Park City School District Superintendent Ember Conley announced today, Dec. 6, she will not seek renewal of her current contract. Her last day as superintendent will be June 30, 2018. She will remain available to transition the new superintendent until Jan. 31, 2019.
“I wanted to provide the board with ample time to select a superintendent who will continue the important work that we have been doing over the last five years,” Dr. Conley said. “A successful transition is extremely important as we move into the next chapter for leadership in Park City School District.”
Dr. Conley has served as superintendent in Park City since 2013. Prior to that she served as a school and district administrator for nine years in Colorado and Arizona.
“My singular focus has been to provide choices and opportunity where students are excited to learn. I will remain fully committed to this vision we created. As the head administrator I stand with my team in recognizing the tremendous accomplishments we have been able to achieve at PCSD for our students.”
As superintendent, Dr. Conley is responsible for the overall academics and educational experiences with curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional practice; District Office management; administrative team management; budget oversight (including supervising the planning, preparation and presentation of the annual budget and making recommendation to the board for approval); resources and facilities; and knowing current national education trends.
“Dr. Conley and her leadership will be greatly missed. The Park City School District has grown leaps and bounds during her tenure in our community,” said Board President Andrew Caplan. “The Board thanks Dr. Conley for her exemplary service and commitment to our district and wishes her the best in her future endeavors. We look forward to celebrating her accomplishments with the community this spring.”
During her time at PCSD, Dr. Conley’s accomplishments include:
–Park City High named one of the top 500 schools in the nation
–Increased graduation rate from 89% in 2013 to 97% in 2017, which is the top 1% of the country
–Awarded elementary school, Jeremy Ranch Elementary, as a National Blue Ribbon School, the first in PCSD
–Lead two successful contract negotiations with staff after coming into an environment of federal mediation for contract negotiations
–Improved the achievement gap for Latino students
–A top five Advanced Placement rate district in Utah with a 75% participation rate and a 70% pass rate with the distinction of being awarded top AP School in the state in 2015 and the top two AP students in the state in 2016
–National speaker and advocate to combat opioid crisis in youth with two national publications in School Administrator Magazine and the ASCD Education
–Improved outreach with Latino community by creating an entire department for student outreach
–Enhanced community partnerships, including the establishment and support of Communities that Cares and Summit County Health Department
–Developed STEM programs at all elementary schools
–Implemented coding for all elementary students
–Added a gifted and talented specialist at each elementary school
–Developed the Beverly Taylor Sorenson dance specialist at Parley’s Park Elementary
–PCSD was named the only Apple Distinguished Program in Utah for 2014-16 for implementation of its “one-to-one” initiative that supplies students (grades 2-12) with laptops to use in the classroom and to take home
–In U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 rankings, Park City High is one of only three high schools in Utah to earn a gold medal
–Successful implementation of international recognized Dual Language programs by the Spanish and French Embassies
–Added crucial administrative staff — Associate Superintendent of Student Wellness and Director of Communications — with a focus on student wellness
–Doubled the number of nurses in the district from 3 to 6 to address student health needs
–Created new academic program, Summit Learning, for the Park City Learning Academy
–Increased counselors and added social worker counselors to support families and students
–Developed nationally recognized full-day preschool program and added free all-day kindergarten for all students (the only district in the state)
–Named to two national education organization boards that include AASA and the Horace Mann Executive Board