Palo Alto Educator to Lead Schools in Glendale

The Glendale school board has selected James R. Brown as superintendent of schools to succeed retiring Supt. Robert Sanchis, officials said Wednesday.

Brown, head of the 8,800-student Palo Alto Unified School District, was the unanimous selection, said board President Jeanne Bentley.

Reached by telephone at his Palo Alto office, Brown said a bond issue for new school construction and repair will be a priority for Glendale schools.

“I drove around the district when I visited a few weeks ago, and we have a lot of work to do on our facilities. We’ve got to do something about that, to make schools a safe place for the students.”

Brown said he will probably “keep my mouth shut for awhile” once he takes over the position, and listen to parents, teachers, administrators, students and other groups as he develops priorities for the district.

He said he also wants to “reaffirm the importance of our central mission in public education, to provide high-quality teaching and learning for children, and to help all children achieve at high levels.”

Brown verbally accepted the job Tuesday. The board will vote to formally appoint him to the post later this month, Bentley said.

All five board members interviewed school officials, city officials and business leaders in Palo Alto about Brown’s record.

Bentley and board member Pam Ellis praised Brown’s “businesslike and people-oriented” management style, and said they expect him to help the district forge a closer relationship with city government.

“He’s a team builder, a consensus builder. I think he’s going to do a good job of building our administrative teams,” Ellis said.

Before taking over the Palo Alto district in 1989, Brown was superintendent of the Lompoc Unified School District from 1985 to 1989, superintendent of the Cambria Public Schools District from 1978 to 1985, and an administrator and principal at school districts in Riverside and Pasadena.

In 1995, during Brown’s tenure, voters in Palo Alto approved a $143-million school bond initiative for new facilities. With Glendale hoping to float a bond initiative of between $100 million and $150 million in 1997, Bentley said Brown’s experience may be an asset.

Sanchis, who has headed the district since 1982, will retire July 1. Brown will take over the position in August, district officials said.

In Glendale, Brown will head a district with more than 30,000 students who speak more than 60 native languages, far more than in the Palo Alto district.

“I’m not leaving Palo Alto because of any problems. I’m going to Glendale because I welcome the challenge there,” he said.

“I wanted the challenge of working in a larger, more complex district. To be able to do that in a place like Glendale, which places a high value on education, is a great career opportunity.”