The New Superintendent

Cheryl Cotton was hired Wednesday to be Superintendent of the West Contra Costa School District.

Cheryl Cotton will be the next superintendent of the West Contra Costa School District.

The school board on Wednesday approved a three-year contract for Cotton, a former principal and human resources director in West Contra Costa who is currently Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction with the California Department of Education.

Cotton’s base salary will be $325,000 per year. Her contract begins June 20.

Cotton was welcomed warmly when the decision was announced -- by speakers on Zoom including El Cerrito Mayor Carolyn Wysinger, by members of the school board, and by Interim Superintendent Kim Moses.

Cotton responded in kind.

“I am so glad to be home ,” she said. “I am a graduate of West Contra Costa. I am a former parent in West Contra Costa. I see our strengths and I also know there are some things we need to work on. I am ready for this work.”

After her contract was approved, Cotton took time for an impromptu interview with Livable El Cerrito and Richmondside.

Asked why she wanted to leave an important state job to be superintendent here, Cotton said the work she has done and will be doing in West Contra Costa is "my life's work, if there is such a thing as a life's work."

She said she looks forward to focusing on the 25,000 kids in the district and serving them. In her state position, she needs to think about what's best for 5.8 million students.

Cotton said her first priority is to get reacquainted with the district after being away for seven years. Other priorities are building trust and supporting teachers and other district staff.

“It’s a plus that when I was here I worked closely with our union as human resources director,” she said. “I want our educators and support staff to have the support they need.”

Cotton grew up in Richmond and San Pablo. Her first teaching job was in Oakland and her first principal job was in San Francisco.

In West Contra Costa, Cotton was the principal at Valley View Elementary and then Madera Elementary. She was West Contra Costa’s Director of Human Resources from 2012 to 2018, when she became Human Resources Director for the Albany school district. She also served as Superintendent, Human Resources for the Contra Costa Office of Education before taking a job with the state.