News & Information
The Bellingham School Board of Directors unanimously selected Gregory Baker as the new superintendent, effective July 1, at a March 31 Board meeting.
"The Board is unanimous and enthusiastic in its selection of Mr. Greg Baker to be our next Superintendent," said Board President Dr. Ken Gass. "We are pleased that he and his wife Jeanie, along with their three children, are ready in his words to 'commit to the
The Board would like to thank all of the community members, parents, students and staff who participated in the process and provided their input in the fall regarding desired characteristics and most recently when Mr. Baker visited Bellingham.
The Board's search for a new superintendent started last fall and was expanded to include national recruitment. The result was a highly qualified applicant pool from which the Board reviewed 33 candidate applications, interviewed six semi-finalists from five states, and made a good-faith effort to bring in three finalists for the community and staff to meet.
"From our two interviews with Mr. Baker, meeting his wife Jeanie and receiving reference checks from over a dozen educators and staff who have worked with him, we have also come to appreciate Greg Baker as a person who is genuine, humble, respectful and thoughtful," Dr. Gass said. "His colleagues describe him as a thoughtful risk-taker, a problem solver, a learner, and above all, an educator who deeply believes that every child can succeed in school and in life. His devotion to family and their needs keeps him grounded. He also draws energy from being connected to a community and running, sailing and hiking in his Northwest environment."
Acting Superintendent Sherrie Brown will continue in her current position through June 30.
"While we celebrate the selection of our new superintendent, the Board owes a strong debt of gratitude to Acting Superintendent Sherrie Brown who took over the helm of the district and kept us moving forward through difficult waters," Dr. Gass added.
The Board is working with Mr. Baker to determine if it is possible to have some transition time in the district prior to his start date, giving him the opportunity to work with staff and participate in planning.
Future Bellingham School District Superintendent Gregory Baker
As Deputy Superintendent of 46,000 students in Portland Public Schools in Oregon, Gregory Baker supervises 29 of the district’s schools and is responsible for the success of more than 13,000 students. During his four years in Portland, much of his work has focused on leadership development, including the support of aspiring and new school leaders. Baker developed the Portland Leadership Collaborative, an innovative partnership between the school district, NIKE, and the University of Washington Center for Educational Leadership. This multi-million dollar initiative, now in its third year, provides intensive learning experiences for teachers, principals, district leaders and business partners, focusing on equity, the strategic use of data, and powerful instruction. Baker has extensive experience leading schools in the improvement of academic achievement for all students.
He will be receiving his doctorate in education this coming May from the Urban Superintendents Program at Harvard University. As part of this program, he served as an intern and special assistant to Thomas Payzant, then superintendent of Boston Public Schools. Baker coordinated the redesign of the district’s instructional coaching program, a $14 million initiative supporting 145 schools and more than 58,000 students.
Prior to Boston, Baker served as an administrator for eight years in the Spokane Public Schools, both in the district office and as a high school principal and assistant principal. While in the district office, Baker developed and supervised numerous programs, including a federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, the district’s prevention and intervention programs, a community truancy board, and the creation of a sobriety high school for students in drug and alcohol recovery. As a high school principal, Baker fostered a culture of high academic achievement for all students that focused on increasing advanced academic classes, hiring instructional coaches to support teachers, and building innovative programs, such as a marketing class at a downtown mall. He served on the District Strategic Leadership Group, responsible for designing the district’s strategic plan, and began the development of online learning opportunities for students.
Baker began his career in Alaska, first in Anchorage, and then in Kotzebue, a remote Inupiaq Eskimo Village, north of the Arctic Circle, where he taught American, Native American and world literature, as well as speech, technical writing and Russian. He served as assistant coach both to the cross-country and wrestling teams, winning the Alaska State Wrestling Championship.
His master's degree in administration, planning and social policy is from Harvard University and his master's in secondary education is from Western Washington University. He earned his bachelor's degree with distinction from Gonzaga University. A proud father of three children, Landon, age 8, Makinley, age 6, and Delaney, age 1, he is married to Jeanie Baker, a pediatric nurse practitioner and registered nurse.