FOR RELEASE: July 5, 2023

 CONTACT: Tonya Harris, tharris@cgcs.org                                                               

Portland Superintendent to Lead Council of the Great City Schools

WASHINGTON, July 5 – Guadalupe Guerrero, superintendent of Portland Public Schools, becomes chair of the Council of the Great City Schools’ Board of Directors for a one-year term, effective July 1.

The 156-member board is composed of the superintendent and a school board member from each of the 78 big-city school districts represented by the Council.

Guerrero has served as superintendent of the largest school district in Oregon since 2017 and under his leadership, the Portland school system has established a K-12 climate justice curriculum, expanded arts education, and secured a $1.2-billion school modernization bond to improve the health, safety, and infrastructure of the district’s school buildings.

He succeeds Kelly Gonez, school board president of Los Angeles Unified School District. Gonez will assume the position of immediate past chair.

Marcia Andrews, school board member for Florida’s School District of Palm Beach County, becomes chair-elect, stepping up from the Council’s secretary-treasurer post.    

Rounding out the Council’s 2023-24 leadership team will be Sonja Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, who has been elected to the secretary-treasurer post. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome Guadalupe, Marcia, and Sonja as our new officers,” said Council Executive Director Ray Hart. “All three bring passion, knowledge, and experience that is sure to help us better achieve our critical mission of educating all urban school students to the highest academic standards.”

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