By Shari Kaplan
The Los Gatos Union School District spent the summer searching for a new superintendent. Now that the new school year has begun, the search begins again, this time for a new assistant superintendent.
Assistant Superintendent Steve Peck has accepted a principalship in the Cupertino Union School District and plans to be on the new job by Oct. 1.
"Now that we have a new superintendent in place, I feel I can pass the baton," Peck said, in reference to the district's summer-long superintendent search, which culminated in early July with the hiring of Beverly Hills transplant Dr. Bert Pearlman.
"I'm looking forward to returning to my roots and being able to work closer with parents, teachers and students. I find [being a principal] a very dynamic position to work more directly with students than on a district level," Peck added.
He has already worn many hats in his educational career, including 10 years as a teacher in Berryessa Union School District and jobs as a teacher and principal in the Saratoga Union School District. He joined LGUSD as assistant superintendent in 1985.
When former LGUSD superintendent Stephen Benbow took a medical and personal leave of absence in November 1995, Peck assumed the title of acting superintendent. Upon Benbow's February 1996 resignation, Peck became interim superintendent.
That same spring, Peck said, he learned of an opening for a principal's job in the CUSD, which reminded him that his first love has always been on the classroom and school level.
"I made a conscious decision not to leave until the new superintendent was on board," Peck said, explaining that he did not apply for the CUSD job earlier this year. When the LGUSD board found Pearlman, Peck checked with CUSD and found that DeVargas Elementary School still needed a principal. He applied and was accepted. Peck said he will finish as many tasks as possible before he leaves to ensure a smooth transition for the district.
Pearlman said that an interim assistant superintendent will be appointed within a week or two, and a plan is getting underway for finding a permanent replacement.
"We're going to try to be the least disruptive as possible to everyone in the schools," Pearlman said.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, September 4, 1996.
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