PRINCIPAL: ‘One in a million’
have done the best I can for as long as I can, and I am finding it extremely difficult to perform at the level I want and feel our school deserves,” he wrote.
Marysville Joint Unified School District Superintendent Gay Todd said it will not be easy to find a suitable replacement for Cena.
“Gary is one in a million,” Todd said. “We jokingly say that Gary’s blood runs orange and black.”
Many local educators have advanced into administrative positions because of Cena’s guidance, she said.
“He is highly revered by his colleagues as someone who gets the job done and is not only just dedicated to his site but the district,” Todd said.
Cena said his announcement in January ensured the district would find the most capable successor.
By announcing when he did, the district advertised the position in February, recruited and interviewed in March and will be announcing his replacement in late-March or April, Todd said.
“We do have a candidate that we will be moving forward with,” she said.
Todd said her recommendation will require approval from the Board of Trustees. She said the announcement will be made at either the March 28 or April 25 board meeting.
“It is a huge position and he is certainly leaving very large shoes for the next person to fill,” she said.
During his tenure at MHS, Cena aided in the implementation of a program called Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports, a program to foster respectfulness, responsibility and healthy choices.
“That’s how we learn: by making mistakes and learning from the consequences,” Cena said. “That’s how we grow.”
He said he has wanted to help people his entire life, and found educating an avenue to serve the community. He will continue to serve the community in a different fashion after retirement, though he hasn’t figured out his next adventure.
“I try to do the right thing, try to live by the right principles and lead by example,” he said.
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