Deasy decision: Superintendent to depart
SMMUSD HDQTRS. — Schools Superintendent John Deasy has entered into contract negotiations to become the top education official in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
The board of education for Prince George’s County Public Schools announced Thursday that Deasy, 45, was chosen as the top candidate for the chief executive officer position, beating out two other finalists from New York and Kansas, respectively.
“I am pleased to report that Dr. Deasy is the lead candidate as a result of being the clear consensus choice of the board and our many stakeholders,” said Charles M. Dukes, chair of the board’s personnel committee. “We look forward to continuing our due diligence by visiting the Santa Monica area before finalizing an offer.”
According to a report in the Washington Post, a source close to the negotiations called the decision to hire Deasy a “bold move” and said he impressed the board as an educator with “a young, energetic, creative mind.”
The board for Prince George’s County will further investigate Deasy and enter into contract negotiations before taking a formal vote to hire him. The position will pay a minimum of $250,000 per year — about $100,000 more than what Deasy is currently earning at SMMUSD.
In an e-mail sent early Thursday, Deasy informed parents, board members, district staff and others about his decision to move forward with the hiring process.
“I wanted each of you to know before you hear it in the media and before I make a public announcement,” Deasy wrote. “My most conflicted emotions are about leaving this school district. I have been honored to have worked side by side with each of you and am beyond proud of your accomplishments and that of our students.”
Deasy, who joined Santa Monica- Malibu Unified School District in 2001, said the details of his transition have not been fully worked out, but he will be meeting with the board of education frequently in the upcoming week to prepare for his departure.
“Needless to say, the board is fully committed to the vision, mission and strategies established in our district and intends to see them through and to build on them,” Deasy added. “This, of course, means that your support is as crucial as ever … in communicating that there is no ‘trauma’ over the transition and that we will easily stay the course on our initiatives.”
Board members from Prince George’s County should be visiting Santa Monica early next week, at which time they will conduct interviews with the school board and district staff, said John White, a spokesman for the Maryland school district.
Reaction to Deasy’s possible departure was mixed.
“I’m thrilled for him,” said SMMUSD board member Kathy Wisnicki. “I also feel it is a tremendous loss for Santa Monica. But the board is very committed to doing a thorough search and coming up with the best possible candidate because we believe that this is our No. 1 responsibility, the most important task that we are charged with.”
Now in his fifth year at the district, Deasy’s tenure has been one of many accomplishments, SMMUSD board member Julia Brownley said.
“When John came to the district he created a structure that provided sharp focus on teaching and learning and closing the achievement gap,” Brownley said. “Everything from the support to school sites to turning principals into little education leaders at their schools and working with teachers on their continuing to sharpen and develop their skills, all of this has lead to better student achievement across all grade levels and socio-economic backgrounds … I’m sorry to see him go, but this is a great opportunity for John.”
Prince George’s County is located just outside of Washington D.C. and is home to Andrews Air Force Base, National Wildlife Visitors Center and the University of Maryland.
The school district there has approximately 133,000 students and is the nation’s 18th largest. African-Americans account for 77 percent of the student body, a spokesman for the district said.
If hired, Deasy, who was picked from a contingent of 66 applicants, said his great-est challenges will be very much the same as those he faced throughout his career, but on a much larger scale.
“There are issues of student achievement that will need to be addressed, along with chronically under-performing schools, the issue of teacher retention and tracking teachers,” Deasy said. “And we certainly will focus on equity and access for all students.”
Deasy would be the first schools chief in more than a decade who is not African American to head the mostly black school system. He said one of his first priorities will be to build bridges with the black community and others — similar to what he has done with parents here.
“It’s just greater numbers and a larger community,” He said. “But I’ll still come with the same intensity.”
Prince George’s County has 199 schools compared to SMMUSD’s 19.
“It’s bittersweet,” Deasy said Thursday about the possibility of moving on. “It’s interesting, a day of excitement, but there’s really kind of a sadness to the fact that I’m leaving a community I love. It’s really hard.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 17, 2006. Read the original PDF.