The Anchorage School Board announced Tuesday that Anchorage School District Superintendent Deena Bishop will retire next June.
Bishop, 52, has been superintendent of the state’s largest school district since 2016. She previously worked as superintendent of the Mat-Su Borough School District for five years, and before that as a teacher and principal.
In a letter to the school board, Bishop wrote “from the most tragic times as evidenced by the 7.1 earthquake in 2018 to the continuing global pandemic, our community has overcome obstacles, learned, and grown.”
Her letter did not say why she’s stepping down as superintendent. But the Anchorage Daily News reported that she wants to spend more time with her 1-year-old grandson, Clay.
School board officials say they will work with Bishop during her transition. Her last day with the district will be June 30, 2022.
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Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
