Gilbert schools superintendent had been planning retirement
Independent Newsmedia/Tom Blodgett
Gilbert Public Schools Superintendent Shane McCord originally told the governing board that 2024-25 would be his last year but was persuaded behind the scenes to delay it one more year.
Posted
High Praise
The announcement that Shane McCord will retire as superintendent of Gilbert Public Schools after this school year brought in tributes from Gilbert’s leaders.
"I am grateful for the years of service and dedication Dr. Shane McCord has given to Gilbert Public Schools and our Town. When he first stepped into his role as superintendent, he faced a challenging task. His knowledge and leadership were exactly what the district needed to unify staff and the board, strengthening our foundation for the future. His presence will be deeply missed, but his lasting influence ensures Gilbert Public Schools remains one of the top districts in the state." — Mayor Scott Anderson
“Superintendent McCord has been a steady and thoughtful leader for GPS and seen the community through some very difficult years with optimism and courage. We owe him a great deal of gratitude.” — Former Mayor Jenn Daniels
“Shane McCord is the embodiment of a servant leader — someone who leads with heart, humility, and an unwavering commitment to those he serves. His leadership has been marked by deep empathy and genuine care for the students, faculty, staff and families of Gilbert Public Schools. He has always welcomed opportunities to collaborate, recognizing the critical connection between education and our local economy. Shane’s thoughtful nature is evident not only in the big decisions he’s made but also in the kind words and subtle gestures that have left lasting impressions on those around him. He has taken the time to build authentic relationships, and his ability to connect with others has helped strengthen the fabric of our community.” — Gilbert Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Sarah Watts
The announcement that Shane McCord will retire after the coming year after more than three decades in public education and seven years as superintendent of Gilbert Public Schools may have come as a surprise to the public.
But the governing board had already been clued in that it was coming.
McCord first informed the board of his intentions last year, but made his retirement public in late May through the final line of a year-end poem sent to staff.
The understated announcement came after what McCord described as careful planning and personal reflection.
“So a year ago, almost to the day, I sat with the board... and talked about just, “Hey, this year (2024-25) will be my last year,” McCord told the Gilbert Independent.
However, McCord agreed to stay an additional year at the request of the then-board President Sheila Rogers Uggetti. She asked him to help provide stability as the district worked to pass a critical budget override.
Uggetti died in September 2024, as did mentor and former GPS Superintendent Walter Delecki in January, losses that deeply affected McCord and added gravity to his time at the helm.
“She (Uggetti) goes, ‘What if you go one more after this year?’... and then boom, that hit and then Wally hit after that,” McCord said. “So it’s been kind of an interesting year.”
Current board President Chad Thompson said the board was sad about but understood McCord’s decision. He also paid tribute to the work he has done, saying McCord “sets the standard for superintendents in Arizona.”
“I think the general public truly doesn't understand the scope of responsibility that he has — being in charge of a company that's got 4,000-plus employees and a stewardship over tens of thousands of our community's kids,” Thompson said. “It's not an easy job, and it's not a job that is routine in any way.”
McCord has been with the district for the majority of his career, serving in various roles from teacher to principal to human resources director to assistant superintendent before becoming superintendent in 2017 after a short stint with Mesa Public Schools.
He plans to stay active following his retirement, possibly in higher education or even something entirely new.
“I’d love to teach at the higher ed level, probably ED leadership type courses,” he said, but jokingly added, “I don’t know. Home Depot’s a great place to be too.”
McCord emphasized the importance of leadership turnover.
“I think people need to change and need to move on and continue on with other things in their life,” he said. “I think this has kind of defined me pretty much my whole career, and I’m excited to go find something else to do.”
McCord’s tenure saw Gilbert Public Schools navigate significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and declining enrollment — challenges he approached with a focus on student outcomes and staff collaboration.
“I think we’ve done a tremendous job in the last seven years as a district,” he said. “We always try to keep kids as the number one priority and work from there."
As the district begins the process of finding McCord’s successor, he said he hopes to give the board enough time and flexibility to make the right choice.
Thompson said the board has not established a process or timeline for the selection yet and expressed an openness to internal candidates as “we have a pretty good thing going.”
“I can only hope that we find somebody that's remotely as qualified as Dr. McCord,” he said.
Whether the board conducts an internal or external search remains to be seen, but McCord expressed openness to assisting in the transition.
“If it’s someone internal … turn over the reins and step out of the way,” he said. “If it’s someone external … depends on when they can actually come over and learn the ropes.”
We would like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him @sp_blodgett on X.
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
By 
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here