When Tony Smith became Oakland schools superintendent four years ago, he vaulted the struggling district into the national spotlight with his vision of creating a “community school district” that would vastly expand the role of schools in the lives of their students and the community as a whole.
Instead of just focusing on what goes on in the classroom, Smith argued, the schools should focus on serving the “whole child” by partnering with community organizations to offer a range of before- and after-school enrichment, health, social and other programs for children and their families.
Now, Smith has stunned fellow educators by
announcing that he will leave the district in June, raising questions about whether his community school initiative will be sustained after his departure.
Those concerns are not necessarily unfounded. The
departure of an urban school superintendent, often after a relatively short tenure, can bring an abrupt end to one series of reforms and the introduction of another.
Smith himself says his departure is “bittersweet.”
“We’re right on the verge of some really important next level change,” said Smith, 46, who said
his 
