Good luck, MSBSD Superintendent Paramo

What was a tragic loss for the Mat-Su Borough School district could have be exponentially more chaotic without longtime district employee Deena Paramo.

After a short year and a day on the job, former Superintendent Kenneth Burnley died suddenly following a double knee replacement surgery on July 2.

The day before, his one-year anniversary at the district’s helm, also was the day the district’s principals started back to work. We shudder to think of the chaos that might have been without Paramo to pick of the reins and lead district staff.

While the search to hire Burnley spanned several months, Paramo has been on staff in the district since 1993. She also was among five finalists the school board considered when members ultimately voted to hire Burnley.

In addition to her years of experience in the classroom, as an assistant principal and then as assistant superintendent under George Troxel, Paramo spent the past year working alongside Burnley.

And when he went in for surgery, Burnley designated Paramo, then his second in charge, to serve in his stead until at least July 5. The morning the school board and the rest of the community, state and nation learned of his death, board members met in a special session and voted to extend Paramo’s role as acting superintendent.

Two weeks later the board hired Paramo as superintendent.

While we are happy for the school district’s good fortune to have sustained such a loss and weathered it so well, we do not relish the route by which we arrived at this juncture.

“I’m feeling terrific, of course, but its a bittersweet way to move ahead,” Dr. Paramo said after board members voted to hire her. “Just prior to Dr. Burnley‘s passing, the board had set goals and objectives for this next year and I’m going to work to stay focused on those objectives. We want to have a very smooth start to the school year … and I’m ready for the challenge.”

She said being offered the district’s top slot came as a surprise. “I was delighted. It was unexpected,” Paramo said.

Moving forward, she said, she plans to continue what Burnley started, to offer high-quality education both at neighborhood and at “choice” schools like charters and alternatives.

Without a doubt, Paramo has big shoes to fill. But we are confident her years of experience at all levels of secondary education and her time spent as something approaching Superintendent Burnley’s understudy, have prepared her for the challenges and responsibilities that come with heading the Mat-Su Borough’s largest employer.

Good luck Superintendent Paramo, you’ve earned it.