By Khalida Sarwari
After 12 years as superintendent for the Saratoga Union School District, Lane Weiss has resigned his post.
Arati Nagaraj, president of the district’s board of trustees, said Weiss, 59, made the announcement at a board meeting on April 28. In a statement she issued to the community the following day, Nagaraj said that Weiss has accepted a job as superintendent of Aspire Public Schools in the Central Valley area. His last day with the Saratoga school district is June 30.
“We’re all deeply saddened at his departure, but we wish him well,” Nagaraj said.
The board will begin the process of finding Weiss’ successor right away, she added, first identifying a search firm to conduct the recruitment. In the meantime, an interim superintendent will be appointed “so that our students have a seamless experience at school and the work of the district continues smoothly,” Nagaraj stated in the letter.
Weiss, who was raised in the South Bay–specifically the cities of San Jose, Santa Clara and Saratoga–said he was drawn to the position at Aspire because he sees it as a good opportunity for his family and his professional growth. At Aspire he said he’d also get a chance to serve students and an organization that has state and national impact.
Two of the most challenging years of his tenure at SUSD, Weiss said, were 2003 and 2008, when the district was affected by economic downturns. On a daily basis, he faced the challenges of “working to build a balance between academic success, a balanced curriculum and developing caring, kind and responsible citizens for our world.”
What kept him going for 12 years, Weiss said, was having the opportunity to serve students, work with caring and dedicated professionals and collaborate with parents, volunteers and community members.
As Weiss prepares for his big move, there are a few last things he has left on his to-do list. Over the next month and a half he’ll be helping to prepare the district for a smooth transition in leadership. In between that, he plans to spend as much time with students as his time will allow.
“I would like to sing in a few more classrooms, read to a few more students and play in one more staff-student basketball game,” Weiss said.
The superintendent expressed his appreciation for and pride in the students, staff and community he’s served over the past decade.
“I’m very grateful for the professional opportunities and support I’ve been fortunate to have been given,” he said.
Link: Weiss will move on after 12 ‘super’ years in Saratoga district
