Linnette Castañeda

Director of Educational Services, National School District

Mrs. Linnette Castañeda is currently the Director of Educational Services for National School District. She has served as an instructional assistant in Special Education, a teacher in elementary schools, a resource teacher, and a principal. Under her principalship, her school became recognized as a PBIS Platinum Level school.  During her leadership, she has organized the district's inaugural Back to School Resource Fair, hosted the first Secret Santa Event in collaboration with Costco Optical, and is set to launch its first 6th Grade Student Summit. This summit will prepare students for the transition to secondary school, addressing topics like peer pressure, A-G requirements, AVID, and the various opportunities available to them.

She is a proud product of San Diego County Schools. She grew up in the Logan Heights area and went to SDUSD schools. She was a student considered "at risk." Her home life was filled with love from her mother. However, various events caused a lot of traumas which made her a very quiet, non-confident student.  A teacher changed her life. Education changed her life. Mrs. Castañeda attributes her success in school and confidence to her third grade teacher, Mrs. Katina Lopez-Ventura. Mrs. Ventura believed so much in her that she had to believe in herself. Mrs. Castañeda is the first one in her family to graduate high school and will be the first one in her family to have a Doctorate degree (by the end of 2024). Go SDSU Aztecs!  She identifies herself with so many students and is determined to do all that she can to let every child and adult know that everything is possible.  When Mrs. Castañeda sees a child, she sees herself. She knows that if she can succeed in school, so can every single student. Mrs. Castañeda is an advocate for family engagement and community support. Her passion is uplifting families and sharing that dreams can come true if we turn our dreams into goals.