Superintendents are on the move as hiring and retiring activity is increasing this early fall after a relatively quieter summer.
Superintendent Marty Pollio has announced that he will retire from Kentucky’s Jefferson County Public Schools after the school year. Polio took the helm in Jefferson County in 2017 after serving as a high school principal in the district where he has worked for 26 years.
He is credited with launching the Academies of Louisville, installing a districtwide literacy and numeracy program, and building new schools and athletic facilities. In a meeting with local reporters, he offered three pieces of advice for Jefferson County’s next superintendent:
- “They better have thick skin”
- Stay off social media and local news because the negative voices you hear could skew your decision-making
- Be passionate about the work and be willing to fight for what’s best for students
See below for a list of other leaders who announced their retirements in the past week.
Superintendents on the move: New hires
Tammi Ward has been selected as superintendent of the Edenton-Chowan School District in North Carolina. Ward has served in many administrative and classroom roles in three districts in northeast North Carolina.
Paw Paw Public Schools in Michigan has promoted an elementary school principal, Jeremy Davison, as its next superintendent. Davison established a therapy dog program at one elementary school and created an elementary STEM program.
Jesse Winston Jr. has been named superintendent of the Morehouse Parish School District in Louisiana. Winston is the district’s director of federal programs and instructional technology.
Other new hires:
- Nancy Benincasa, West Geauga Local Schools (Ohio)
- Andy Davis, Ardmore City Schools (Oklahoma)
- Patrick McQueeney, Westwood Regional School District (New Jersey)
- Margaret Vitale, East Stroudsburg Area School District (Pennsylvania)
Retirements
- Brooke Clenchy will retire from Nauset Public Schools (Massachusetts) at the end of the school year.
- James A. Crisfield will retire from Wissahickon School District (Pennsylvania) at the end of the school year.
- Michael Fitzpatrick will retire from the Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School District (Massachusetts) at the end of the school year, having led the district since 1994.
- Olwen Herron will retire from Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools (Virgina) on Jan. 31.
- Kenneth Hurst will retire from the West Contra Costa USD (California) in December.
- Brian Polito will retire from Erie’s Public Schools (Pennsylvania) in June after leading the district since 2017.
- Donny Webb will retire from Hudson ISD (Texas) at the end of the school year.
