Stockton superintendent resigns after 13 months

Stockton Unified superintendent John Ramirez Jr., who was hired just over a year ago, resigned last week to care for his elderly parents, the Stockton Record reported.

The school board accepted his resignation at a special meeting Thursday night. Francine Baird, assistant superintendent of student support services, will become the interim superintendent until the board hires a replacement.

Ramirez is the latest superintendent in Stockton to quit after a short tenure. He was the sixth superintendent in 10 years, and the 14th in the past 30 years, according to the newspaper. Ramirez was appointed interim superintendent in February 2021 and hired permanently in May 2021.

“It’s been a pleasure and great opportunity to serve as superintendent of the Stockton Unified School District,” Ramirez said. “I will be serving the students and the Stockton Unified School Board in different capacity. I look forward in doing all that I can to support the district.”