San Mateo County Office of Education Recognized as Medium County Office of the Year

The San Mateo County Office of Education announced that it was named “Medium County Office of the Year” by the California County Superintendents. The County Office received this award for its statewide leadership in behavioral health, environmental literacy, and school safety. Those who nominated the County Office for this award specifically called out the exceptional leadership of Superintendent Nancy Magee in each of these areas.

“A passionate and highly respected leader, Nancy has dedicated her career to empowering educators and students alike,” said Karen Stapf Walters, Executive Director, California County Superintendents. “Her approach to leadership is grounded in courage and compassion. She has been a steadfast mentor to women across California’s education system, always making time to guide, support, and advocate for the next generation of women leaders.”

The County Office partners with school districts to strengthen school-based behavioral and mental health services. Through collaboration with community organizations—including the County of San Mateo, Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, the Human Services Agency, local law enforcement, and other community-based partners—it works to engage, coordinate, and expand access to care for students across the region. This work includes a strategic behavioral health framework called “United for Youth.”

“Nancy has been at the forefront of efforts to integrate mental health supports in schools, advance digital equity, and reimagine student-centered learning environments,” continued Walters. “Through her innovative vision and thoughtful leadership, she has built coalitions and mobilized change in ways that have influenced educational policy and practice statewide.”

The County Office was recognized for its work to develop a statewide set of environmental literacy materials known as Seeds to Solutions. Developed with environmental literacy nonprofit Ten Strands, Seeds to Solutions offers a free, open set of resources that equips California educators with age-appropriate environmental lessons for grades K–12. 

“Nancy’s influence extends far beyond San Mateo County,” said Karen Cowe, Chief Executive Officer of Ten Strands. “She embeds environmental literacy across disciplines–science, health, and social justice–and prepares students to become climate problem solvers. As a leader, she models equity, prioritizes mental health, and supports cradle-to-career resilience.”

The County Office was also recognized for its leadership in the Coalition for Safe Schools and Communities. This collaborative, multi-agency group includes elected leaders, government agency and department heads, and representatives from school districts and law enforcement agencies. Its mission is to identify and address the safety needs of youth, and work across agencies to implement best practices in emergency response and behavioral health. As one of its first actions, the Coalition developed The Big Five, a set of emergency response procedures that has been adopted by all San Mateo County school districts and law enforcement agencies. With support from the County Office, The Big Five is now being adopted by counties across the state. 

“Superintendent Magee’s unwavering commitment to a culture of safety and disaster preparedness across all educational institutions in San Mateo County has created a model for the region, as well as school systems statewide and beyond,” said Jake Wolf, Assistant Secretary, Emergency Services and Sustainability. “At a time when school emergency management and safety is more important than ever, she has shown leadership that if replicated, could change the world.”