The Portland School Board announced on Friday that they will vote on Tuesday to confirm Dr. Ryan Scallon as the next superintendent of Portland Public Schools.
Dr. Scallon, who holds a doctorate in education and currently serves as an assistant superintendent in Philadelphia, will replace Xavier Botana, who announced he would leave the Portland superintendent position a year early last summer after he was hired for the role in 2016.
Portland’s Superintendent Search Committee chose Scallon over the other finalist Eric Moore, a Minneapolis Public Schools administrator who last year was embroiled in a “quid pro quo” investigation with the Minneapolis Teachers Union in an apparent bid for the district’s superintendent position.
Friday’s press release states that since the announcement of the two finalists in May, feedback was provided to the Board which helped inform the final decision—though in May Search Committee Chair Sarah Lentz declined to comment on Moore’s controversial past.
“Over the course of the last six months, the Board has engaged in a rigorous and equitable hiring process that incorporated community participation and feedback at every step,” Lentz said in Friday’s press release.
“The search produced two finalists, each with an unapologetic commitment to equity along with extensive experience building sustainable systems and operations. Both of our finalists exceeded our expectations and the decision was not an easy one to make,” said Lentz.
Scallon was chosen after a nationwide search and a pool of 47 candidates.
“My wife, kids and I are excited to join a district that has a vision for academic excellence for all students. As a former principal and teacher, I know that the school is the unit of change in a district,” Scallon said Friday.
“I look forward to partnering with the Board, staff, teachers, students and families to achieve this vision together,” he said.
Lentz said that Scallon “brings with him deep experience recruiting and retaining diverse staff and implementing equitable policies.”
Scallon will officially take the role of Portland Superintendent on July 1, receiving an annual salary of $200,000.
Philadelphia has one of the worst performing school districts in the US. Does not inspire confidence. He should embrace school choice in a big way.