On Aug. 1, these two new administrators had their first day on the job. O'Laughlin is new to the area, having just moved to Campbell from Cincinnati, Ohio, but Short is a 34-year veteran of the district.

Although O'Laughlin has been in the district for less than a month, the new Campbell resident says praise of the district's faculty and schools reached him even before his first day on the job. "The Campbell Union School District is so highly regarded," he says. "Other people I talked to before I came here said this. I jumped at the chance to apply, and I was thrilled when I was offered the position."

This is not O'Laughlin's first time working in California. During his 20-year career in education, the Wyoming native has taught at schools in Utah, California, Wyoming and Ohio. While working on his doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Wyoming, O'Laughlin taught at the university level, training new teachers.

O'Laughlin's last position was director of curriculum for the Cincinnati Public School District, where he was responsible for the preschool-through-adult curriculum for the 40,000-student urban district. He says he looks forward to working in a small district where the curriculum can be more focused.

"There was a lot of bureaucracy involved at Cincinnati Public Schools," he says. "There's less of that here, which opens up the opportunity for a more hands-on approach and more focus on student achievement. Everyone has a hands-on role. There is a lot of teamwork and great communication."

O'Laughlin says he favors an individualized approach when working with students. One existing program he intends to maintain and improve is "differentiated instruction." In this program, instructors evaluate students individually to ascertain what level they are performing at, what their needs are and how teachers can better assist them in their education.

O'Laughlin says standardized tests are a significant part of differentiated instruction, but he insists that they only provide a basic sketch of a student's overall abilities.

"I think there is a place for standardized testing, and it can be helpful. But we have to keep in mind that standardized tests show a snapshot in time, and educators need to use other assessments as well. However, the information standardized testing provides can be used to inform curriculum."

Another major curriculum issue O'Laughlin says he intends to focus on is English as a second language education. Approximately 24 percent of the students in the district are nonnative English speakers. He says he admires the district's existing program but there is always room to make the learning process more valuable to students.

"What's wonderful is that a lot of work with English as a second language programs has been going on long before I got here. There are already programs in place that are working very well. But we are always looking for better ways. Education is very fluid, and you always have something higher to aim for."

English-language learners are not the only students that O'Laughlin wishes to reach. He also wants to make sure all the children receive the best education possible.

"At the district we have an opportunity to home in on interventions for kids who are struggling. I think the district is on target with the programs it has. Now the job is to duplicate what is working well and improve what isn't. It's a team effort."

As a longtime member of the team, Short is no stranger to the issues facing the district. He was the principal of Castlemont Elementary School for 11 years and has worked in the Campbell district since 1970.

Short's passion for education can be traced to his own days as a student. He says, "I had a wonderful experience in school. I admired the teachers, custodians, administrators and involved parents who made school such a happy experience for me, and I wanted to be a part of that."

After earning his bachelor's degree from San José State University and his master's degree from University of San Francisco, Short began his teaching career at Rosemary School in 1970. During his career, he has taught at all grade levels and served as principal at Rolling Hills, Forest Hill and Castlemont.

Short's new role as director of student services and special programs marks a distinct transition in his career from interacting one-on-one with students to a purely administrative role. Although he acknowledges that he already misses working directly with students, Short says he anticipates the opportunity to learn new things and assist the community in different ways.

"I've been principal for 20 years, so I look forward to a change," he says. "It's a different type of challenge, a chance to see what other positions wrestle with and another way to deal with issues kids have. I've already seen new things."

The job description may be new, but the terrain certainly isn't. Short says his 36-year tenure in the district will make his new job easier. One way in which Short wants to nurture students' academic and emotional well-being is by ensuring that each middle school has a counselor on staff. Since the state's budget crisis sapped educational funding, the money for counselors has come from multiple sources. However, Short is developing a state grant for $90,000 that will be earmarked specifically to finance these services.

He believes schools are not simply places for students to learn facts and figures. Rather, he says the function of school is to produce citizens that are both well-informed and well-adjusted.

"Schools are really the hub of the community," he says. "Schools and family together provide the framework for happy and successful people."