Outgoing BUSD Superintendent Secures New Employment

BERKELEY, CA — The city of Berkeley’s outgoing top educational administrator has secured new employment.

Just over a month after announcing his resignation from the Berkeley Unified School District in a letter to the community, Brent Stephens has been named the Lafayette School District’s new superintendent.

Stephens starts work in the Tri-Valley on July 1, the day after his BUSD contract expires.

Stephens cited wanting to spend more family as a driving factor in his decision to step down from his current role leading the BUSD in an interview last month with Berkeleyside.

“I have a daughter who’s rapidly approaching college-age and a wife I haven’t spent a lot of time with over the last three years,” Stephens told the news outlet.

“This decision is really a personal one. It’s about prioritizing family and thinking about the value of time, having not had a lot for a few years.”

Stephens led the BUSD through the pandemic with a focus on equity and access, the Lafayette School District said in a statement announcing his appointment.

He previously served as the San Francisco Unified School District’s Chief Academic Officer.

“I’m excited to join the Lafayette community, and begin to get to know the students, families, and staff who make the Lafayette School District such a well-regarded district,” Stephens said in a statement.

“I honor the values that I see in Lafayette: high expectations, support for each student to grow in a nurturing environment, and strong community bonds.”

The Lafayette School District described its selection process as a “community effort.”

“The input and participation were critical in creating a leadership profile that helped guide the Board in making this appointment,” the district said in a statement.

Stephens replaces outgoing Superintendent Richard Whitmore, who last year announced he was stepping down from the role he's held since 2018.

"After reflection about the state of the district and conversations with my family and friends, I have notified the governing board that I will not seek to extend my contract beyond its current end date of June 2022," Whitmore said in an email to parents.

Stephens started his teaching career as a Spanish bilingual instructor in Oakland, and later in Boston, supporting immigrant students and their families.

While working as a teacher in Boston, Stephens achieved National Board certification, the country’s highest professional distinction.

“The Board has enthusiastically selected Dr. Stephens to be our next Superintendent and we are thrilled to have him join our family.” Lafayette School District Board President Rob Sturm said in a statement.

“The appointment process underscored that Lafayette is unquestionably a destination district, as it produced many worthy applicants. One candidate, however, clearly stood out in all respects - we have great confidence that Dr. Stephens will be a tremendous addition, continuing our district’s long- standing tradition of inspiring Superintendent leadership.”