The Clarke County School District’s Board of Education approved the appointment of Dr. Jack Parish as interim superintendent on Nov. 21. Parish will replace the current superintendent Dr. Philip Lanoue, who’s final day is Feb. 28, 2017. Photo fair use of the University of Georgia College of Education Staff Directory.
By ANDREW CALDWELL – Print Junior Copy Editor
The Clarke County School District’s Board of Education has approved the appointment of Dr. Jack Parish as interim superintendent.
Dr. Jack Parish, the former associate dean for outreach and engagement in the College of Education at the University of Georgia, has been named the Clarke County School District’s interim superintendent. The Clarke County Board of Education approved his appointment on Nov. 21, and Parish’s position will be effective January 2017.
The BOE voted Parish to the position after a closed-door meeting that afternoon. Parish will temporarily replace the CCSD’s current superintendent Dr. Philip Lanoue, whose last day is set for Feb. 28, 2017.
“On behalf of the Board, we could not be more pleased to appoint Dr. Parish to serve as the district’s leader during this transitional period,” BOE Vice-President Sarah Ellis said in a CCSD press release. “Dr. Parish was willing to pause his well-deserved retirement to work with our district — a district he noted was a great partner during his tenure at UGA. He is a veteran in K-12 education, and has a long list of successes and experience that our Board believes will serve our entire district very well.”
Parish entered retirement after stepping down this summer as associate dean for outreach and engagement at UGA’s College of Education. He had also been a clinical associate professor at UGA. This experience is something Ellis says made Parish a perfect fit for the job.
“He was superintendent of Henry County Schools from 2000 to 2008. He has held assistant principal and principal roles, as well as assistant personnel director and assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in Henry County before serving as the district’s superintendent. In addition, he previously served on the Georgia School Boards Association’s Superintendent’s Advisory Council, as well as president of the Georgia School Superintendents Association,” Ellis said. “In his final year at Henry County, he was a finalist for Georgia Superintendent of the Year. This kind of experience is just what our district needs until we find a permanent superintendent.”
Parish is not completely foreign to the CCSD. Parish has had relations with the CCSD in a number of capacities, including through the UGA College of Education’s Professional Development School District Partnership and as the facilitator of the district’s process to revamp its vision, mission and belief statements in 2011.
“I worked closely with the Clarke County School District while I was a faculty member and administrator in the UGA College of Education. I had an opportunity to get to know the Board of Education members and many of the administrators in the schools and the district office. Having lived in Clarke County for eight years, I was very proud of the excellent work being done in the school district. I wanted to help ensure the positive direction of the school district would continue while the Board of Education conducted a search for a permanent superintendent,” Parish said. “I was very excited about the opportunity to return to Clarke County to work with the Board of Education, the students, teachers and administrators in the school district.”
Moving forward, the BOE hopes to have a long-term superintendent chosen by the end of May, around the same time the 2016-17 school year ends. Sophomore Isaac Schmidt feels Dr. Parish’s educational and administrative background will help him adjust to the CCSD.
“I think it’s pretty neat of (Dr. Parish) to come back after retiring and still continue to give back to our district even after working so hard for so long,” Schmidt said. “Since he’s so experienced, I can’t think of any reason why he won’t do a fantastic job and I think he will serve our schools and district well once (Dr. Lanoue) leaves.”
With a new path ahead of him, Parish looks to contribute to the CCSD.
“I genuinely enjoy working with a Board of Education, students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members to try to provide a quality education for students. I look forward to getting back to this work,” Parish said. “As superintendent, I have the responsibility of maintaining a focus on student learning and ensuring that those who are working directly with students receive the support they need.”
