Featured Alumni

VINCENT MATTHEWS

The Broad Superintendents Academy Class of 2006
Superintendent
San Jose Unified School District, Calif.

“I believe the mission for every school district is to provide a high-quality educational program for every student. For too long, large urban school districts have struggled to complete this mission, especially for their low-income students of color. These districts face daily challenges and must have leaders who are capable of turning the vision of a ‘world class education’ into a reality. Throughout my educational career, I have always sought out urban education reform opportunities that would lead to improved student achievement. I am eager to use my experience and leadership to help direct a district towards meeting the needs of students who are trapped in a failing system.”

Vincent Matthews was recently appointed superintendent for San Jose Unified School District in California, a district with 52,000 students and 110 schools. Matthews previously served as state trustee, prior to that as state administrator and before that as chief of staff for the Oakland Unified School District in California. Matthews also served as regional superintendent of San Diego Unified School District, the second largest district in California with more than 134,000 students in over 200 schools. Prior to this position, Matthews served as the educator in residence for the NewSchools Venture Fund, a venture philanthropy firm working to transform public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs so that all children—especially the underserved—have the opportunity to succeed in the 21st century. Prior to joining NewSchools Venture Fund, Matthews served as the California operations vice president for Edison Schools, where he managed the overall operations for the eight Edison schools throughout California. Previously, he served as a teacher as well as in various administrative positions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including principal of Edison Charter Academy and Alvarado Elementary School in San Francisco, principal of John Muir Middle School in San Leandro, and assistant principal of Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley. Matthews has a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and a master’s degree in educational administration from San Francisco State University.  Matthews is a graduate of the 2006 class of The Broad Superintendents Academy.