Celebrating our Community School Managers This Week: Thank You, CSMs!

This week, we join thousands of districts across the country in honoring our Community School Managers during School Coordinators Appreciation Week, September 15-19, 2025.

OUSD is fortunate to have 77 Community School Managers (CSMs) working across the district in support of our students and their families at traditional school sites, alternative school sites and in our young adult program. These dedicated individuals are the heart of our school communities, working tirelessly to ensure that students, families, and staff feel welcomed, supported, and engaged in our schools.

“Our CSMs do it all. They conduct home visits, distribute food and technology, lead COST (Coordination of Student Services Team) and attendance teams, work on health and wellness initiatives, and so much more,” said Superintendent Dr. Denise Saddler. “I want to thank all of our Community School Managers for genuinely connecting with our students and their families. The support they provide to our school communities is tremendous.”

As part of the 2011 Strategic Plan, the District’s goal was to have CSMs at 50 schools by 2020. We exceeded that goal and now have CSMs serving almost every school in the district.

In 2023, OUSD was able to expand the CSM leadership team to build capacity and deepen support for our CSMs in alignment with our community schools model. Professional learning communities for elementary school CSMs and secondary school CSMs are now held once a month, during which CSMs spend an entire day with their peers, learning, collaborating and problem solving.

OUSD and CSM Leadership: L to R: Andrea Bustamante, Nicole Anderson, Superintendent Denise Saddler, Salomeh Ghorban, Camila Escobar, and Jaymie Lollie

“Our Community School Managers are experts at weaving together resources and working with others to do whatever is needed to meet their community’s needs,” said Salomeh Ghorban, Community School Leadership Coordinator. “By collaborating with students, families, staff and community based organizations to remove barriers to learning, they are truly creating a more equitable and inclusive educational experience for all students.” 

Please join us in expressing gratitude for our Community School Managers this week by using this form, saying thank you in person, or giving them a shout out on social media.