It is an honor to serve as the Cold Spring School District Superintendent / Principal and lead a student-centered team of educators and community members focused on educational excellence. Our incredible team has successfully led the District to being recognized as the top performing district in the State of California.

Our focus is to provide every child, every opportunity to be successful each and everyday by fostering creativity and inspiring innovation.

I love teaching children! My love for children and the desire to help create an atmosphere of excellence in education led me to school administration. I was the principal of the Santa Barbara Community Academy for three years and then served as principal of Adams Elementary School for eight years. While at Adams, I helped to change the school’s under-performing reputation by focusing on educating the whole child. We did this by enhancing our programs in art, music, technology, physical education, and STEAM. I also helped to create an authentic Montessori education option for some of our students within the school’s traditional structure.  I feel blessed to have left both the Santa Barbara Community Academy and Adams Elementary School as Title I Achieving and California Distinguished Schools.  

I gained further administrative experience when I served as the Interim Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Education for the Santa Barbara Unified School District. While in that position, I created a comprehensive professional learning plan for the District’s teachers that around implementing the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards. I also developed a five day Summer Institute for teachers and assisted in writing the District’s LCAP.

I am committed to life-long learning and firmly believe that we should never stop learning and growing. My own path has included a BA in Liberal Studies with a minor in Kinesiology from Westmont College and teaching and administrative credentials, as well as two education Master’s Degrees, from Azusa Pacific University and a Doctorate in Education Leadership from Concordia University.

For the last twenty-five years, it has been my passion to serve the children and families in Santa Barbara in their pursuit of educational excellence. Nothing brings me greater joy than to see a child fall in love with learning! I’ve also learned that there is something magical about a community that works together to instill PLAY, PASSION, and PURPOSE in each and every child – the basic elements of intrinsic motivation. These three elements are explored in the book Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World by Dr. Tony Wagner. I’ve read the book three times and have found that it aligns with my own views about education, not only for my own children but for all children.   

Please feel free to stop by to say hello, you’ll probably find me either in one of the classrooms or out on the playground.

Sincerely,
Dr. Amy Alzina 
Superintendent/Principal