By William C. Singleton III
Journal contributor
Hoover City School Superintendent Andy Craig is leaving for Montgomery.
Craig has accepted a position as the Alabama Department of Education’s new deputy superintendent for administrative and financial services. He will step into a position vacated by Craig Pouncey.
Craig is expected to start his new position in January.
Craig has been Hoover’s superintendent for eight years. Before becoming superintendent, Craig was the system’s chief financial officer and then assistant superintendent for finance and business. He was named interim superintendent in June 2006 after then Superintendent Connie Williams was fired. He was made the permanent superintendent in February 2007
Craig has not commented publicly on his new position, although in a speech to the Hoover Chamber of Commerce last week, he said the school system is on firm financial footing.
School Board President Donna Frazier said Craig’s pending departure came as a shock to school officials.
“The announcement that Andy Craig will resign as superintendent of Hoover City Schools comes as a surprise,” she said. “For more than seven years, Mr. Craig has served as the chief executive officer of the Board of Education. His leadership during those seven years has been exemplary. At no time has our school system had better facilities, better programs or better people servicing the students of Hoover.
“For all Mr. Craig has accomplished, we are sincerely grateful.”
She said the board will meet at some point to discuss how it will go about looking for a new superintendent.
