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Seldom in California education does a school administrator receive local, state, and national recognition.
Seldom in California education does a school administrator positively change the climate and culture of a school, then move to another location and successfully change that school. Then do it again.
Seldom in California education does a school administrator break racial barriers and continually become the first African American at numerous levels of California Education.
The new Principal at Rio Vista High School has achieved more than any high school administrator in the area. His expertise and experience is unprecedented for the River Delta Unified School District.
Clarence graduated from Saint Patrick High School in 1977, received a football scholarship, played four years, and graduated from Langston University in 1982. Clarence married his college sweetheart, Deatra, a currently retired teacher, and moved back home to Vallejo to take care of his aging parents. Clarence discovered his parents could not read while very young and had to help them financially and legally. They are deceased now but Clarence was extremely dedicated to his parents their entire lives. Clarence and Dee have one child, Ashley, who also works in education. Clarence worked as the Supervisor at Saint Vincent School for emotionally disturbed boys in San Rafael for 12 years. He returned to his Alma Mater, Saint Patrick’s/Saint Vincent’s High School to become the Dean of Students. He received his Master’s Degree from Saint Mary’s College on Educational Leadership in 2000. Clarence was recruited by his SMC Instructor to Antioch. He became the first African American Principal at Deer Valley High School. In 2010 he was awarded both the ACSA Antioch and Contra Costa County Principal of the Year for dramatically lowering the violence, raising attendance rates and graduation rates. He also helped develop smaller learning communities within the school by starting a Law Academy, and a fine arts academy.
His work was recognized in New York’s NYU University at the National Principals Leadership Institute. He led a breakout group at the Institute on Changing Schools Climate and Culture for the next two years. The Institute leader, Doctor Lew Smith, asked Clarence to return each of the next four years. He went back to his hometown and became the first African American Principal in the history of Vallejo High School, a school that started in 1868. Clarence was simultaneously in charge of Vallejo Middle School because of its close proximity to the high school. He developed a relationship with a Vallejo Alum, C.C. Sabathia and had the entire baseball facility totally rebuilt with donated money. He lowered suspension rates, raised attendance, raised the graduation rates, and lowered crime in and around the school. The year before Clarence arrived Vallejo High School had 18,000 suspensions and Clarence dropped that rate 30% in the first quarter of the school year. His focus was building relationships with all students and being the father figure for the school.
He was hired away to Rodrigues High School in Fairfield who was experiencing racial tensions at the time. Clarence became the first African American Principal at Rodrigues. He achieved the ACSA Solano County Administrator of the Year, Distinguished School Award, and was named the San Joaquin Section President, a position he is currently holding. Once again Clarence lowered suspension rates, raised attendance rates and raised graduation rates. In February of 2022, Clarence received his latest award the “Hidden Figures Award,” from the NAACP for his lifelong dedication.
Clarence Isadore is now the first African American High School Administrator in our District. His standard for our students’ achievement is very high. Please welcome the 2019 Solano County Administrator of the Year, current San Joaquin Section President and Rio Vista High School Principal, Clarence Isadore.