Former Salem-Keizer leader Sandy Husk to be Portland Public Schools interim superintendent

Former Salem-Keizer superintendent Sandy Husk will serve as the interim leader for Portland Public Schools starting Feb. 12.

Current PPS Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero announced last month that he’d be stepping down. His last day is Feb. 16, creating a four-day overlap for the transition.

Husk led Oregon’s second-largest K-12 school district, Salem-Keizer Public Schools, for more than seven years. Portland school board members unanimously approved Husk for the interim role during a special meeting Thursday night.

Board member Julia Brim-Edwards described Husk as a candidate with 18 years of experience as a public school superintendent, including her time leading Salem-Keizer. In Salem, Brim-Edwards said Husk “had a track record of promoting and supporting student achievement and equity.” Husk also led Salem-Keizer to pass, at the time, the largest capital bond in state history.

Husk served as a teacher, counselor, principal and district-level education leader prior to becoming a superintendent. She has a doctorate of education from the University of Colorado in Denver.

After leaving Salem-Keizer, Husk became the chief executive officer of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), which works with about 7,500 school districts nationwide. Husk led AVID for more than eight years.

“It’s a joy for me, at this point in my career, to bring my professional experiences to Portland Public Schools,” Husk said during the Thursday meeting. “I know I have a whole lot of listening and learning to do. And I look forward to doing that with you as a board, with the leadership of the district, with the employees of the district and with the community as well.”

Portland board members previously agreed they wanted the interim superintendent to be someone who was focused on keeping the district on its current track, rather than making systemic changes. They also wanted someone who would not be a candidate for the long-term position.

Guerrero will continue to lead the district in the coming weeks until his last day.

According to district and board leaders, Husk will start her work with the school board and PPS staff to rebuild relationships after the monthlong teacher strike in November and implement the new contract in partnership with the Portland Association of Teachers.

She’ll also be responsible for finalizing contracts with unions that represent other employee groups and managing the spring budget adoption process. In addition, Husk will be expected to focus on continuing the modernization of Benson Polytechnic High School and the planning for Jefferson High School, as well as the Center for Black Student Excellence.

Husk is expected to serve through the end of June when the board aims to hire a new superintendent.