Marcus C. Robinson, Normandy Schools Collaborative superintendent, announced Wednesday he is resigning and will leave the district at the end of the school year.
“After much prayer and reflection, I have informed the Joint Executive Governing Board of my decision to vacate the position of Superintendent of Schools for the Normandy Schools Collaborative at the end of this school year,” he wrote in a letter to Normandy students, parents, and staff.
“As a Normandy native who received his educational foundation in this district, I did not reach this decision easily. However, given the State Board of Education’s recent decision to move toward a different governing board, I think it is prudent that the new board select a superintendent who is in alignment with its new values, goals, and ambitions for our school community.”
The Normandy Joint Executive Governing released a statement that it “thanked Mr. Robinson for his service to our students, staff. and community over the last two years. We wish him well in his future endeavors.”
“The district is beginning the process of finding the next Normandy superintendent by securing a search firm. The successful firm will conduct the search process with the goal of having a new superintendent on board for the first day of the 2022-2023 school year.
“We will provide updates as we move forward with this process. We look forward to working with our families, staff, and community as we begin a new chapter for Normandy.”
In 2014, a school board of state-appointed members were put in charge of the district after it lost accreditation due to poor test scores and financial issues.
The district now holds partial accreditation and two of its board seats will be held by locally elected school board members. Elections for new school board members will be held on April 5.
Some community leaders and parents have sought Robinson’s resignation over the past year because he wasn’t certified as a superintendent in the state. The district could not return to full accreditation, as a result.
Robinson, who was hired in April 2020, said in his statement, “I look forward to continuing to be Normandy’s top cheerleader and advocate until my last day as superintendent which will be June 30, 2022.”
“Normandy has been my launchpad from Kindergarten to four college degrees (two from the Ivy League), and a career filled with great academic accomplishments, and I am forever indebted to our magnificent community for the opportunity to serve it.”
The Normandy Schools Collaborative includes six schools and has more than 3,100 students enrolled, according to the district.
