Superintendent's Cabinet
Dr. Clara Fernández, Deputy Superintendent
Dr. Clara Fernández was appointed Deputy Superintendent in June 2025.
Dr. Fernández returns to Alisal USD after serving as principal of Fremont Elementary in 2020. She brings a deep commitment to educational equity, collaboration, and student success. Over the years, she has served in various educational roles, each reinforcing her belief in the power of public education to transform lives.
She has a bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Cruz, and two master’s degrees—one from UC Santa Cruz and another from San José State University. She also earned a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, which further shaped her vision for inclusive, student-centered learning environments.
As Deputy Superintendent, her role is to provide leadership and support across departments to ensure systems and practices meet the needs of all students. She is committed to supporting all of the District’s staff, while working to address the whole child: academically, socially, and behaviorally. She believes that strong partnerships with families and the community are essential to this work. She looks forward to working collaboratively to build on Alisal’s proud legacy and create opportunities where every student can thrive.
Rais Abbasi, Associate Superintendent of Business Services
With 30 years of experience in school business and management, Mr. Abbasi joined the Alisal Union School District in 2021 as Associate Superintendent of Business Services.
Mr. Abbasi has a bachelor’s in business administration from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in finance from Cal State University, Los Angeles. Before joining Alisal USD, he worked for a variety of districts up and down California, including ABC Unified School District in Los Angeles, San Juan Unified School District in Sacramento, the Monterey County Office of Education, and Fremont Unified School District.
Josué Díaz, Jr., Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources
Mr. Díaz was appointed Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources starting September 2025.
He brings over 25 years of experience in K–12 public education to his role as Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. His career spans positions as a paraprofessional, classroom teacher, principal, and HR director.
Throughout his career, Mr. Díaz has served in leadership roles across Oakland Unified, San Diego Unified, and the San Diego County Office of Education. Recognized for his commitment to equity and innovation, he received the Oakland Unified Employee Recognition Award for Educational Leadership and was featured in the Intel Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report.
A trusted strategic partner to superintendents, boards, and labor organizations, Mr. Díaz is known for fostering cultures of trust, collaboration, and psychological safety. His leadership emphasizes empowering staff at all levels, leveraging technology to modernize HR systems, and ensuring policies and practices are both equitable and efficient.
Mr. Díaz believes in empowering staff to become leaders, ensuring systems are both equitable and efficient, and preparing every student for success beyond the classroom so that they can live their purpose.