Education

People in the News

July 09, 2003 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Jim Sweeney, the superintendent of the 52,000-student Sacramento City Unified School District in California, has announced his resignation.

Mr. Sweeney, 65, has served as Sacramento’s superintendent since October 1997, when he took the job after seven other people had held the position within the previous six years. During his tenure as superintendent, Mr. Sweeney brought national acclaim to the once-blighted district as it showed consistent gains in state test scores.

Chuck McCully, 65, who served as superintendent of California’s Fresno Unified School District from 1991 through 1997, will serve as interim superintendent while the city school board looks for a permanent replacement.

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend has been named the first president of Operation Respect: “Don’t Laugh at Me,” a nonprofit organization founded in 2000 to help promote respect, good citizenship, and safety in schools.

Ms. Townsend, 52, who served as the lieutenant governor of Maryland from 1995 to 2003 and lost a bid for governor last year, helped create the first statewide office of character education in Maryland.

The New York City-based Operation Respect provides a character-building curriculum and training workshops to educators nationwide. Ms. Townsend will be based in Baltimore.

Helen S. Blank, who served as the director of the child-care and - development division of the Washington-based Children’s Defense Fund for 24 years, was recently named a senior fellow with the National Women’s Law Center.

Ms. Blank, 58, left the Children’s Defense Fund in April.

She will work on projects for the Washington-based center that focuses on child care and early education.

—Catherine A. Carroll & Joetta L. Sack

Send contributions to People in the News, Education Week, 6935 Arlington Road, Suite 100, Bethesda, MD 20814; fax: (301) 280- 3200; e-mail: Catherine A. Carroll. Photographs are welcome but cannot be returned.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Mathematics Webinar
Engaging Every Learner: Strategies to Boost Math Motivation
Math Motivation Boost! Research & real tips to engage learners.
Content provided by Prodigy Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
The Ripple Effect: Mental Health & Student Outcomes
Learn how student mental health impacts outcomes—and how to use that data to support your school’s IEP funding strategy.
Content provided by Huddle Up
Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz How Is Trump Changing School Discipline Rules? Take This Week’s Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: April 30, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz What Is Trump’s New AI Plan for K-12 Schools? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Illustration of tasks assisted with AI.
Canva
Education Quiz ICYMI: Moms for Liberty Launched Its Own University And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the Moms for Liberty annual convention in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the Moms for Liberty annual convention in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP