After a competitive search, the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) Board of Education has voted to hire Dr. Greg Bayless as the new Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services. Dr. Bayless began his new role on August 1, 2022. Dr. Bayless will replace Dr. Antonio Castro, who was recently named incoming VUSD Superintendent after Dr. Roger Rice announced his retirement.
In this new role, Dr. Bayless will oversee departments such as; Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Programs, Multilingual & Multicultural Education, Special Education, Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, Student Support Services, and Health Services and Prevention Programs.
Dr. Bayless has over twenty-five years of educational experience with the Ojai and Ventura Unified School Districts. He has recently served as the Executive Director of Educational Services at Ventura Unified. Before that, he served as VUSD’s Director of Secondary Education since 2017. He also stepped in as Interim Co-Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services during the 2020-21 school year.
Dr. Bayless’s extensive experience in Educational Services Administration will serve him well as he successfully leads this team. In addition, he has served as the Assistant Principal of Curriculum & Instruction and as Principal at Nordhoff High School in Ojai. He also served as the Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction for the Ojai Unified School District before joining VUSD. Dr. Bayless’ strengths lie in his ability to build trust with families and partnering and supporting teachers and staff, serving as a conduit when needed between the sites and the district offices.
The Lions Club International Ventura Downtown Chapter will donate a Welch Allyn SPOT Vision Screener to Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) on Thursday, August 11, 2022, at the Ventura Poinsettia Pavilion. This generous donation will give VUSD’s School Nurses a critical state-of-the-art vision screening tool that will screen students who are unable to be screened with traditional vision screening techniques. The SPOT Vision Screener is a handheld device that gives a digital reading within five seconds. VUSD’s youngest and most vulnerable students will benefit from early vision detection, which research shows are critical for children and their learning process. This donation is especially beneficial for younger children with limited verbal abilities and/or a language barrier.
“The Ventura Unified School District is beyond thankful to the Ventura Downtown Lions Club for the priceless donation of a Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screener. When it comes to vision screenings, we need an equitable and accessible solution for our students with disabilities who struggle to conform to traditional vision screening within the educational setting to ensure that vision loss will not go undetected. With this generous donation, all of our children will now receive the timely vision services they need, eliminating the increased risk of impacting their cognitive, emotional, neurological, and physical development. VUSD is truly grateful to the Ventura Downtown Lions Club for partnering with us and helping to level the playing field for all of our learners,” stated Neil Virani, VUSD’s Executive Director of Special Education and Pupil Services.
Contact Ann Marie Bidlingmaier, R.N., VUSD’s Health Services & Prevention Programs Coordinator, at [email protected] or 805-641-5000 extension 1136 for more information.
