When educator Shanieka Richard first moved to Hollister about six years ago, she noticed the sign outside the site shared by Calaveras Elementary School and Accelerated Achievement Academy proclaiming, “Two Great Schools ‒ One Awesome Learning Community.”
The schools’ shared campus was close to her new home at the time, and she was curious about the extraordinary dynamic.
After three years as Assistant Principal at Maze Middle School, her interest in Calaveras/AAA has come full circle. Richard is the new principal at the site and she is thrilled about the opportunity.
“I thought to myself—and it was a fleeting thought—‘What if ended up working there?’” she said in recalling her fascination with the idea of being part of her own neighborhood school site. “This is a great opportunity to be amongst my community as an educator.”
Hollister is now Richard’s home, while she was born and raised in Texas. She first taught high school English there in 2017, having earned a degree in English and a minor in Family and Consumer Science. After three years teaching in Texas, she moved to California. She taught in San Jose and Morgan Hill before taking on the Maze role.
Richard called Maze a wonderful experience that spurred much of her growth as an education leader. She expressed gratitude to have worked alongside Principal Primavera Cabibi who taught her a great deal about leadership and approachability.
Richard mentioned Cabibi’s willingness to provide her leadership tasks such as coordinating the Safety Team and Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) Team, accommodating students with disabilities, and instructional coaching. She said she has appreciated all of the support from the district office throughout her tenure.
In looking back on her journey, Richard recounted her love for libraries and literacy—appropriate considering the Hollister School District’s emphasis on reading and writing. She grew up in a small town and was drawn to education from very early on, with the help of a first-grade teacher who particularly inspired her through books that felt relevant to Richard.
As she starts this leadership role at Calaveras/AAA, Richard noted her excitement for the site’s library and called it the campus’ hub. She is enthusiastic about modernizing that library.
“For me, the library was this magical place growing up,” Richard said. “I want our students to experience that.”
Richard spoke about the prospects of incorporating multimedia and the arts into the library setting, along with other facets enticing students to go there.
In discussing the unique dynamic with two schools at one physical site, she will strive to create a unifying presence. She wants Calaveras students aspiring to eventually be AAA students if they so choose, and to celebrate that potential pathway.
Additionally, she plans to provide more opportunities for families to engage through different events and communication channels, like the “CouGator Monthly Newsletter” alluding to the mascot names of the two schools—the Cougars and Gators.
“I want to really unify both schools in a different way,” she said. “I want older AAA/Calaveras students to act as student-body leaders for our younger students. It’s a unique position to really guide students from TK to 8th grade.”
Just as she was provided opportunities to grow her leadership skills, one of Richard’s primary goals is to help students understand they, too, can be leaders and changemakers in their own community.
“You don’t have to leave home to be great. You can make the change happen right here,” she said. “I’m here to show them that leadership is possible in your home.”
