John Foley resigns as Toledo Public Schools superintendent
11/30/2009Toledo Public Schools superintendent John Foley announced Monday morning he will resign when his contract expires next summer.
"I felt that it was the right time for me to step down," he said.
Mr. Foley, 54, has led the 26,000-student district more than three years and has worked for TPS for nearly 33 years.
The Toledo Board of Education accepted the resignation during a special meeting Monday morning.
Mr. Foley's resignation comes after the board last week offered him only a one-year contract extension. Mr. Foley had sought two years to complete 35 years with TPS.
The superintendent said he is proud of what he's accomplished since being selected for the top job May 11, 2007.
When he began, Mr. Foley had to hire nearly all new leadership after most of the cabinet followed former Superintendent Eugene Sanders to the Cleveland school district.
Leading that team, Mr. Foley said he has improved the academic rating of the district, decreased discipline problems, passed several levies, built new schools, closed under-performing schools, and kept a balanced budget.
"We made progress in this district," he said.
Board President Bob Vasquez said the board did have some dissatisfaction with certain goals, such as reducing the total number of under-performing schools, but Mr. Foley has moved the district forward.
"Running a large urban district like ours, especially in the economic times now, is a very difficult, very stressful job," Mr. Vasquez said. "I think he's given his all to the district."
The school board will begin a national search for a new superintendent, Mr. Vasquez said.
The goal is to have someone in place by June before Mr. Foley's last day July 31, 2010.