Los Alamitos Superintendent Dr. Sherry Kropp somewhat surprisingly announced her retirement this week. She will retire in April of 2019. Below is the entire text of the announcement she sent to the Los Alamitos community.
Hello, Los Alamitos Unified Families,
It is with bittersweet emotion that I let you know that I plan to retire in early April, 2019. I have been blessed to work in education for over 40 years (34 in Los Al) and to be the Superintendent for the last eight years. Getting to do this work in Los Al with all of you and our spectacular students, teachers, administrators, and support staff has been a dream come true. I love all things Los Al and consider it a privilege to have been even a small part of some amazing work. Your support for children and our schools will continue to inspire me – even in retirement.
I’m making the announcement early so that the Board of Education has ample time to select the next Superintendent. I have had the honor of working for an amazing Board of Education – a Board that believes in the power of education and unlimited possibilities for young people, always puts kids first, and who prioritizes the dreams our families have for their children. The Board of Education will be soliciting input from families and other stakeholders regarding the next Superintendent in January.
I will volunteer after April 7, 2019, if necessary and desired, to ensure a smooth transition. It’s important to have the new Superintendent in place before May as a lot of planning occurs for the following school year between May and July.
I will definitely miss so many wonderful people, but Los Al will outlive all of us and is much bigger than any one person. It’s our students, our staff, our families, our community, our passion, our culture, our drive for excellence, our relationships, our commitment to children, and the list goes on…. that make Los Alamitos Unified a great place to live, work, and go to school.
Mostly, thank you for the opportunities of a life-time, for the friendships, and for the cherished memories. It has been my honor to work with you. And, I still have four months until I retire, so I look forward to seeing you soon.
With gratitude,
Dr. Sherry Kropp