Another superintendent—in this case, a state’s reigning superintendent of the year—has stepped down over political differences with her school board.
Sara Johnson announced she will resign from Oregon’s Crook County School District in July when a new school board controlled by conservatives takes office, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. Three new board members claimed in their campaigns that the district was teaching “leftist ideology.”
“It’s become evident that the new board members do not share my vision or mission for district leadership and how to operate the school district,” Johnson said in a statement provided to Oregon Public Broadcasting. “I believe we are all better when working collaboratively together and focusing on the success of every student.”
In California, another superintendent has been suspended by a district school board. Burbank USD Superintendent Matt Hill has been placed on paid administrative leave, KTLA reported. The board said only that it did “not take this action lightly” in a letter to parents, according to the station.
Elsewhere, the circumstances surrounding the sudden resignation of Youngstown City School District Superintendent Justin Jennings are the subject of media speculation. Media outlets have suggested Jennings, who was hired in 2019, is departing because of a local TV news outlet’s investigation into the spending of COVID relief funds. But Youngstown school board President Tiffany D. Patterson said those “rumors floating around” Jennings’ departure were not true, according to The Vindicator.
Less controversial departures
Two superintendents who have been in their posts for more than 50 years combined have announced their retirement. Darryl Owings will step down in July after 21 years as superintendent of Spartanburg County School District 6 in South Carolina. Owings, who also served as a principal and teacher in the district, made safety a top priority, the district said in announcing his retirement. District 6 was an early adopter of school resource officers, armed guards and weapons detection systems district-wide.
Superintendent Jarvis Dobbs is retiring after 26 years leading Colbert Public Schools in Oklahoma and 48 years working in education, KXII reported. “The kids that you’ve known and the contacts you made and the people you got to know—there’s a lot of them that I think I’ve made a difference in and that’s all we need to do,” Dobbs told KXII.com.
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In Texas, Superintendent Rick Westfall announced his retirement from Keller ISD after six years leading the suburban Dallas district and 31 years in public education in the state. Westfall, who will remain at the district until the end of the year to help with the transition, also served as deputy superintendent of Grapevine-Colleyville ISD.
Finally, Scott Elder of Albuquerque Public Schools in New Mexico announced he will step down when his contract expires at the end of the 2023-24 school year. Elder, who began his career in Albuquerque as a substitute teacher, became superintendent of New Mexico’s largest district during the summer of 2020 and was named the permanent superintendent in March 2021.
Other superintendent departures:
- Brandon Bruce is resigning from Gwinn Community Schools (Michigan).
- Fred Butcher is retiring from the Natchez-Adams School District (Mississippi).
- Thom Chisholm is retiring from Plains Public Schools (Montana).
- Jim Cummins will retire from the Neosho School District (Missouri) in 2024.
- Carl Dethloff is retiring from San Angelo ISD (Texas) after nine years.
- Dawn Foley is resigning from the Higley Unified School District (Arizona).
- James Niedermeier has resigned from the Duanesburg Central School District (New York).
- Gina Talbert has resigned from the Wyandanch Union Free School District (New York).
