Martinez schools chief focused on getting classrooms reopened by January

Dr. Julie Synyard said it is hard to do a quick sizing up of the Martinez Unified School District when your first few weeks — likely to stretch into months — have been amidst an all-hands-on-deck response to a pandemic requiring students to learn at a distance.

“I can’t get the flow or the feel yet — there are no classrooms open, no sporting events,” said Synyard, who started her new job as Martinez schools chief in mid-October, in the midst of 100 percent student distance learning. “Everybody’s just dealing with COVID — working for positive outcomes, trying to keep people safe.