A Convener and Collaborator for Kids

Profile

GROWING UP POOR to immigrant parents from mainland China who never finished high school meant Mary Sieu faced challenges as a child. She lived in the back of a laundry and began school knowing little English.

But Sieu demonstrated an early yearning to move ahead. By 8th grade, she was a flourishing student and chapter president of Future Teachers of America at her public school in Chicago. Today she is in her sixth year as superintendent of 21,000-student ABC Unified School District in Cerritos, Calif., with another 9,000 in adult school and 10 preschools.

When Sieu shares her personal story, she tells people, “Demographics do not determine destiny.” This tagline resonates in a community that is 93 percent ethnically diverse, primarily Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islanders. Half qualify for free and reduced-price meals.

The district’s rising student achievement has brought a shower of awards. Nine of 19 elementary schools have been named California Gold Ribbon schools since 2016. All five middle schools have been recognized at the state and national levels, and the four comprehensive high schools received the California Distinguished School and Gold Ribbon honor.

For her districtwide accomplishments, Sieu was recognized as one of four finalists for the 2018 Superintendent of the Year.

Her career in the ABC district, located 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles, began as a program coordinator in 1989. She aspired for greater responsibility, beginning an immediate climb that led her to become in 2012 the first woman and first Asian appointed to ABC’s top post.

Those who know Sieu describe her as caring, collaborative, a good listener and a convener. She speaks personally to every teacher during school visits.

Sieu brings a global perspective to her work, having studied international education as a graduate student, taught for several years in China and visited more than 60 countries. The fact ABC’s Whitney High School and Cerritos High School excel in Model United Nations international competitions is a particular point of pride.

To strengthen the district’s local relationships, Sieu attends four city council and county council meetings regularly. She is a past president of the Cerritos Chamber of Commerce. Consequently, she knows local decision makers and they know her well.

“Mary is quite the ambassador … telling people what the kids need to be successful, as well as getting them to see the fruits of working together,” says Ray Gaer, president of the ABC Federation of Teachers.

Those relationships can help when seeking collaborative solutions. Sieu reached out to city council members of Hawaiian Gardens, a small city within her district, to discuss low reading scores at Artesia High School and its six feeder schools.

“The city generously paid for the Reading Plus Program for all four elementary schools over the past three years,” Sieu says. As reading scores improved, she converted Artesia High School into an accelerated magnet school serving 1,400 students that now offers Advanced Placement, career and technical education classes and credit recovery options to raise graduation prospects.

The improvement in students’ outcomes restored a sense of hope to the low-income community.

“When Mary gave her presentation to the city council and they heard how well the schools were doing, they were high-fiving each other,” says Olympia Chen, retired president of the ABC board of education. “They weren’t just appreciative; they were proud.”