The Pleasanton Unified School District board plans to vote Thursday, Oct. 8, on waiving a district rule so that its newly appointed superintendent can take the job without a teaching credential, according to the district.
Trustees voted unanimously Sept. 24 to promote Deputy Superintendent Ed Diolazo, who takes over as permanent superintendent Jan. 1. PUSD's policy on picking a superintendent calls for the selected candidate to have a teaching certificate as well as an administrative one.
Diolazo has a pupil personnel services credential in addition to his administrative certificate, district spokesperson Susanne Frey told the Pleasanton Weekly, which asked about the requirement after a reader raised it. Frey said the board will take up a resolution at its Oct. 8 meeting to waive the teaching-certificate requirement for him.
The appointment
Diolazo's contract runs through June 30, 2030, with a base salary of $321,000 for the rest of the 2026-27 school year, prorated by the remaining work days, the Weekly reported. His first cabinet post, in 2017, was assistant superintendent for student support services and became deputy superintendent in 2022.
Before PUSD he worked as a special services director in San Lorenzo, a special education consultant for the county Office of Education in Alameda County and an instructor at Cal State East Bay. He is an Amador Valley High School graduate.
He succeeds Maurice Ghysels, who came out of retirement in 2024 as interim superintendent and later agreed to stay through June 2027. Ghysels submitted a retirement letter effective Dec. 31, which the board accepted at the same meeting.
