SCHOOL DISTRICT EXPECTS INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT BY JUNE

Baker

The school district plans to appoint an interim superintendent to replace outgoing schools chief John Ramos by early June, according to a note to parents from School Board President Elizabeth Baker today.

Her letter followed Ramos' official resignation in his own note to parents earlier today, which cited "difficult" times being away from his out-of-state family as the reason for his departure after just two years.

Baker added that the district would then conduct a "robust and transparent" search for a replacement. After former superintendent Brian Osborne left for a new job in mid-2014, it took more than a year for a permanent replacement to be found.

See Baker's full letter below:  

Dear SOMSD Community:

On behalf of the Board of Education, I thank Dr. Ramos for his service to our school district since August 2015. We greatly appreciate Dr. Ramos' leadership in the adoption of the Access and Equity policy, his commitment to dialogue and restorative practices, and the zero-based budgeting process that has already helped align spending with student needs. We wish Dr. Ramos a wonderful retirement and much deserved time with his family.

The Board will work with Dr. Ramos to ensure a smooth transition for our school district, and we are moving expeditiously to appoint an interim superintendent who can lead our school community through the next phase of work. We expect that an interim superintendent will be appointed in early June to ensure a seamless hand off from Dr. Ramos and a productive summer in preparation for the 2017-2018 school year.

With an interim superintendent in place, we will then be able to conduct a robust and transparent search for a permanent superintendent. Community feedback and input from stakeholders will be central to the search process.

I know that members of our community understandably will have questions regarding the appointment of an interim and the search for a permanent superintendent. We will share information as soon as we are able.

Please join me in wishing Dr. Ramos well in this next chapter of his life.  We look forward to working with district staff, families, and the community during this time of transition and to remain focused on our shared commitment to our students.

Elizabeth Baker
President
South Orange Maplewood Board of Education