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WEST JORDAN — Impressed by her commitment to student achievement, the Jordan Board of Education selected Patrice Johnson to be the new superintendent of the Jordan School District.
"The education of a child has been my life's mission," Johnson said, following the board's affirmative vote. "I don't think that there's anything more important, no more noble work that we do aside that of mothers and fathers."
The education of a child has been my life's mission.
–Patrice Johnson
Johnson is currently an associate superintendent in the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada. She will take the helm of the district, the fourth-largest in the state, on June 1.
She's the first woman to be chosen as superintendent in the district's 105-year history, and she's the only superintendent to be selected from candidates outside of the district, according to spokesman Steve Dunham.
"She brings a new set of eyes into the district," said board member Peggy Jo Kennett. "She's not caught up in the things that have gone on in the last couple of years in our district."
Related:
Jordan selects 3 finalists for superintendent
Three finalists for the vacant superintendent position in the Jordan School District have been announced by the school board. None of the candidates come from within the district.Mistrust and lack of communication leading up to the Jordan/Canyon school district split were recurring issues raised by community members who attended district town hall meetings during the board's superintendent search.
Board member Carmen Freeman said he believes the board made a great decision in breaking with tradition.
"I think we've stepped away from some of the precedents of not only this district but other districts," said board member Carmen Freeman. "We feel like getting someone from the outside will help to bring us together."
Johnson was chosen by the board from a pool of three candidates. Those candidates were introduced to the public at an open house last week. Hundreds of teachers and parents attended the event, Dunham said, and out of the 350 who filled out feedback forms, about 300 indicated they liked Johnson the best.
Teresa Atherley with the Jordan Parent Teacher Association was one of them.
"It was nice to see somebody who cares about our children and wants to make a difference in a district she doesn't know anything about," Atherley said. "She wants to come in and she wants to make sure that our community and our kids come together. And you can tell from tonight that she is so excited to be here."
Johnson said she can tell the community is ready for solidarity.
"Parents and employees are looking for unification," Johnson said. "I think that they've gone through some hard times."
After touring schools in the district on Wednesday, Johnson will head back to Las Vegas where she'll finish up the year in her current job. Johnson will replace interim superintendent David Stoddard, who took the temporary position in January when long-time leader Barry Newbold retired.
Email:mfarmer@ksl.com
