BUSD superintendent to step down

The Burbank school board thanked Burbank Unified Supt. Jan Britz during their Thursday night meeting, hours after she announced she would retire in June, closing the door on 40 years of work in education, about 10 years in Burbank and two in the district’s top job.

“I’ve done a lot of reflection lately,” Britz told the school board on Thursday. “I really think that this is a time for new leadership in our district and at this time, I have announced my retirement as of June 30, 2015.”

“I’m retiring because I know it’s time,” she said over the phone on Friday. “Education is changing so much — it’s time for new leadership.”

Perhaps the greatest change to education lately is the state’s new funding formula for schools, giving districts certain dollar amounts based upon the number of students who are English learners, belong to low-income families or are in foster care.

The state is also in the beginning stages of adopting new Common Core state standards, which have been embraced by the majority of states in the country, which they claim will better allow them to compare students’ achievement levels.

Britz took the helm of Burbank Unified in 2012 after the sudden departure of its former superintendent Stan Carrizosa, who left to lead College of the Sequoias. Carrizosa, who helmed the district for two years, took over from Kevin Jolly, who himself submitted his resignation six months into a tumultuous one-year tenure. Shortly after leaving the district, Jolly fell to his death from a bridge in Northern California.

“I think all of us felt pretty comfortably when she told us,” school board member Larry Applebaum said. “She promised to work with us on a smooth transition.”

School board members will likely discuss hiring a firm to conduct a search before the end of 2014, he added.

“It provides the perfect timing in which to do a search and really find the right leadership,” said school board President Roberta Reynolds.

On Thursday, school board member Dave Kemp said Britz was a “model superintendent” and member Ted Bunch thanked her for hiring quality employees.

Applebaum acknowledged the two worked through past disagreements, and he credited her work ethic.

“She’s often the first one here, the last one gone,” he said.

Fellow school board member Charlene Tabet said Thursday night, “I’m telling you that the next superintendent has huge shoes to fill — huge.”

For Britz, whose husband is retired and whose two sons live out of state, she is looking forward to having more family time with them.

With Burbank’s educational programs, staff and teachers in place as they are now, presents the right time for her to hang up her hat, she said.

“Having all these things in place is really going to be a great benefit to whoever is going to take over as superintendent,” she said. “All together, there are signs to show me it’s the end of my career. Things are good right now. I always feel that’s a good time to leave.”