Pepperdine News and Events

Irvine Unified School District Selects GSEP Alumnus as Next Superintendent

Terry Walker, alumnus of the Master of Science in administration and preliminary administrative services credential (ELA) at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP), has been selected to serve as the next Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) Superintendent of Schools. Walker succeeds Dr. Gwen Gross, who plans to retire at the end of the current school year.

Before joining IUSD, Walker began his teaching career in 1997 at Santiago Hills Elementary School, where he taught Alternative Program for Academically Accelerated Students (APAAS) courses and earned Teacher of the Year honors.

In 2003, Walker joined IUSD as director of Human Resources and was subsequently promoted to assistant superintendent. In that role, he combined the most effective principles of interest-based bargaining to establish the district’s current system of “mutualistic” negotiations. This strategy set a standard for collaborative labor negotiations by focusing on common objectives, even during the most challenging budget years.

After vetting a number of talented candidates, the IUSD Board of Education felt that Walker stood out as the perfect candidate.

“Terry Walker possesses the broadest of skill sets along with an intellectual curiosity that is unmatched, making him the ideal choice to lead this district in 2011 and beyond,” said Sue Kuwabara, president of the IUSD Board of Education. “As anyone who works with Terry already knows, he is a visionary leader and an extremely gifted communicator who seeks input and vigorously examines every issue and all possible outcomes.”

“I am incredibly grateful to the Board of Education for the opportunity to serve this world-class school system,” Walker said. “Most of all, I look forward to engaging in a meaningful dialog with staff members, students, parents and other key stakeholders as we chart our course for the future.”

On July 1, Walker will become the seventh superintendent in the history of IUSD.