Paul Turnbull

With nearly two decades as a successful professional educator, Paul Turnbull has high expectations for himself, and for his schools.

After earning three Bachelor's degrees, Paul Turnbull began teaching English and Physical Education at the Abbotsford Senior Secondary School in Abbottsford, British Columbia. He then earned his Master's degree in education in 2000, moved to California in 2001, and was hired by the Goleta Valley Junior High School as an Assistant Principal. Here, Turnbull oversaw the faculty's professional development, student discipline, testing and development. Later, in 2003, he was promoted to Principal of the same school.

Two years later in 2005, Paul Turnbull was hired as Principal of the Santa Barbara High School. His responsibilities included oversight of the annual budget and school modernization projects, as well as supervision of more than 2,400 students and 200 staff members. Here, he created APPLe (the Academy of Public Policy and Leadership), as well as the SBHS Education Foundation, which raised more than $500,000 over the course of two years. In fact, Turnbull was so successful in guiding the academic excellence of the school that Harvard University Graduate School of Education interviewed several teachers about their methodology.

In 2007, Paul Turnbull was elevated to Assistant Superintendent of Santa Barbara's High School Districts. Another promotion followed in 2008, when he became the Superintendent of the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District. He remains there to this day. With Turnbull's leadership assistance, the district has become one of the highest academically ranked schools in the state.

Paul Turnbull is also the organizer of the Santa Ynez Valley Schools Conference, is a member of the board of Santa Barbara County Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), and is an active member of the P-20 STEM Council. In his free time, Turnbull enjoys spending quality time with his family, cycling, and hunting for barbeque perfection.