Portland Public Schools names three semifinalists for superintendent

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland Public Schools has narrowed down its search for a new superintendent.

On Tuesday, the school district announced that its Board of Education had cut the number of candidates from five to just three.

District officials named Vancouver resident Kimberlee Armstrong as one semifinalist. She has more than 25 years of experience in public education, as the current deputy superintendent for Evergreen Public Schools and former chief academic officer for PPS.

Additionally, Armstrong previously held associate superintendent and assistant superintendent positions with school districts in Santa Rosa and Marin County, Calif.

PPS reported she has a doctorate of education from the University of Washington and two master’s degrees in business administration and teaching from the City University of Seattle.

Salem-Keizer Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Iton Udosenata is another candidate who is still in the running. Before becoming the Salem district’s deputy superintendent, he worked as its assistant superintendent of secondary education from 2020 to 2023.

Udosenata was also a principal for North Eugene High School and Cottage Grove High School. The University of Oregon graduate has a doctorate in educational leadership and a master’s in education. According to PPS, he has worked in public education for 20 years.

The only non-local candidate remaining, Paul Cruz, is based in Texas. He formerly served as Austin Independent School District’s chief of schools, and later became its superintendent. His resumé also includes a superintendent position with Laredo Independent School District.

Cruz now holds two positions at the University of Texas at Austin, as a professor of practice and co-director of the cooperative superintendency program. He has a doctorate of philosophy in educational administration from the university, as well as a master’s in science educational administration from Corpus Christi State University.

PPS said Cruz has worked in public education for over three decades.

The district is hosting an event at Grant High School on Tuesday, May 28, in which the semifinalists will present opening remarks and respond to questions from the community. Interested attendees can RSVP or submit questions online.

The chosen candidate will replace Sandy Husk, who was appointed as interim superintendent in early January after former Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero announced his departure in December 2023.