New Huntington Beach Union High School District superintendent hits the ground running
Carolee Ogata started off her professional career as an English teacher at Marine View Middle School in Huntington Beach.
Along the way, she’s been an assistant principal, director of instruction, director of personnel. The list goes on for the new superintendent of the Huntington Beach Union High School District.
“It’s been a long road,” she started to sing, to the tune of the Wiz Khalifa song “See You Again.”
Ogata smiled.
“You don’t have to put that in [the article],” she said.
It’s not a secret that Ogata has a fun-loving attitude. She believes that will help her as she transitions into the lead role in the district with six comprehensive high schools and about 14,000 students.
“I think I have a sense of humor,” she said. “Whether it’s good or not, I don’t know, but I’m silly. I am a goofball. I just like to interact with people and get to know people. But also I’m serious about the work.”
Ogata, 57, took over as superintendent last week following the retirement of Clint Harwick. She has served as Huntington Beach Union High School District’s deputy superintendent of human resources since 2012, following time in the Garden Grove Unified School District.
Overall, she has spent more than 32 years in the field of education and believed she would be a good fit as superintendent. She was selected in April by the district’s Board of Trustees.
“My background, serving as an English teacher, a principal on site, a director of instruction and in the HR office, I feel like I received a well-balanced education in how to run a school district,” Ogata said. “I’ve also learned a lot about the state budget and school budgets, where I can understand the business part of the school district.
“We do serve over 1,000 employees, so I have to be able to understand how to balance a budget as well as all of the different things, the instructional practices, the hiring of employees. I think my experience has led me to understand fully a school district, especially this one, because I’ve been here for 13 years.”
Ogata, a Newport Harbor High School graduate, has a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Long Beach, a master’s in educational administration from National University and a doctorate in educational leadership from USC.
“Her expertise in curriculum and instruction, coupled with her ability to listen and consider diverse perspectives makes her an ideal fit for HBUHSD,” Fountain Valley High School Principal Paul Lopez said in an email. “I am confident that Dr. Ogata’s student-centered approach and commitment to excellence will guide HBUHSD to new heights.”
Her warm demeanor and quick wit are well-known throughout the district, said Sarah Thompson, principal’s secretary at Marina High School.
When she accompanied the district’s new teachers on a bus tour, the trip included a stop at Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts. Guess who got on stage to sing with the students?
“The energy she brings when she visits a school site is unmatched,” Thompson said. “We pride ourselves in being a family, but Dr. Ogata makes our family complete — that’s how much she truly cares about everyone. Her deep commitment to instilling a sense of family amongst our staff carries over into student culture, and that truly sets her apart from the rest. Dr. Ogata always puts students first, and her leadership inspires everyone around her to work better.”
When asked about challenges the district is facing, she pointed out state and federal budget concerns and aging infrastructure on campus. Still, the campuses of Fountain Valley, Marina and Edison high schools all have new pools that have opened in the last couple of years, and Ogata is proud of that.
“There’s different pressures and different challenges that our students face, but all in all, kids are kids and they all are resilient and caring folks,” she said. “We just have to help them get to their next step, and we do that by having a wide variety of programs for them, whether it’s APA or our many CTE courses.
“I have a lot of worries in general. That’s just who I am, I worry a lot. Wanting to make sure that every student receives a quality education is the No. 1 challenge, and making sure it’s the right fit. That’s why we have so many programs, so that we can serve all of our 14,000 students.”
Ogata, who lives in Fountain Valley, said she is single with no children.
“The district fills up my time,” she said. “The 14,000 kids are my kids.”
She enjoys things like hosting dinner parties, traveling and attending concerts in her spare time — Adele and Rick Springfield are standout shows that come to her mind.
She also recently saw Janet Jackson in concert.
Ogata smiled again.
“I think I’m her,” she said.
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