FUSD Superintendent Bob Nelson leaving to become professor at Fresno State, district confirms

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno Unified superintendent Bob Nelson is planning to leave the district and become a professor at Fresno State, the district confirmed.

Nelson has accepted a tenure-track faculty position in the Educational Leadership Division at the Kremen School of Education.

After seven years in the top spot at Fresno Unified School District, Nelson is stepping down.

"The opportunity is really, really amazing and not to be ignored. I wouldn't leave the superintendency for many things, but the opportunity to pursue a tenure track faculty at Fresno State, where you're training valley leaders to serve Valley kids, is unbelievable," said Nelson.

He says he was first approached by Fresno State in May of last year, and the offer to train the Valley's future education leaders was too good to pass up.

"I think it's critically important that we raise Valley leaders who get trained by Valley people," explained Nelson.

Nelson leads the district through the COVID-19 pandemic and the threat of two teacher strikes, one in 2018 and more recently last fall.

He says the heated negotiations did not influence his decision to leave.

"It was certainly contentious, and we acknowledge that. There are things we can do to make that better, and you can't unwind history, but you can definitely learn from it and make better choices moving forward," Nelson said.

Nelson will finish the school year, and his last day is July 31.

Now, the search for a new superintendent begins.

The school board will have its first discussion on the matter Wednesday night.

"I'm going to be looking for somebody who can infuse urgency, innovation and accountability into what we're doing as far as instruction and academic achievement for our students," said FUSD board President Susan Wittrup.

If a new superintendent is not selected by August 1, the district is hoping the board will appoint Deputy Superintendent Misty Her as Nelson's interim replacement.

"I just want to convey to our parents that despite what's going to happen in the next couple of months, Superintendent Nelson and I are going to work really closely together. It's not going to be like he's just going to leave," said Her.

Nelson says he believes he is leaving the district in good hands and is grateful for the three decades he's worked in public education in the Valley, a region he says is the future.

"Be a change agent for good and let people know that the Central Valley is where California is moving in the next generation. It's going to come from our kids in the heart of California," Nelson said.

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