On August 7th, the Anaheim Union High School District Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Dr. Jaron Fried as District Superintendent, effective December 30, 2025. After nearly 30 years of serving in educational and administrative roles within AUHSD, Dr. Fried will now lead the schools that shaped him through his childhood.
Throughout his career, Dr. Fried has worked closely with site administrators, teachers, and counselors, from when he was a teacher, principal, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, and most recently, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services. Succeeding Superintendent Michael Matsuda and having worked alongside him for more than 11 years, Dr. Fried has been involved with changes in the district. For his new journey as Superintendent, he hopes to emphasize the importance of shared leadership, which ensures that teachers and students feel supported and empowered every day.
“One of our core values is that education must work for our students, not the other way around,” Dr. Fried said, “And if we really want schools to work for students, then we need to be able to ask them, ‘What is it that you need? What is it that you want? What is it that you envision?’ That way, they’re a part of helping teachers and staff develop the instructional pedagogy that they use. Having students be part of the decision-making is essential for our schools and the district to move forward, along with our families, parents, and caregivers of our collective voices are important.”
Dr. Fried’s path in AUHSD began when he attended South Junior High School and then Katella High School. Throughout his secondary schooling years, his teachers helped him thrive and grow. Outside of the classroom, Dr. Jaron Fried was a multi-sport athlete. As a 4-year varsity wrestler, varsity tennis player, and football player, Dr. Fried experienced lessons that impacted his approach to teaching.
“Back in the day, our district did not emphasize the 5Cs like we do now, but I was incredibly fortunate that my teachers and coaches absolutely built those skills into the experience that I was getting,” Dr. Fried said. “When I left the district, I left with a stronger sense of who I am. My teachers inspired and made me want to give back to the community that I was very much a part of as a kid growing up.”
After graduating from Katella High School, Dr. Fried earned his Bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC San Diego, and upon his graduation from college, he returned to Katella in 1996 to begin his teaching career – first as a substitute special education teacher and then as a permanent teacher and coach.
As he begins this new chapter in his career, Dr. Fried reflects on his own journey and shares advice for students who once stood in the very same shoes that he did: He encourages them to live life with kindness, always give their best effort, and pursue things that bring them genuine joy.
“If you can be anything in this world, be kind, whether to another student, to a staff member, or to a family member. To me, in addition to receiving a first class education, that is the essence of our charge. And I think at the heart of everything that we’re doing, if we can build that muscle in everyone within our system, then imagine the kind of world that we can collectively create,” Dr. Fried said. “If you find your purpose, and you can be kind, that matters more than anything.”
