Ben Campopiano will now work for OUSD.
Miramonte High School will have a new principal for the upcoming school year – and perhaps even in the next few weeks.
Ben Campopiano, principal since 2021, resigned to take an administrative position with the Orinda Union School District (OUSD), and his replacement is expected to be announced at the June 3 meeting of the Acalanes Union School District (AUHSD), according to AUHSD Superintendent John Nickerson.
The change was triggered by the resignation of OUSD administrator Brian Inglesby, who told OUSD Superintendent Aida Glimme he was stepping down in May. Inglesby, the executive director of Administrative Services, was with the district since 2019.
“I love my job and I love being a principal,” said Campopiano, “and I love Miramonte, but the job of a high school principal is not sustainable. I don’t know how much longer I could do it.”
“We used to hope a high school principal would stay seven to 10 years,” said Nickerson, “but five years is more typical. For most of the year, weekly hours range from 60 to 80, and a lot of those hours are tied to fixed events. Our campuses are busy every night of the week, and often administrative staff needs to be present.”
Campopiano’s new job will also be demanding, as he will be in charge of both the human resources department at OUSD and student services.
“I had known I wanted to get into administration,” said Campopiano, 46, and his background has prepared him for this next step.
After attending Northgate High School, Campopiano taught social science at Pittsburg and Northgate, before taking a two-year break from education to serve as the Director of Baseball Operations for Santa Clara University. (Campopiano has an extensive background as a baseball coach, and still is involved with the Bronco Baseball Academy in Walnut Creek.)
“I missed having an impact in education,” Campopiano said about his return to teaching, and he soon moved into a vice principal role at Northgate. He then took over as principal at Pine Hollow Middle School in Concord before taking over at Miramonte in 2021, just as schools were returning from COVID-19.
“It was a unique time to take over,” understated Campopiano, but he quickly settled in. His focus at Miramonte was two-fold: academics and students’ social and emotional wellness.
“We invested time and resources to help teachers engage with students,” he said, “and our test scores have improved. I pushed and pulled and prodded but it was the teachers who did it. We have a great group of teacher-leaders.”
And given the pressures on adolescents, Campopiano prioritized helping students deal with stress.
“We have a strong emphasis on counseling, intervention and support,” he said, “but we want to bring these into the classroom in a sensible way.”
Nickerson had nothing but praise for Campopiano’s work at Miramonte.
“His vision for all students to achieve at high levels helped catapult Miramonte back to one of the very top schools in the state,” he said. “His even-keeled temperament allows him to address challenging situations effectively.”
Nickerson also noted that finding a principal at this time of the school year is difficult, but since the district has been looking for a new principal at Campolindo in recent months, they have a pool of potential candidates to draw on.
“We have been recruiting for Campo so that immediately helps with our efforts for the Miramonte principal,” he said. “The needs for the two schools are similar, but slightly different.”
Nickerson expects the board to name Campopiano’s replacement at the June 3 meeting if all goes well.
Meanwhile, Glimme is excited to add Campopiano to her administrative staff at OUSD and also feels Campopiano’s experience at the middle school and high school level allows him to understand how OUSD can best prepare its students for the transition to the next level.
“Ben’s demeanor is perfect for the job,” said Glimme. “He’s a people person and he knows the community.”