Interim Mass. education commissioner tapped to lead Pennsylvania school district

The acting commissioner of elementary and secondary education in Massachusetts has been selected as the superintendent of a school district in the Philadelphia suburbs, according to that district's announcement on Friday.

Russell Johnston, who led the department of elementary and secondary education in Massachusetts for a year, will join the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District.

Their school board is expected to vote Monday to approve a five-year contract for Johnston that begins May 1.

News of Johnston’s next steps comes as DESE's search process for a permanent commissioner is still underway. The board plans to provide an update on the search process in a meeting on Monday.

Johnston, who took the reins as interim commissioner last March after Jeff Riley stepped down, announced back in December that he would not apply for the permanent position.

The commissioner serves as the executive and administrative head of the department, which oversees funding and support for the 300-plus school districts across the state.

Johnston worked in DESE for a decade, including as deputy commissioner under Riley and as interim receiver of the Southbridge Public Schools. He also served as the superintendent of West Springfield Public Schools and has worked on improving special education services and supports.

In a statement, the veteran educator and administrator said he was “energized” to join the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District. He said he was drawn by its strong academics and focus on fine arts. Johnston has family members in the region, according to the notice.

The district's school board selected Johnston after a six-month search process led by a national educational search firm, according to its announcement.

In a statement, that district’s board president praised Johnston’s “demonstrated history of compassionate and responsive leadership” and “sophisticated understanding of educational systems that we believe will greatly benefit our school district.”

Meanwhile, Massachusetts’ board of elementary and secondary education has enlisted executive search firm Isaacson, Miller to conduct the search for a permanent education commissioner, who must be appointed by the board with approval from  the secretary of education.

Some major issues facing the commissioner and leadership in the coming months will be new guidelines around competency determination for high school graduates following the nixed MCAS exit exam, guidance to schools around student cell phone usage and the state’s continuing efforts around early literacy, among other topics.