San Francisco Unified School District superintendent to retire

San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Vincent Matthews announced today that he plans to retire on June 30.

Matthews did not say why he is choosing to leave his job at the district.

“Though it saddens me to leave at a time when our district is already experiencing so many destabilizing hardships brought on by this pandemic, after much reflection, I believe this is the right time. There are many new commissioners on the SF Board of Education and I want them to have the opportunity to select a new superintendent who is aligned with their approach,” Matthews said in a statement.

Matthews said he would not discuss the decision in more detail now, because he wants to focus on bringing students back to in-person learning and continuing to provide distance learning.

San Francisco Board of Education President Gabriela Lopez said in a press release that the board will work on hiring a replacement.

“We deeply appreciate Superintendent Matthews’ leadership and the care he has shown to the SFUSD community. And we’re excited and happy for Dr. Matthews as we wish him a long and happy retirement,” Lopez said. “He has been a steadfast and focused partner as we have prioritized the safe reopening of schools during the pandemic. We are fortunate to have worked with an educator who is a native of San Francisco and proud alumni of our public schools.”