, the Ventura County Office of Education has named Dr. Antonio Castro as its new Associate Superintendent of Educational Services. Dr. Castro will replace Dr. Valerie Chrisman, who is retiring in June after 14 years of service with VCOE.
Dr. Castro is currently the Director of Student Support Services at the Conejo Valley Unified School District in Thousand Oaks. In his new role, he will lead VCOE’s Educational Services Branch, which provides training, curriculum development, regulatory support and health-related services to educators and students throughout Ventura County.
“It is an honor to be selected to serve in this role at the Ventura County Office of Education,” Castro said. “Given that my family has lived in Ventura County for several generations, the opportunity to partner with all districts in our region is quite humbling. I look forward to collaborating with state, county and district personnel in the service of our students and their families.”
Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Stan Mantooth said, “Dr. Castro brings a mix of administrative and classroom-based experience that will help VCOE further its mission of providing quality educational opportunities in a constantly changing environment.” Mantooth added, “We were fortunate to have multiple highly qualified candidates apply for this position, and it was very rewarding to see educators of such high caliber express an interest in this important role.”
Before taking on his current duties at the Conejo Valley Unified School District, Dr. Castro was the district’s Director of Special Education. He is a former principal and assistant principal of Los Cerritos Middle School in Thousand Oaks and a former assistant principal of Sycamore Canyon School in Newbury Park. He also served as a special education teacher in the Simi Valley Unified School District. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at California Lutheran University and CSU Channel Islands.
Dr. Castro will begin serving in his new position on July 1. Additional information about VCOE’s Educational Services Branch is available here.