Our History

Our school is named after a committed and creative educator who positively impacted the lives of students and families throughout our community. We are proud to share the namesake of Claudia Landeen!

On August 22, 1917, Claudia Landeen was born in Portland, Oregon. She graduated from the University of Oregon in 1939 as an art education major, then moved to Stockton in 1943, becoming a Stocktonian for the rest of her life. Claudia made Lincoln Unified history in 1958 when she joined our district’s Board of Trustees. Upon doing so, she became the first woman to be a district trustee in 20 years.

Over the course of an exemplary teaching career, Claudia became known for her work in special education. In 1965, she arrived at Fremont Junior High School assuming she was going to teach art. Claudia soon found out she was hired to teach students with special needs, and she quickly worked with other teachers to give these students more opportunities to interact with each other. Claudia later taught special education classes at Stockton Unified School District campuses. In a September 1995 article for The Record, Claudia said of her experience: “It was rewarding… You know you’re helping children grow up to become contributing citizens.”

Throughout her life, Claudia received several honors for her educational work and community service. She was an Honorary Service Award recipient in 1969 and 1976, and was recognized for Exemplary Service during a 1986 event at University of the Pacific.

In addition to her educational accomplishments, Claudia spent decades on Claudia Landeen’s Parent Teacher Association and was a board member for the Girl Scouts. She also showed her leadership skills as part of organizations including the Council for Exceptional Children and the Sierra Club. In her spare time, Claudia and her husband, Forrest Landeen, loved to be outdoors. They were longtime members of the Nature Conservancy and even took part in archaeological digs in Alaska.

On March 17,1984, a dedication ceremony was held to officially name our school after Claudia Landeen. It has been an honor to share the name of a dedicated and empathetic teacher, leader and friend to many in the community!