Educational leader Sandra Thorstenson '77 will retire after from the Whittier Union High School District after serving as an educator and administrator for 39 years, including 14 years as District Superintendent.
During her tenure as a leader at the local and state levels, Thorstenson became a renowned force that has successfully instituted a culture of support, collaboration and unity among teachers and staff for the benefit of every single student.
Thorstenson has been lauded by her peers for her leadership, including early efforts to implement the new California Standards in Whittier Union, her work supporting the success of English language learners, efforts to build and foster a collaborative culture of high expectations in Whittier Union, coaching of new superintendents and leadership of education efforts such as the Association of California School Administrators’ (ACSA) “One Voice for Students” state initiative.
Raised in Whittier, Thorstenson, 60, is a Latina and graduate of Whittier High School. The first in her family to go to college, she earned a Master of Education in educational administration from California State University, Fullerton.
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