Editorial: Saying goodbye to a results-oriented superintendent

Continental School Superintendent Gaye Leo will slip out of Green Valley later this month after serving 18 months and making the district better for its 500-plus students.

We would be remiss in letting Leo go without saying thanks for an expert job at helping Continental attain lofty goals. Leo will be saluted at a end-of-the-year staff party June 20 at the school and at the June 23 school board meeting, so she’s not leaving unceremoniously.

The school on White House Canyon Road went from “highly performing” to “excelling” during Leo’s short time on the job. And while the school was on the right track when Leo arrived, in part because of a diligent school board, she deserves credit for enforcing high standards.

Continental is growing and expanding to meet students’ needs and parents’ high expectations. Despite a substantial increase in enrollment, the school maintained quality and served as a model for small schools around the state.

“We’ve modernized a lot of things,” she said. “We have a media center, which we didn’t have before. We had a very limited library, now we have what I would call a 21st century learning lab.”

Leo’s $90,000-a-year job required 24-hour, hands-on attention, it seemed, when she lived in the superintendent’s home on campus. The Continental superintendent oversees every aspect of administration, acting as the principal, business manager and special education director.

The position was fulfilling but had to be overwhelming at times. She even helped convince the Arizona School Facilities Board to construct a new building for Continental by 2013.

“I’ll miss our connection with our volunteer community, and the sense of participation that we get from our parents,” she said. “It’s just a really high involvement district, and that’s something that’s something that you don’t see very often in public schools. I don’t know that I could ever replicate that, because it’s an extraordinary commitment.”

Leo announced she would move back to the Phoenix area after her contract expires June 30. She will turn the position over to James Nelson, who starts July 1.

We’re not in the habit of writing letters of recommendation for people, but school boards and search committees in the Phoenix area should put Leo on their radar for future openings. We’re sure many have already. She’s a caring person who’s in education for the right reason — creating a bright future for young people.

We wish Leo good luck in the future and hope she comes back to visit us.

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