The Clovis Unified School District strives to be America’s benchmark for excellence in education. Our efforts are focused on maintaining the high standards and quality educational system built over decades in the Clovis Unified community and ensuring that our schools continue to improve into the future. Over time Clovis Unified has been recognized as a school district that meets the academic, physical and social needs of our students, and inspires them to greater success. That is because our administrators and school leaders who they support are committed to making decisions in a framework that models the unique leadership philosophies and core values that defined the educational beliefs of Floyd “Doc” Buchanan, Ed.D.
These philosophies are articulated in “Building Leaders the Clovis Unified Way” which are communicated in a variety of ways and demonstrated every day to new and emerging leaders in the district. Embedded in the organizational culture and taught in a three-tiered model that first lays a foundation in formal training delivered to emerging leaders, secondly weaves leadership lessons into informal and formal mentoring, leadership activities and meetings across the certificated and classified management level, and finally creates structured opportunities for top-level leaders to reflect on how on-going decision-making does or does not continue to reflect the philosophies and values of Clovis Unified leadership.
Words on Leadership From Some of Our Previous Leaders
“Leadership is both a science and an art. It’s the science of creating and articulating organizational vision, core values, and standards. It’s also the art of building relationships. As Doc taught us, ‘It’s people, not programs, that make the positive difference.’ Toward that end, leaders must remember that they are in the people business, and effective leaders are those who work daily to build strong and positive relationships with the people who make up the District. Historically, Clovis Unified has taken care of its people (students, staff and families) and, in turn, these very people have helped take care of the District.”
— Janet Young, Ed.D.
“As long as the leaders of Clovis Unified continue to remember that the organization is more important than any one individual, and that the culture, traditions and core values of CUSD are stronger than that of any one leader, Clovis Unified will continue to be a ‘destination’ district for ALL students.”
— Terry Bradley, Ed.D.
“Leaders are held to high standards. However, the leader in Clovis Unified has to also be a relationship builder. Slogans like ‘people not programs’ require Clovis Unified leaders to be listeners, team players and kind all within a very focused and high performing organization.”
— Walt Buster, Ed.D.