Albany Names New Schools Chief

By Doug Oakley
Staff Writer
Bay Area News Group
doakley@bayareanewsgroup.com

The Albany school board named a new superintendent Friday to replace Marla Stephenson who is retiring June 30. 

Valerie Williams, who currently works as assistant superintendent of human resources at Dublin Unified School District, will take over the top job in Albany July 1. Albany has 3,800 students. 

Before working in Dublin, Williams worked as director of certificated personnel at Fremont Unified School District. Williams has been an English teacher, a middle school principal and an associate high school principal. 

A consultant hired to find a new superintendent found 85 applicants for the job, which was narrowed to two candidates in late March. The board of education and a group of teachers, administrators and parents interviewed Williams before the board offered her the job, according to a statement from the school district. 

One of Williams major tasks upon taking the job in Albany will be a decision on whether to ask voters if they want to renew a $149 a year tax on homes and nonresidential properties that expires July 1, 2015. That tax was approved by voters in 2010 to restore teacher positions and student services during deep cuts to the state budget.

Follow Doug Oakley on Twitter at www.twitter.com/douglasoakley