San Carlos superintendent resigns

The administrator who won a superintendent of the year award for the region spanning San Mateo and San Francisco counties from the Association of California School Administrators in 2016 said he is approaching the move with mixed emotions.

“This transition is bittersweet for me,” said Baker in a prepared statement. “I love San Carlos School District and this community. Still, I am looking forward to the opportunity and challenge of taking to a much larger school district all that we’ve learned here in SCSD. And I am confident that San Carlos schools will continue to thrive.”

Baker is slated to fill the position left vacant by former Cupertino superintendent Wendy Gudalewicz, who was released from her contract after five years by the district Board of Trustees in March.

The departure marks the third local superintendent to exit in recent months, following Cheryl Olson resigning from the San Bruno Park Elementary School District and Jim Lianides retiring from the Sequoia Union High School District.

Michelle Nayfack, of the San Carlos Elementary School District Board of Trustees, said she appreciated Baker’s service.

“We’ve been very thankful for Dr. Baker’s leadership of the district,” said Nayfack, who noted his decision to leave came as a surprise to the board.

While Baker plans to stay with the district through September in an effort to assure a smooth leadership transition, Nayfack said trustees will begin the process of identifying an interim superintendent immediately.

Trustees are considering promoting from within the district or bringing in outside talent to fill the interim post, said Nayfack.

The board will take on at least one new trustee in the coming fall election, as President Nicole Bergeron has already said she does not plan to seek re-election. Nayfack said identifying Baker’s permanent replacement will be a top priority for the newly-formed board.

“We want the new board to be a part of the permanent search,” she said.

Reflecting on Baker’s time at the district, Nayfack identified his leadership in crafting a new district strategic plan among his top accomplishments, along with his work to help pass tax measures which financed the construction of three district campuses.

“He’s provided very stable leadership to the district. Our parent community and our staff have done great work under his leadership, so we are very grateful,” she said.

Baker’s other accomplishments including building a strong administrative cabinet full of quality school principals and other officials, while he has also encouraged a collaborative working environment and successfully negotiated lengthy labor contracts, according to a district press release.

Looking ahead, Nayfack said initial discussions over searching for new leadership will begin at the next school board meeting, Thursday, Aug. 10. Talks to land Baker’s permanent successor will begin in December, according to the press release.

Whoever is picked to fill Baker’s position will face the same challenge as many public school administrators across the state, said Nayfack, as California education officials prepare to grapple with heightened post-retirement benefit costs.

She added the next superintendent in San Carlos can expect to address the challenges and opportunities presented through following the district strategic plan, which Baker helped craft.

As officials look to select the right leader to fill Baker’s shoes, Nayfack said community input will be invaluable to identifying the values which the next administrator must reflect.

“It will involve a lot of community input … we’ll listen to those folks and look to see what they prioritize in the next year and combine that with our strategic plan values and we’ll go from there,” she said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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