Citing Progress, Irvine Schools Chief to Quit

Irvine Unified School District’s superintendent told the board Tuesday night that she will step down June 30.

“We have made significant progress in reaching the vision that the board and I set together from the outset and annually updated,” said Patricia Clark White, who has been the district’s superintendent five years.

She said she has largely accomplished her goals for the district and wants to spend more time with her family.

Like districts across California, Irvine Unified has been plagued by budget woes, mostly due to a $12.5-billion deficit in the state budget that, among other things, has caused the district to close an elementary school and issue preliminary layoff notices to 130 teachers.

About 200 teachers packed Tuesday’s school board meeting to express dismay over the breakdown of contract negotiations. Some of them interpreted White’s retirement as a victory.

“I’m hopeful that now we can get somebody who cares about the teachers and values what they’re worth,” said Eric Shulman, who teaches math at University High School.

Anne Caenn, president of the Irvine Teachers Assn., said she wasn’t surprised by White’s announcement.

“We’d been hearing rumors,” said Caenn, whose group has called for a no-confidence vote against White and the board.

“White is a person who has done a great deal for education, but I don’t know that her heart is here in Irvine,” she said.

White said the timing of her retirement had nothing to do with the union impasse. “After 21 years as a superintendent,” she said, “it’s time to put my family first.”