SAN FRANCISCO—On Monday, January 4, Superintendent Richard Carranza cleared rumors and stated he wouldn’t be leaving the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), despite rumors that have been spreading about Carranza leaving for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
The district had hoped to fill the position by the end of December. At the end of December 2015, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines retired from the day-to-day management role of California’s largest school system. Chief Deputy Superintendent of Schools Michelle King is among one of the candidates currently being considered for the role. King is filling in as the acting superintendent in the LAUSD in Cortines’ absence. According to reports, Fremont superintendent Jim Morris is also expected to be a top contender for the position.
On Monday, January 4, news surfaced that Carranza was a finalist for the vacant position. Carranza reportedly withdrew himself out of the running according to a letter to the executive search firm aiding LAUSD in the process of finding a suitable candidate.
Carranza stated to the San Francisco Chronicle, “I think Los Angeles is an incredibly important school district in the state of California. They’ve got a lot of good things happening there. I’m just really happy with the work we’re doing in San Francisco.”
This year marks Carranza’s fourth year as superintendent in San Francisco’s Unified School District. In a statement to the SF Chronicle, Carranza noted that he hopes to provide long-term stability for the district, particularly to ensure teachers are receiving enhanced training to meet the state’s criteria for student learning and progress requirements. He also pointed out he would like to see suspension rates decline, as well as reduced time out of class due to bad student behavior.
The LAUSD is said to be announcing their decision later this month.
