New BPS superintendent is chosen

In a 5-to-2 vote on March 3, the Boston School Committee named Dr. Tommy Chang the next superintendent of Boston Public Schools (BPS).

“Dr. Chang will provide the leadership that our school system needs and I am confident that his innovative views on education will move our students forward. We need a transformative leader and that is Tommy Chang,” Mayor Martin Walsh said in a release.

“I am proud of the inclusive and thorough process that took place and pleased to welcome Dr. Chang to lead our amazing district. While Boston is well known for our many historic firsts, we are also a district on the move. The next superintendent will have the opportunity of a lifetime to continue to move our district forward and to build on our lasting legacy,” BPS Interim Superintendent John McDonough said in that same release.

Chang is the Local Instructional Superintendent, Intensive Support & Innovation Center (ISIC) at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), where he oversees 135 schools and approximately 95,000 students.

Chang previously served as special assistant to the superintendent of LAUSD. He is a former teacher and principal. He holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Loyola Marymount University; a master of education degree from the Principals Leadership Institute and Teachers Education Program at UCLA; and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

His application and archived videos from the public panels can be found at bit.ly/1Gk1v2L.

Hyde Square Task Force, one of 11 members of the Greater Boston Latino Network, endorsed rival candidate Pedro Martinez for the post.

“For the first time in the history of Boston, we have the possibility of having a Latino superintendent who reflects the diversity of our students and understands our unique challenges and opportunities,” that Sociedad Latina email reads. “Our organizations have decided to universally put our support behind the candidate Pedro Martinez as the next superintendent of the Boston Public Schools.”

Martinez received two votes, but did not get the appointment. He has previously served in Reno and Las Vegas.

Chang and Martinez were two of the four finalists in a search that began with 70 applicants from all over the country.

The 12-member BPS Search Committee worked since February 2014 to identify desired characteristics in the next superintendent as well as recruit and review candidates.

John McDonough will continue serving as Interim Superintendent through the 2014-15 school year.

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