At a special closed session meeting June 26, the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board of Education voted unanimously to appoint Deputy Superintendent Brian McDonald, Ed.D., as Interim Superintendent until further notice. The appointment will take effect when Superintendent Jon Gundry’s impending resignation is effective.
“Dr. McDonald’s experience and leadership will be crucial in maintaining consistency and continuity during this time of transition,” said Board of Education President Scott Phelps. “His proven track record in closing the achievement gap, along with his collaborative leadership skills, will help usher PUSD into its next phase of growth.”
Since joining PUSD as Chief Academic Officer in October 2011, McDonald spearheaded the district’s magnet school program, expanded the district’s popular dual language immersion programs, led the early implementation of the new Common Core State Standards and placed a strong emphasis on research-based professional development for all employees.
“It is an honor to serve the Pasadena Unified community in the position of interim Superintendent,” said McDonald. “I look forward to the opportunity to work together with the School Board for the achievement of all students in our schools.”
McDonald joined PUSD from the Houston (Texas) Independent School District, where he last served as School Improvement Officer. Prior to that, he was an elementary and middle school principal in the same district. As principal of William S. Holland Middle School from 2005-2011, McDonald successfully increased reading, math, social studies, science and writing scores, and raised the number of students taking Algebra I by 100 percent.
Dr. McDonald has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Houston-Downtown, Texas, and a Master’s in Education Administration from Texas Southern University. He earned a certification in principalship from Harvard Graduate School in 2002, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Sam Houston State University in 2010. A Phi Delta Kappa, he is a fluent Spanish speaker.
Gundry announced June 24 that he was selected as the sole finalist to be the next superintendent of the Santa Clara County Office of Education in San Jose, California.
