Rowland Unified
School District Superintendent Dr.
Maria Ott announced her
retirement on Thursday. Ott has served as Superintendent for the past
seven years and has been an educator for more than 41 years. Ott will
stay until the opening of the new school year in late
August.

           
“My experiences as Superintendent of Rowland Unified have truly
enriched my life, and it has
been an honor to serve. I am retiring knowing that the District has
made outstanding progress on every level. The Board of Education has
been supportive of me as I make this transition in my life, and I value
each one of them. They always place the needs of
students first, and I admire their vision for the District and their
focus on excellence,” said Ott.  

            The USC School of Education has invited Ott to become an
Executive in Residence. Beginning in October, she will teach and work on USC School of Education projects focused on educational leadership.

           
Prior to joining Rowland Unified in 2005, Ott served five years as the
Senior Deputy Superintendent
in the Los Angeles Unified School District, second in authority to
Superintendent Roy Romer, former three-term Governor of Colorado. Ott
also served as Superintendent of Little Lake City School District,
serving the cities of Santa Fe Springs,
Norwalk and southeastern Downey.
She has earned numerous awards and is highly-regarded throughout the
State’s educational community. She looks forward to continuing
to publish on the work on Cultural Proficiency and academic
achievements being made in Rowland Unified.

The
Rowland Unified
School District is proud to serve 16,000 students at 20 elementary and secondary schools in the communities of Rowland Heights, Walnut,
La Puente, City of Industry,
and West Covina.