Longtime educator Ana Applegate promoted to assistant superintendent of SBCUSD Educational Services

Ana Applegate, a 28-year San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) educator, has recently transitioned from director of multilingual programs into assistant superintendent of SBCUSD Educational Services Division.

In her new role, she is tasked with strengthening the district’s distance learning programs and will lead new initiatives in preparing students to return to the classroom when deemed safe to do so.

“I hope that my site experience as a principal and my experience as a district office director will provide me with a broad and comprehensive understanding of district systems in order to best serve all of our stakeholders. As a former director in Educational Services, I’ve been immersed in the work of distance learning, and together with my talented team, I hope to bring continuity, consistency, and high quality learning to our student’s distance learning experiences,” said Applegate, a San Bernardino native.

“We have a very committed and talented workforce. Our people are our soul, and I want to continue to invest in our people so that they serve our students and their families to the best of their ability. At SBCUSD we take our responsibility as educators very seriously; we know our families and community are greatly depending on us for the best outcomes for our students,” continued Applegate.

She also believes that providing every student an equitable foundation is key in their success.

“One of the most important factors for student success is providing equitable learning opportunities for all students. We have a very diverse student population, and I take pride in making sure we address all of their needs. This response is especially important in these uncertain times of distance learning,” Applegate said.

Applegate credits her father as one of her first inspirations to attain a higher education.

“As I was growing up, my father always said, education is the great equalizer; he instilled the value of education in me very early on,” Applegate said. “I grew to understand how empowering and important a good education could be. I learned quickly that with a good education came opportunity and choices, something my parents didn’t have enough of growing up.”

She said that if her parents were afforded the same education that she was, they would have had so many more options and opportunities in life, something that she sees in her students and families.

“Both my parents were extremely intelligent people and would have accomplished so much more if they had the opportunities I have been afforded. I see them in my students and families, and I am committed to providing those valuable, life-changing learning opportunities to help our students achieve their fullest potential,” said Applegate.

As much work that is thrown her way, Applegate finds nothing more gratifying than to see students succeed.

“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing former students graduating from college, working in a field they love and making a difference in the world. Our district employs many of our former students in several capacities, and it’s especially exciting to see our students coming back interning, becoming teachers in our district, and serving our community in a variety of ways. It’s very rewarding to serve our students, families, and community,” concluded Applegate.

Applegate is an alumni of Aquinas High School, California State University, San Bernardino and Azusa Pacific University.

For more information, visit https://www.sbcusd.com.