Las Virgenes names new administrator
By John Loesing
Acorn Staff Writer

Jim Nielsen MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn

Longtime educator and former collegiate basketball champion Jim Nielsen has been named the new director of secondary education for Las Virgenes Unified School District (LVUSD).

Nielsen, 54, will oversee the district’s three high schools and two middle schools.

A third middle school in Calabasas is under construction.

Nielsen replaces Joe Nardo, who was promoted to assistant superintendent for education.

"The district has a very good reputation," Nielsen said. "They were interested in me and I was interested in them."

The Camarillo resident comes from the Oxnard Union High School District where he served as principal at Channel Islands High School, Frontier High School and Oxnard High School where he’s been since 1999.

Frontier, which is the district’s continuation high school, gained Model California High School status while Nielsen was principal. He also adopted an innovative discipline program that benefited Camarillo High, Nielsen said.

"All the schools I’ve been associated with have always been involved with outstanding academic and athletic programs," Nielsen said. "I’ve provided the leadership for that to happen."

Nielsen, who served as assistant principal at Camarillo and Rio Mesa high schools, said he’s happy to be working in a district that serves all grades, not just high school.

"It’s exciting to be working at a different level and at a different capacity," he said.

"There’s a better opportunity for articulation among the intermediate and elementary schools and the high schools … I look forward to working with the secondary schools to really providing the best services possible for those schools."

Nielsen graduated from UCLA where he played basketball for Coach John Wooden on three of the Bruin national championship teams in the late 60s.

"I’m very proud of that and it’s obviously something that’s had a major impact on my life," said Nielsen, who went on to earn his administrative services credential and a master of art’s degree from Cal Lutheran University.

He said one of his goals at LVUSD would be to improve communication among teachers, parents and administrators.

"One of the things I’ve always tried to do is get more parental involvement when I’ve been in a leadership position, and I welcome that," Nielsen said. "I’m going to spend time talking with the parents and the staff members and the students, and I want to listen to what they have to say."

Nielsen, a former Thousand Oaks resident whose son graduated from Westlake High School, was introduced at a recent LVUSD Board of Education meeting.

"I think his past experience as a high school administrator is what we needed to balance our team," said John Fitzpatrick, LVUSD superintendent.