Cherry Creek Superintendent Monte Moses knew after handing his daughter her high school diploma last spring that his days were numbered as head of the state’s third-largest district.
Moses, 52, announced Monday at the school-board meeting that he would step down as superintendent of the suburban Denver school district by June 2009 or sooner if the school board finds a replacement.
“I have enjoyed it, but I can see that it’s time for me to make a change and for Cherry Creek to do so as well,” Moses said. “It would be good for the district to get a brand-new enthusiastic leader and for me to look at some new things.”
Moses’ nine years as superintendent make him the longest-serving school executive in the Denver area.
Three years ago, Moses was named National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.
He served on Gov. Bill Owens’ Commission on Closing the Achievement Gap and the Colorado Education Alignment Council, and he sits on Gov. Bill Ritter’s P-20 Council.
“The state is certainly losing an outstanding leader,” said Colorado Education Commissioner Dwight Jones. “He has been a courageous and visionary leader and has shown relentless focus on the goal of improving performance for all students.”
Jones served on the achievement-gap commission with Moses and was impressed by Moses’ devotion to solving the educational disparity among classes, races and genders.
“Monte was one of the first . . . to start the state talking about soft bigotry,” Jones said. “Cherry Creek has been doing diversity work and training for a long time, and I think they have been a model for other districts.”
Under Moses’ stewardship, the high-performing district grew to nearly 50,000 students and adds 1,000 pupils a year.
Moses has been an administrator in the district for 17 years and was able to watch his daughter, Megan, move from Sagebrush Elementary to Cherry Creek High School.
Moses said he wants to remain active in education.
“I’m sure I’ll stay in the business,” he said. “I hope for an opportunity to speak and work with educators in our state and maybe out of our state.”
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
