OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Dr. Cheryl Logan announced Tuesday she will be resigning as superintendent of Omaha Public Schools in June of next year.
Logan came to Omaha in 2018 from Philadelphia. She previously served Philadelphia Public Schools as Chief Academic Officer. After a recent extension in July, her contract would run through June of 2025.
"It's time to go home. My family has been waiting and it felt like the right time and in terms of the things I wanted to accomplish, the charge I was given when I got here," Logan said.
After feeling homesick for some time, she is headed home.
In a news release, Logan said she wants to spend more time with her family, who do not live in Nebraska.
"Alas, it is time for me to return home to my family. It is time for me to have tea with my sisters on Saturdays, to watch my nephew play soccer and to spend quality time with my husband and daughter, located close to my native home and both of our families," said Logan.
Logan cited some of her accomplishments: building five new schools, navigating OPS through pension major troubles and getting the district through a global pandemic.
"The most important thing for me right now is to finish strong. We have a semester ahead of us, a lot of work to get done," Logan said.
In the next semester, she aims to prepare families for the changes to the bus routes next fall, open the fifth new school and continue her early literacy work.
"The people that come here every day to do the work are committed. Yes, the work is hard some days it's really really hard," Logan said.
As Logan reflects on her time as superintendent for the largest school district in Nebraska, she said she is proud.
"We have brought new curriculum, our reading series was 13 years old when I got here," Logan said.
She said she wants the next superintendent to know; in the role, everything is not predictable.
"It's not for the weak, it's not for the timid. And it's for somebody who really knows why they are in it and can point to that every day," Logan said.
Some parents I spoke to off-camera are hoping for better communication and for others, it's staffing concerns.
"Our biggest concern is having fully staffed schools. We have a child who is in need of special services and we are having trouble getting that because of understaffing," Tim White, an OPS parent said.
Logan thanks the OPS community for this opportunity.
"They should feel confident about the people they have leading particular schools, we have some fabulous leaders, and that the leadership and what needs to be done in the school district will continue," Logan said.
As for what she'll miss the most.
"The thing I'll miss the most are our young people. You know when I walked in here today, there were two young people and they were like so excited to see me. It never gets old," Logan said.
Shavonna Holman, the president of the OPS Board of Education said in a statement the board with starting the search process both locally and nationally and there will be an opportunity for the community to be involved in the process in the weeks ahead.
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