Veteran educator hired as Laguna High principal

In a unanimous vote, the Laguna Beach Unified School District board of trustees on Tuesday approved hiring an educator with 30 years of experience as Laguna Beach High School’s next principal.

Christopher Herzfeld, Fountain Valley High principal for the last 10 years, will begin his new post as Laguna Beach High’s leader on Monday. The board’s vote culminated a monthlong search after the departure of Joanne Culverhouse.

Culverhouse, beloved in the community for her energy, professionalism and friendly nature, left in late August after 15 years with the district to become assistant superintendent of educational services for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District.

Carolyn Williams, former assistant superintendent of the Fullerton Joint Union High School District, has guided Laguna Beach High during the last month.

Herzfeld, a Laguna Beach resident whose 4-year-old daughter will begin school in the district next year, has been a high school teacher, coach and administrator, including assistant principal at Fountain Valley High and Ocean View High, according to a news release.

He completed his undergraduate studies at Fort Lewis College, a liberal arts school in Durango, Colo., and earned a master’s degree in administration, supervision and curriculum from the University of Colorado, according to the release.

“We are faced with preparing students for global citizenship and careers that will look nothing like the world of careers that we know,” Herzfeld said in the release. “Twenty-first century fluency means that all our students will have to be entrepreneurs, artists, videographers, journalists and website designers, no matter what line of work they choose.

“In many ways, our students are already way ahead of us regarding technology and social media, so our job will be to harness the instructional power of these tools while providing the skills and character traits to navigate the affiliated minefields.”

Supt. Sherine Smith said in the release that Herzfeld stood out for fostering a “student-centered climate” in his previous positions.

“He is a strong instructional leader who has focused his efforts on meeting the needs of students ... and hiring and supporting high-quality teachers,” Smith said.

Resident and musician Carol Reynolds, one of the founders of the Laguna Concert Band, applauded the selection.

“He sounds wonderful,” Reynolds said. “He has the perfect combination [of traits and skills] to replace Joanne.”