IUSD has announced two new principals for the 2014-15 school year. Luis Torres, currently the assistant principal at Venado Middle School, has been promoted to principal at Venado, and Jerry Vlasic, formerly the principal of Kaiser Elementary School in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, will lead the K-8 Vista Verde School. Both will begin their new assignments on July 1.
Torres, pictured to the right, began his career in education in 1992 as a social science teacher at Marco Forster Middle School in the Capistrano Unified School District, and in 2005 he became a school psychologist intern with Capo. He joined IUSD a year later, and from 2006 through 2011 he distinguished himself as the school psychologist at Venado and
South Lake middle schools. Torres became a lead school psychologist for the district in 2010, and in 2011 he was named assistant principal of Venado. “Not only is he knowledgeable of the students, staff and school community, he has extensive experience at the middle school level, where he’s contributed to positive school cultures as a teacher, school psychologist and administrator,” Superintendent
Terry Walker said Friday. Along with credentials in teaching, administration and school psychology, Torres has a master’s degree in education from Cal State San Bernardino and a bachelor’s degree in history from UCI. Vlasic, a resident of San Clemente -- he's pictured below -- began his career in education in 1988 at William Fegely Middle School in Portage, Ind., where he worked as an English and social studies teacher. In 1991, he joined the San Marcos Unified School District, where he would spend the next 12 years. At San Marcos Middle School, he was an English teacher, computer elective teacher and, eventually, assistant principal; at Discovery Elementary School, Vlasic served as assistant principal before being promoted to principal.
In 2003, his career path led to the Capistrano Unified School District, where he was principal of Las Flores and Moulton elementary schools for six years. In 2009, Vlasic joined the Newport-Mesa district as principal of Kaiser. “He is a highly respected educational leader with experience at the elementary and middle school levels,” Superintendent Walker said, “and he is deeply committed to the long-term success of Vista Verde.” Along with teaching and administrative credentials, Vlasic has a master’s degree in educational administration and supervision from Ball State University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in English and teaching with a minor in sociology from Indiana University.
