Kodiak Island Borough School District superintendent Larry LeDoux (le-Doo) has announced he’ll step down at the end of the school year after 44 years in education.
KMXT spoke with LeDoux on Monday about his decision to retire. He says he feels his legacy will be borne out in positive student outcomes, and the quality of staff at district schools.
“I addressed the entire staff, invited them to be immortal, and that is to be the teacher that affects the lives of kids so that when their kids have kids, they tell them about those incredible teachers and support staff members who really changed their lives and help give them direction and purpose,” LeDoux said.
LeDoux was hired as superintendent in 2017. He served for a decade as principal of Kodiak’s North Star Elementary before he was tapped as former Gov. Sarah Palin’s education commissioner in 2008. He later served as a Kodiak borough assemblyman.
LeDoux says he’s confident the district will find a capable replacement.
“One of the things you learn in any job is, the system goes on just fine without you. But one of the things I tried to do different in this particular job is to make sure that if I wasn’t here, there were a strong support staff ready to carry on. And so I’m not really worried,” LeDoux said.
LeDoux says that choosing to retire was not an easy choice.
“This is the hardest decision I’ve ever made. It feels like the right decision. But it’s not a decision when you leave a job that’s been so wonderful for 40-some years that I want to celebrate. But we’ll see. My wife is, I think, making plans for me. She’s got a long list that’s been neglected for a long time,” LeDoux said.
LeDoux will officially step down in June.