Superintendent David S. Doty has announced that he is stepping down effective June 30, 2013 to lead Education Direction and spend more time with family. Education Direction is a Utah-based education reform firm recognized for improving student outcomes in public school districts and colleges across the country through professional development, actionable research, and strategic consulting.
Dr. Doty made the announcement at the Canyons Board of Education’s Tuesday, April 16, 2013 meeting. Board President Sherril Taylor thanked Dr. Doty for his visionary leadership and exceptional service to the children and patrons of Canyons School District.
“To take this District from (a startup) to where it is now is nothing short of miraculous. We are thankful for that,” Taylor told Dr. Doty following the announcement. “We thank your family for sharing you with us to get us where we are.”
With the consensus of the Board, Taylor stated unequivocally that the direction of the District, including grade reconfiguration and Canyons’ college- and career-ready academic plan, will continue uninterrupted. “All that we are working on,” he said, “we will bring to fruition.”
The Board will meet within the next two weeks to discuss its next steps.
Dr. Doty, who was appointed the first superintendent of Canyons School District in August 2008, guided the fledgling district through multiple legal, financial, and political challenges as it transitioned to independent operations in July 2009. He has become well known for his commitment to college readiness for all students. During his tenure, Dr. Doty successfully conducted a $250 million bond campaign to replace aging schools in the District, led the District through comprehensive school boundary realignment, and implemented the first college-ready high school diplomas in Utah.
Dr. Doty, who holds a law degree and Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Brigham Young University, as well as a master’s degree from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, received the 2010 Communicator of the Year Award from the Utah chapters of the International Association of Business Communicators and the Public Relations Society of America. He also was named the 2011 Educator of the Year by the Utah Technology Council.
When he accepted the Canyons superintendency, Dr. Doty had pledged to make Canyons a world class school district within 10 years. Board member Tracy Cowdell, who was Board President during the 2008 Canyons Superintendent Search, recalled that he asked Dr. Doty to fast-track that goal to five years.
“You capitulated and kept that five-year promise, and the results have been nothing short of miraculous,” Cowdell said. “We are really going to miss you … You’ve been the first through the wall on some difficult issues.”
Education Direction is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Cicero Group, one of the world’s premier data-driven strategy firms, recently recognized as a “Best Place to Work,” “Best of State,” and one of the “50 Fastest Growing Companies in Utah.”
Randy Shumway, CEO of the Cicero Group, and fellow Education Direction principal, stated: “We could not be more excited about Dr. Doty joining Education Direction. Under his stewardship, Canyons School District has been a model of school reform. By leading Education Direction, he will have the opportunity to translate his local successes to help students all over the country become college ready.”
In announcing his departure, Dr. Doty stated: “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to work with the dedicated parents, business leaders, mayors, legislators, teachers, staff, and school board members in this community to build this new school district. Most of all it has been a blessing to advocate for the 33,000 children who attend school in Canyons School District. I love them and hope that, in some small way, I have been able to give them hope and brighten their futures.”
