Portland Public Schools Introduce New Superintendent

Carole Smith will start the job as superintendent after the School Board vote Tuesday morning.

Photo courtesy: Portland Public Schools

(PORTLAND, Ore. ) - At a press conference today at Franklin High School, the Board of Education for Portland Public Schools introduced Carole Smith as the next Superintendent.

In meetings Monday morning with PPS senior staff, unions and principals, School Board directors praised Smith for her passion and commitment to public education.

Board Co-Chairs Dan Ryan and Dilafruz Williams said Smith possesses the qualities and integrity that elicit trust, and a collaborative leadership style that will serve PPS well.

“Carole is the right leader at the right time. She’s a decisive leader and this is a natural next step for her,” said Ryan. “Carole has been committed to Portland’s youth for more than a quarter century. She’s great at community engagement, is a good listener, and has experience working with diverse communities.”

Williams added: “I attended almost every community meeting and nearly all stakeholders said they want a superintendent who values community process, understands Portland, and can move student achievement forward. Carole’s experience working with our city’s youth and building coalitions with varied groups – many of them from opposite sides of an issue – demonstrates inclusiveness and the ability to get things done. Carole invokes confidence as a leader.”

Today’s announcement marks the end of a four-month search for a new superintendent that included more than two months of community meetings to gather input to design the hiring criteria.

During this time, the School Board held five public hearings to solicit input, attended 26 meetings with representatives from 40 organizations, and conducted a public survey that garnered hundreds of responses.

The Board received 32 applications for superintendent, almost three-quarters from national candidates and one-quarter from Oregon candidates. The Board interviewed nine applicants.

Smith brings 30 years of experience in education to the position, including a 25-year relationship with Portland Public Schools.

Carole moved to Portland with her family when she was six. She attended college on the east coast where she completed her graduate work at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and worked in teaching and administrative roles in education programs serving Boston area school districts.

From 1982-2005, she worked as executive director of Open Meadow Schools in Portland, an accredited, nonprofit education program for middle and high school students affiliated with PPS.

Under her leadership, the organization grew to become a national model for alternative education serving both struggling and gifted students who haven’t thrived in traditional settings.

Smith has been tapped by many national organizations to share her educational expertise, strategies and experience.

Smith was recruited to work for Portland Public Schools in 2005, initially heading the Office of Educational Options then quickly assuming interim leadership of the Office of Student, Family and School Support.

She was promoted to Chief of Staff in 2006, where she’s played a pivotal role in building the senior team and working day-to-day to ensure that the central office is more responsive to the needs of teachers, principals and the community.

Board Director Bobbie Regan, who has served as the Board’s lead for the search process, said “Carole competed head to head with highly qualified candidates from around the nation and Oregon, and she proved herself to be the strongest and best choice. Carole can hit the ground running, providing capable support to our principals, teachers and school staff and ensuring strong educational outcomes for our kids.”

Smith will start the job as superintendent after the School Board vote Tuesday morning.

Interim Superintendent Ed Schmitt will stay on through the end of October to ensure a smooth transition.

"As the board did its intensive work with the community to develop the criteria they'd use to recruit and evaluate candidates, a number of people encouraged me to apply,” said Smith. “I look forward to working with our board and incredible team of principals, teachers, staff, and senior leaders to provide a high quality education for every student. We will look to our city’s diverse communities to continue building the kinds of strategic partnerships that are vital to our success. I believe, as a community, we are on the path to creating one of the best urban school districts in the country.”

In her first 100 days as superintendent, Smith said she will reach out to PPS staff, the schools and the community so that people have an opportunity to share their ideas about what’s important at this time.

Source: Portland Public Schools