The world of the superintendency has over the last week or so seen a pair of retirements from high-profile districts, one unexpected firing, and several new hires.
Superintendent Catty Moore announced that she will retire from North Carolina’s largest district, the Wake County Public School System, in July. Moore joined the district as a high school English teacher in 1988 and has spent the past 34 years employed by Wake County schools, winning state superintendent of the year in 2021.
“I make this decision with a heavy heart but with undeniable confidence in the WCPSS community moving forward,” she said in her announcement. “Our school system has been a part of my life and my family’s life since 1988 when I joined the district.”
Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent Carlton D. Jenkins will also step down this summer to spend more time with family, particularly his grandson. “There are times when we all struggle with choosing between ‘doing what is right’ and ‘doing what is right,'” Jenkins, who was hired three years ago, said in an announcement to his Wisconsin district.
In Arizona late last month, Anna Battle was suddenly dismissed from the superintendency at the Casa Grande Union High School District near Phoenix. The school board voted to fire her during a five-minute public meeting without giving any explanation for its decision, AZCentral.com reported. One dissenting school board member raised the specter of discrimination, calling the decision the dismiss “petty,” according to the website.
“I think if Dr. Battle looked a little more like me and a little less like a woman of color, we would not be having this discussion,” board member Taylor Kerby, who is white, told the website.
Superintendency starts
Since the beginning of February, several districts have hired new superintendents, such as Mauricio Arellano, who will become superintendent of San Bernardino City USD in April. Arellano is currently the superintendent of Redlands USD. Lisa Hess will replace Bill McKay as superintendent of the Governor Mifflin School District in Pennsylvania in July.
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In Ohio, Neil Gupta has been named superintendent of the Oakwood Schools. Gupta is now the director of secondary education for Worthington Schools, also in Ohio. The Clarke Community School District in Iowa has chosen Kurt DeVore as its next superintendent. DeVore is currently superintendent of Lone Tree CSD, also in Iowa.
In other news from the top spot in education:
- Michael Vuckovich has been appointed superintendent of the Windber Area School District in Pennsylvania. Vuckovich, who will take over later this year, is currently superintendent of the Indiana Area School District and was previously acting superintendent of the Johnstown School District.
- Superintendent Anitra D. Wells will resign from Lexington City School in June, after 37 years in education.
- Superintendent Bondy Shay Gibson-Learn will retire from Jefferson County Schools in West Virginia in June, after leading the district since 2015.
- Superintendent Omar Easy of Wayland Public School in Massachusetts was suddenly placed on leave by the district’s school board, according to Patch.com.
