Las Virgenes Superintendent Honored By LA Co.

AGOURA HILLS, CA — The Los Angeles County Office of Education named local schools chief Dan Stepenosky superintendent of the year for his work with the Las Virgenes Unified School District Wednesday.

The office cited his efforts to bring students back to campus during the pandemic and his commitment to provide social justice education as reasons he was chosen.

Stepenosky's district represents schools in Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Hidden Hills.

The award was a total shock, Stepenosky said. The county even surprised Stepenosky at his office with the award.

"There [are] 80 superintendents in L.A. County, and I know a whole bunch of them. It’s a terrific group with a lot of talent and a lot of leadership, so to even be considered among that group is very humbling," he said.

Each year, a seven-person panel that includes the previous year's winner — as well as other superintendents and education office board members — chooses the new superintendent of the year. The panel reviews nominations made by any member of the public.

Working Through The Pandemic, Teaching Social Justice

The county education office cited Stepenosky's efforts to bring students back on campus during the pandemic in a news alert announcing his award.

The Las Virgenes Unified School District was the first in the county to resume in-person learning when Stepenosky brought students in special education programs back on campus in October 2020.

"Zoom doesn't get it done for many of us for lots of reasons, but for our students who need special services and special support, it was especially challenging. And so we wanted to bring them back first to get them in classrooms," Stepenosky said. "The special ed students led the way literally for the entire county, and it went well, and it was safe, and it was effective."

Las Virgenes district middle and high school students followed shortly thereafter. The district invested $1.8 million in health and safety regulations and personal protective equipment, Stepenosky told Patch in March.

"Schools are structured places," Stepenosky said, adding: "I was always confident that schools could do this well and would not create superspreader events ... Of course nothing's perfect; it's a global pandemic — but it's gone really really well. ... The health protocols matter Masks matter. Vaccines matter."

Additionally, the education office applauded Stepenosky's "commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion." Stepenosky implemented educational standards for teaching about justice and invested $250,000 in resources for the district's in-person and online libraries. The district also worked with Courageous Conversations, an organization that trains staff to engage in conversations about racial equity.

"The students came to us right after the George Floyd murder. It’s a super complex topic, race in America. And they asked for help in processing it, and we listened to them, and we wanted to put some structures in place to help and to support them. Youngsters, our students, they want to see change yesterday, and I get it. But we have to help them work through that constructively and creatively."

Stepenosky's approach to helping kids work through the national conversations is simpler than people think.

"It's about the students seeing each other as humans and as wonderful and taking care of each other," he said.

Stepenosky's Background

Stepenosky always knew he wanted to be an educator. He was struck by his mother's passion as an art teacher in Pennsylvania and wanted to follow in her footsteps.

"I was just blown away by the passion and dedication she brought to the classroom and the students, and I wanted to do the same thing," Stepenosky said.

After serving four and a half years in the U.S. Navy, Stepenosky started teaching at Beverly Hills High School in 1994 and worked in Los Angeles-area schools ever since.

Stepenosky graduated from Villanova University as part of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program and served four and a half years in the Navy. He said his time in the Navy taught him a lot about leadership and resilience.

"When it came to it, I loved my time in the Navy but was excited to try something new, and education was the calling I heard," he said.

He went to the University of San Diego to earn a teaching credential and sent out his resume. Stepenosky wanted to stay in California and only sent his resume to Beverly Hills High School as a joke.

Maybe a joke gone too far: Stepenosky ended up becoming Beverly Hills High School's youngest principal. He even proposed to his wife in the school's planetarium.

Stepenosky had a lot of important mentors there who helped him transition from the classroom to administrative roles, leading him to his first job with the Las Virgenes district in 2006.

Moving Forward

The Las Virgenes district will formally honor Stepenosky on Oct. 22 at SoFi Stadium, where it will also announce the first-ever L.A. County cabinet members of the year.

Stepenosky hoped his recognition will bring attention to the need for good public schools across the county and the country.

"Public schools really are important — across the country, across L.A. County, across our four cities in Las Virgenes. Public schools matter, and we need people's support, appreciation, kindness, patience and all those things. They really do serve such a critical need, which is our children," Stepenosky said.