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Vincent Matthews Will Serve as Interim State Administrator

SACRAMENTO - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced that Dr. Kim Statham, Oakland Unified School District State Administrator, is resigning.

"It is with regret that I have accepted the resignation of Dr. Kim Statham," O'Connell said. "She is a respected curriculum expert, passionate educator, and able administrator who has been completely committed to the mission of providing students in Oakland with desperately needed educational opportunities. Dr. Statham has worked tirelessly to improve academic rigor and to close the achievement gap in the Oakland Unified School District. Oakland's students, and the District as a whole, are undoubtedly better off for her efforts. I thank Dr. Statham for all her hard work, salute her accomplishments, and wish her and her family the best."

O'Connell announced that Vincent Matthews will serve as interim State Administrator while he initiates a nationwide search for a permanent replacement for Dr. Statham. Matthews, 45, of Hercules has served as chief of staff to Dr. Statham for the past five months. Born and raised in San Francisco, Matthews has been an educator since 1984 and, since joining the Oakland Unified School District, has been deeply engaged in the reform efforts underway to improve student achievement and restore the District's fiscal stability.

"Vincent Matthews is an experienced educator with deep roots in the Bay Area," O'Connell said. "He is an ideal person to keep up the forward momentum in Oakland during this period of transition. I am pleased that he has agreed to serve as interim State Administrator, and I look forward to collaborating with him on continued progress for the students of Oakland."

Before joining the Oakland Unified School District, Matthews was an area superintendent for the San Diego Unified School District from 2006 to 2007. He was an educator-in-residence at NewSchools Venture Fund in San Francisco from 2005 to 2006, and served as principal of John Muir Middle School in the San Leandro Unified School District from 2004 to 2005. From 2002 to 2004 Matthews was the California Regional Vice President of Operations for Edison Schools. He previously served as a principal and teacher in several San Francisco Bay areas school districts.

"I am extremely excited and enthusiastic about continuing the reform efforts underway in Oakland," Matthews said. "As interim State Administrator, I look forward to working with the dedicated team of educators in the Oakland Unified District Office and the thousands of teachers, paraeducators, administrators, and parents working hard each day in our schools to improve student achievement and restore fiscal accountability. Together, we must work to help each student reach his or her full potential. As an educator, I am passionate about the need to close the achievement gap that has left many low-income African American and Latino students lagging behind their peers. A critical part of our work will be to find sustainable ways to close this gap in Oakland. I am very pleased that Superintendent O'Connell is also dedicated to closing the achievement gap and I look forward to a productive partnership in this work."

Matthews was a Broad Superintendents Academy Fellow in 2006. He received his Master of Arts degree in educational administration and a California administrative credential, as well as his teaching credential and bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University.