State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson Announces Inglewood Superintendent Will Become
San Francisco School Chief
SACRAMENTO – State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today that Dr. Vincent Matthews, the State Administrator of the Inglewood Unified School District, is the finalist for Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District.
Torlakson two years ago appointed Matthews to oversee the Inglewood School District, which went into State oversight because of budget problems.
“Dr. Matthews is an outstanding educator who has done a fantastic job of turning around the Inglewood Unified School District. He built great working relationships with teachers, staff, administrators, and the local community,” Torlakson said. “It’s a loss for Inglewood, but I know he will do the same great things for San Francisco. I wish him all the best.”
The State took control of the Inglewood district in 2012, when, at the district's request, Governor Brown approved legislation that provided up to $55 million in emergency loans to help the district meet its financial obligations.
The legislation also required the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to assume all the legal rights, duties, and powers of the governing board of the district and appoint a state trustee invested with the powers of an administrator. By law, the school district's elected governing board serves only in an advisory capacity until a number of conditions are met.
“I am extremely proud of the hard work of the Inglewood staff,” Matthews said. “I am also appreciative of the assistance given by Tom Torlakson and the entire California Department of Education (CDE) team. This was an extremely difficult decision, but I needed to take this opportunity to be closer to my family while returning to the district where I began both my student and teaching career.”
Inglewood has about 13,000 total students. San Francisco Unified has about 60,000 students.
Matthews is a 30-year education veteran and has held a range of roles including teacher, principal, and superintendent.
He is a San Francisco native who attended public schools there and earned his bachelor of arts degree, teaching credential, and doctorate in education from San Francisco State University. Matthews also served as a state-appointed superintendent for the Oakland Unified School District.
Matthews will meet with the San Francisco Board of Education on Friday, and the Board is scheduled to officially approve him as superintendent next week.
Torlakson will appoint an Acting Administrator for the Inglewood Unified School District while a search starts for a new superintendent.
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Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100
Last Reviewed: Wednesday, March 29, 2017
