 At a press conference today, the Board of Education of the Riverside Unified School District introduced Dr. Richard L. Miller as the new Superintendent of the 43,400-student District. The press conference was part of a special board meeting called to appoint the new District Superintendent.
Dr. Miller has been an educator for 37 years and is currently Superintendent of Oxnard School District in Ventura County. Dr. Miller has taught at the elementary and secondary levels and has been an elementary and high school principal. For the past 19 years he has served as Superintendent for three school districts in California and one in Idaho, as well as serving as an adjunct instructor at the university level in both states.
Dr. Miller holds four degrees including a Ph.D. in Education; Ed.Sp. (Education Specialist) in Educational Administration; M.Ed. (Masters in Education) in Educational Administration and Higher Education; and a B.A. in Chemistry.
Dr. Miller has authored a number of professional articles and has presented at state and national conferences. The focus of his career as a school administrator has been on school reform and improved student achievement in diverse settings.
“Dr. Miller possesses the traits valued by our community, the staff and the Board,” said Board President Dr. Charles Beaty. “He is a communicator and a collaborator with a long and successful history of working with Boards of Trustees, administrators, teachers, classified workers and the community to increase every student’s learning.”
In May of this year, Dr. Miller received the Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from the University Council for Educational Administration, a consortium of major research universities with doctoral programs in educational leadership and policy. The award is an annual recognition for practicing school administrators who have made significant contributions to the improvement of administrator preparation.
The RUSD Board of Education began the process of selecting a new District Superintendent in July and contracted with the firm Hazard, Young and Attea to assist in the search. The process began with two days of community engagement meetings in late July. At the close of the application period in September, the consultants had received 27 applications; seven highly-qualified candidates were brought to the Board and five were selected for interviews. Three finalists emerged, and Dr. Miller was selected after extensive interviews and a site visit to his current district.
Dr. Miller will serve as RUSD’s tenth Superintendent since 1871, following Dr. Susan J. Rainey, who retired July 31 after ten years as the District Superintendent. Gladys Walker, former Deputy Superintendent of Instruction, is currently serving as Interim District Superintendent.
Dr. Miller and his wife, Paula, have begun looking for a home in Riverside. They have three grown children and three grandchildren. Dr. Miller is expected to join the District after the first of the year.
November 18, 2008
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