Jolene Guzman
DALLAS – The magnitude of Dallas Superintendent Christy Perry’s career shift – jumping from leading Dallas schools to the second largest school district in the state – hasn’t quite sunk in yet.
“It’s just totally a different scale,” she said Thursday, two days after the Salem-Keizer School District named her its next superintendent.
Perry said Salem-Keizer has a strong leadership team in place to help her get started and, perhaps even more important, her experience as superintendent in Dallas has prepared her well.
“I’m confident I know what I need to be able to lead,” she said.
That doesn’t mean leaving Dallas, where she’s spent 16 years — eight as the superintendent — will be easy.
“In some ways, it’s heartbreaking, but I don’t question that I’m doing exactly what I need to do next,” Perry said.
The Dallas School Board also is considering its next steps. Board Chairman Matt Posey said the board will schedule a special meeting next week to begin planning to replace Perry. He said that could mean launching a search for a permanent replacement or appointing an interim superintendent.
Posey said the board wishes Perry well in her move to the Salem-Keizer position.
“I think our board is clearly sad she’s leaving, but we are excited for her opportunity, too,” Posey said.
To read more about Perry taking the Salem-Keizer post and what is next for the Dallas School District, see the May 21 edition of the Itemizer-Observer.
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