Dr. Tu Moua Carroz has been appointed the next Twin Rivers Unified School District superintendent by the Twin Rivers Unified School District Board of Trustees. Photo courtesy of TRUSD

MCCLELLAN PARK, CA (MPG) - The Twin Rivers Unified School District Board of Trustees approved the appointment and employment contract of Dr. Tu Moua Carroz as the district’s next superintendent. A Hmong refugee and former English learner who has spent her career in California public schools, Carroz became the first Hmong and first female superintendent in district history when she began her role July 1.

Carroz most recently served as assistant superintendent of education services for Roseville Joint Union High School District and brings 25 years of experience in California public education to the role, spanning from the classroom to executive cabinet leadership. Her distinguished record includes serving as the associate superintendent of educational services at Woodland Joint Unified and as an area/instructional assistant superintendent at Sacramento City Unified School District, where she oversaw 23 schools. A former classroom teacher and literacy specialist, she also served as a principal for two different schools, earning the California School Boards Association Golden Bell Award and a National Blue Ribbon Schools nomination.

“My vision for Twin Rivers is clear: academic excellence and equity, held together and never traded off, so that all 45 schools share one coherent instructional core,” said Carroz. “Every Twin Rivers student, regardless of zip code, immigration status, language background, or economic circumstance, is capable of extraordinary achievement, and it is our job to build the system that proves it.”

Her candidacy is further distinguished by a deep personal narrative of equity. Arriving in California as a Hmong refugee and English learner, Carroz’s lived experience directly informs her commitment to the multicultural communities Twin Rivers serves, where students and families speak 53 languages. She holds a doctorate in education, equity and democracy from the University of California, Berkeley, and has been recognized nationally as a Milken Educator Award recipient.

“Carroz is an accomplished, student-centered leader whose experience, integrity and commitment to educational excellence make her an outstanding choice for Twin Rivers,” said Board President Christine Jefferson. “The board looks forward to working with her as we continue strengthening outcomes for students, supporting staff, and building trust with families, employees and the broader community.”

Twin Rivers Unified serves approximately 25,140 students across 45 schools. The district serves communities in the northern Sacramento area, including Foothill Farms, North Highlands, Rio Linda, Elverta, Del Paso Heights, North Sacramento, Gardenland, Woodlake and North Natomas. The district is recognized for its whole-child philosophy and commitment to research-based instruction.

The selection of Carroz culminated an exhaustive and highly competitive search assisted by the educational executive search firm McPherson and Jacobson, LLC, conducted since mid-April. Though the recruitment and selection of a new superintendent is largely a confidential process, the Twin Rivers community was engaged through an online survey conducted in 10 languages with 619 respondents and 170 individuals interviewed across 14 stakeholder groups, resulting in community input reports that informed the search and applicant vetting.

Additionally, the board set forth a detailed set of criteria and preferred qualifications that emphasized equity leadership, instructional vision, communication, operations, student-centered leadership, and labor and community relations. With 38 applicants, board criteria and community input data became the lens for assessing applicants. With many strong candidates to evaluate, relevant experience, successful service as a superintendent or assistant superintendent, and familiarity with California public education, finance and law weighed heavily in selecting candidates for consideration and interviews.