Randy Rutherford, principal at Little Rock's Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School, is Superintendent Mike Poore's choice to fill the district's newly created position of executive director of secondary education.
The recommendation will now go to Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key for a final decision. Key acts in place of a school board in the state-controlled Little Rock School District.
Rutherford, 58, of Benton, who has been the Parkview principal since 2016 and has more than 20 years of experience in the Little Rock district, has also worked in the North Little Rock, Benton and Bryant school systems. He was superintendent of the Bryant School District in 2010-2014.
Rutherford's selection comes at a time when the Little Rock district is replacing its deputy superintendents and chief academic officer with executive directors: one each for elementary and secondary education and for curriculum.
"The distinction between this [executive director] role and that of deputy superintendent is that the executive director will be able to provide a laser focus of support into buildings," Pamela Smith, the district's director of communications, said Tuesday.
"It is expected that the majority of the executive director's time will be spent in school buildings, providing direct support. The deputy superintendent's role had expanded to include many other responsibilities," Smith said. "The executive directors for both elementary and secondary levels will work jointly with the director of curriculum in a team approach, to improve student performance and develop and support resources that are essential to increasing academic achievement."
Selections for the elementary education and curriculum directors have not yet been announced.
Rutherford has a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Arkansas and master's degree from Henderson State University. He started his teaching career at Catholic High School in Little Rock, then worked as a business teacher and head basketball coach at J.A. Fair High from 1987 to 1998.
He was an assistant principal for a year at Pulaski Heights Junior High before returning to Fair High for three years as head football coach. He was an assistant principal at Little Rock Central from 2002 to 2005 before becoming principal for a year at Fair, and then athletic director for a year at Benton and then Bryant High School principal for three years.
Rutherford's position as superintendent in Bryant was followed with a two-year stint as North Little Rock High principal, from 2014-16.
Rutherford's current salary at Parkview is $118,200 and his new salary will be $125,833 if approved by Key.
Metro on 07/10/2019