A new leader will be at the helm of Los Altos High School for the 2023-2024 school year.
Tracey Runeare (rhymes with “canary”) will succeed longtime principal Wynne Satterwhite, who is retiring next month after a 30-plus-year career with the Mountain View Los Altos High School District.
The MVLA Board of Trustees approved Runeare’s appointment at a meeting last week.
“We are delighted to welcome Tracey Runeare to the MVLA school district and look forward to her energy and enthusiasm as an administrator and student advocate,” said Nellie Meyer, MVLA superintendent. “I am confident her high school administrative experience, instructional background and values, and commitment to equity will complement our strong LAHS culture.”
“I am thrilled to join the home of the Eagles,” Runeare said. “I was particularly drawn to Los Altos High’s values of equity and world-class educational opportunities.”
Runeare has served as principal of Harbor High School in Santa Cruz since 2016 and previously was the school’s assistant principal.
While at Harbor High, she led the school to an International Baccalaureate World School authorization, increased student enrollment by 25% over two years and served as a site lead for a $26.3 million bond measure to fund Harbor facilities.
She also served as an assistant principal at Watsonville High and as a social studies teacher for several years.
Runeare has expertise in implementing and expanding the Advancement Via Individual Determination program, restorative practices, leading impact teams and equity in education.
“Ms. Runeare stood out amongst all of the candidates as someone who brings a strong instructional background as a longtime teacher and a veteran high school principal,” Meyer said. “Her strong instructional expertise, coupled with her understanding of student support, will serve our community well. It was clear in her interview that she is student-centered and had created and implemented successful programs with thoughtfulness and collaboration. Her focus on equitable practices aligns with our district goals as we work to support all students.”
Runeare earned a Bachelor of Arts in social science and a Master of Arts in education from San Jose State University. She is pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership, focusing on transformative leadership, social justice and equity, from San Francisco State, expected to be awarded next May. She also holds an administrative credential and single-subject credential in social science from San Jose State.
“I have always been drawn to public education,” she said “I see it as a part of a larger project that includes protecting our democracy and breaking down economic and social barriers embedded in our society and the educational system.”
Runeare was born in Santa Cruz and grew up in Morgan Hill. She now lives in Ben Lomond with her husband and her two sons, who attend Cabrillo College. Her two stepdaughters attend college at Cal Lutheran and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
