Gainesville City Schools Superintendent Wanda Creel has announced she will step down at the end of her contract in 2017.
Dr. Creel made the announcement prior to the onset of Tuesday evening's school board work session at School Board Headquarters on Oak Street. Creel was hired for the superintendent's position in December 2013.
Following Creel's announcement, School Board Chair Dr. Delores Diaz made a personal statement about Creel's decision to step down at the end of the school year.
"I believe this is a very sad day for Gainesville City Schools, not only because Dr. Creel has been compelled to make this decision, but also because conditions exist that forced her to make it," said Diaz.
"Over two years ago, this board unanimously chose Dr. Creel to be our superintendent because of her qualifications, her experience, and her vision for taking our school system to the next level of excellence. We charged her with the specific goals of increasing our overall graduation rate and closing the achievement gap," said Diaz, reading from prepared remarks. "We also unanimously charged her with making some necessary changes that involved personnel and finance. The record shows that she has met those goals."
The full content of Diaz's comments are available here. None of the other board members commented on Creel's announcement.
Diaz said the board has had no discussions about what to do when Creel makes her departure at the end of the school year.
Creel's official statement is below:
It has been widely publicized that an announcement would be made this evening regarding my contract and continuation with the Gainesville City School System. In order to quieten the distraction from the incredible progress occurring in our district that is focused on children please allow me to inform you that at the end of my contract on June 30, 2017 I will transition to cheering for the Red Elephants from a distance.It has been and will continue to be an honor to serve as the superintendent for the district. I have embraced the vision and advocated for ONE Gainesville - supporting, nurturing, challenging and preparing our students for their future. In December of 2013, when I was invited to join the Red Elephant family, I became invested and pledged to work diligently for Gainesville's children.Since arriving in Gainesville I have focused on implementing our Board of Education's plan to improve the academic achievement of our children while increasing capacity for quality teaching and learning in our schools. Although I am not a voting member of the Board of Education, the superintendent is charged with operationalizing the plan. With that responsibility is the realization that, unfortunately, I will not be able to make everyone happy. I will have to make difficult decisions and I must conduct crucial conversations with our stakeholders.I recognize that change of any kind can be difficult and the responses to change are varied. I want to thank the many educators, parents and community members that are a part of the team that work tirelessly for the betterment of all children. I appreciate the kind, encouraging words and those who pray for me and with me. I also want to acknowledge and respect that there are others who may feel differently. I ask, for the sake of our children, let's join together and maintain our focus on a District Strategic Improvement Plan that was unanimously approved by our Board of Education that is poised to move our district forward. Please know that each day I am here I am committed to advancing Gainesville's tradition of excellence.On a personal level, many of you have heard me speak of my Dad and know what a profound impact he has had on my life. He lived by the motto and taught me that "if anything is worth doing - it's worth doing well." I lost my Dad on April 9th of this year. It was my family's privilege to care for him in his home for the last three weeks of his life. During that time, along with family and friends, we laughed, we cried, we told stories and my Daddy gave advice. One of the last things he said to me was, "It's time for you to take care of yourself." It is my hope that one day you will see me as a courageous leader that stepped up and took care of things both professionally and personally.Recently, I visited one of our elementary schools for an early morning meeting. One of our young students got out of her car about the time I was arriving. I opened the door and said "good morning" to her. Her adorable little face had a quizzical look on it when she looked up and smiled shyly because I wasn't a familiar morning face. We got to the second entrance and again I opened the door and told her that I liked her pretty purple jacket. She looked up, smiled and said "thank you". I noticed that my new friend waited while I spoke with a few people in the front office. There was one more door to pass through before entering into the halls of the school. This time, my friend opened the door widely, stood against it with her little body to hold it open and looked up at me with bright eyes and a big smile and together we walked out into the hall.I chose education as my life's work in order to make a difference for children. I intend to continue spending the remainder of my time in education teaching young people how to open doors for themselves and how to take care of and lead others.And now, let's get on with what we are here to do - make important decisions that impact the lives of the children we pledged to serve.
