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EDUCATION Southern Oregon Education Service District superintendent to retire in June Comment By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 31, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 31, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Longtime educator Scott Perry may be retiring from his position as head of the Southern Oregon Education Service District, but he’s not quitting the field altogether. Perry, 60, retires June 30 after six years as superintendent of the SOESD. In addition to writing children's songs and a book, Perry plans to dedicate the first several years of his retirement pursuing opportunities in several areas of education, including school attendance, college and career readiness and increasing communication among educators. “It’s been a great run,” Perry said Monday afternoon. “It’s with mixed feelings that I leave the ESD,” he added. “I will be able to pursue some areas of passion, but I will be leaving a job full of opportunity and a job that I've really enjoyed.” Perry informed the SOESD board and his staff in January that he would be retiring. And, today, the board will meet for a work session with Northwest Leadership Associates to outline the process for hiring a new superintendent.  Perry began his career in 1981 as a school psychologist for Clatsop County ESD in Astoria, and has since served as a behavior specialist for Linn Benton Lincoln ESD, a specialist for Oregon Department of Education, an elementary principal for Tangent and Takena elementary schools, and director of special education and, later, director of students services for LBLESD. As superintendent of SOESD, Perry oversees about 300 employees in Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties, as well as special education, early childhood, migrant education, school improvement, technology support services and a variety of other programs in those counties. But now he’s likely to focus on just a few areas of education. Since October 2013, Perry has made three trips to the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo School District in Texas to learn more about the district’s highly successful college- and-career readiness model. In just seven years, the district of 32,000 students managed to improve its graduation rate from 62 percent in 2007 to 90.1 percent in 2014, and most of its students now are graduating from high school with at least 32 college credits. Perry said he’d like to help schools and districts in Southern Oregon expand their dual credit offerings to create a college-going culture, crack down on school attendance and “intentionally focus on ways to increase communication and the quality of trust” among teachers and administrators. “I don’t have any particular job offers but I know this work is out there,” he said. Perry and his wife also are in the early stages of co-writing a book, “Working to Stop What Stops the Work,” with strategies for improving communication in the field of education. “If (teachers) are willing to collaborate, share their best ideas, trust their leadership, and they feel supported, then you create a close-knit, high-trust environment and that’s when schools can really take off,” he said. Reach education reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt . By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Mar. 31, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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