Thousands of teachers, staff and administrators from Stockton Unified School District gathered Monday morning inside Adventist Health Arena for the district’s third annual staff kick-off — a high-energy event designed to unite the SUSD workforce ahead of the 2025–26 school year.
More than 5,000 employees filled the arena for the hourlong event, which featured student performances, prize giveaways and a keynote address from Superintendent Michelle Rodriguez, who laid out the district’s goals for the year ahead.
“It’s always so special to me,” Rodriguez said. “We’re trying really hard to build traditions here, so that people can depend on things — things they can look forward to.”
Focused on progress
Rodriguez highlighted four major areas of progress and continued improvement: graduation rates, literacy, attendance and English learner reclassification…