Dr. Dale Marsden of San Bernardino Unified Named Pepperdine Superintendent of the Year
LOS ANGELES, CA – Feb. 2, 2016 – The Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) Superintendent Advisory Council has named Dale Marsden, Ed.D., as the 2016 GSEP Superintendent of the Year. Marsden has been superintendent of the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) for the past three years.
“To be named Superintendent of the Year by Pepperdine University is an honor for me, but more importantly, it’s a testament to the work our entire San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) is doing to make hope happen in our community,” Marsden said. “This recognition really goes to our district, our board, the teachers, staff, school leaders, parents, and most importantly, our 50,000 students who strive for success every day.”
Through SBCUSD and his 20 years of experience as an educator, Marsden has transformed the lives of his students through initiatives focused on a broad-based community engagement approach. Additionally, Marsden’s work has helped initiate change in the City of San Bernardino, assisting in it’s growth from bankruptcy to a community of excellence.
Currently, Marsden is working with Gallup, Inc. This partnership was developed to evaluate community-wide measures of Hope, Engagement, and Well-Being to determine new methods to continue to build more prosperous and thriving schools and community, similar to that of the City of San Bernardino and SBCUSD.
“In the first term of Dale Marsden's participation in Pepperdine University's ELAP Ed.D. program, faculty who worked closely with him could already predict that Dale would become a great superintendent,” stated Pepperdine professor, Linda Purrington, Ed.D. “It has been exciting to follow his career pathway and learn about the way in which he has collaborated with all stakeholders in the development and enactment of a vision of excellence, equity, continuous improvement, and high performance in two different districts. In his current district of San Bernardino Unified, Dale is mobilizing efforts related to the shared mission of Making Hope Happen. Dale's work and service as a superintendent is a testimony that ‘leadership matters’.”
Highlights of Marsden’s achievements:
His broad-based community engagement approach has resulted in historic increases in graduation rates and a 50 percent reduction in student suspensions and citations. Additionally, the approach helped in the creation of robust career pathways used by elementary through high school students to develop skills and certifications necessary to succeed in both college and career pathways.
He played an integral role in the Alliance for Education’s STEAM 2020 initiative aimed at securing America’s leadership in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics fields and identified promising strategies. The initiative also sought to ensure students graduate from high school concurrently with their community college degree or technical, trade or vocational certificate in a STEAM-related field, which strengthens the educational pipeline that leads to STEAM careers.
Marsden earned his bachelor’s degree from California State University, San Bernardino in Liberal Studies with a minor in mathematics. He has a master’s degree in Educational Administration and a doctorate of education in Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy from Pepperdine University. He and his wife, Laurie, have been happily married for more than 25 years and have four lovely children.
The Superintendent Advisory Council honored Marsden and other California superintendents at a dinner reception on Jan. 28 in Monterey, Calif. The event coincides with the Association of California School Administrators’ annual symposium.
Nominees were evaluated based on how well they demonstrated success in the following six areas: visionary leadership, instructional leadership, family and community involvement, ethical leadership and building leadership capacity, organizational management, and advocacy.
About the Superintendent Advisory Council
A consortium of state superintendents gathers four times a year for training, advocacy and discourse regarding issues related to education. The superintendents also advise the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology on teacher credentialing, administrative training, and master’s and doctoral programs. Each year, in tandem with the Association of California School Administrators annual symposium, the Council hosts a dinner in Monterey, Calif. to present the Superintendent of the Year award, as well as the Superintendent of Distinction award. The council also expands career opportunities for GSEP students by networking with educational leaders to establish student teaching and administrative fieldwork placements, as well as full-time employment. A “Key Strategies for Educational Administrator Advancement” workshop is sponsored by the council each spring for current students, alumni,local teachers, and administrators. files.
About the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP)
GSEP is an innovative learning community where faculty, staff, and students of diverse cultures and perspectives work collaboratively to foster academic excellence, social purpose, and personal fulfillment. Through its integrative coursework and practical training, GSEP prepares students to serve the needs of others through skilled leadership. GSEP offers six masters’ and four doctoral programs across its five graduate campus locations throughout Southern California and online. Programs are fully accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and the American Psychological Association. For more information, visit: gsep.pepperdine.edu.
Media Contact for Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology:
Emma Gibson / Dashaun Gasque
(310) 568-5603
emma.gibson@pepperdine.edu / dashaun.gasque@pepperdine.edu