13 Jun Antioch Unified Names Darnise Williams New Schools Superintendent

Darnise Williams, at the lectern, speaks at Wednesday’s Antioch Unified School District board meeting, at which she was appointed superintendent. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

Antioch Unified School District announced Tuesday that it is hiring the current leader of a South Bay school district with more than 30 years of experience in public education as its new superintendent.

Darnise Williams, the superintendent of the Pacifica Unified School District, was appointed as the district’s permanent superintendent for the next three years, beginning July 1.

Board members approved Williams’ appointment in a 3-1-1 vote, with board members Mary Rocha voting against and Olga Cobos Smith absent. Williams will earn an annual salary of $353,045.

“You have my commitment that I will work until the work can no longer be done to make sure I fulfill the promise of Antioch Unified School District,” said Williams. “Not only for all of you, but for the kids, and most importantly for my own family … to make sure we are all united and successful together.”

Williams takes over nearly a year after Stephanie Anello was fired following allegations of her mishandling workplace bullying. Her temporary replacement, Matt Wayne, the former superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District, will depart when Williams begins.

Williams previously was superintendent of the Sequoia Union High School District, where she was the first Black woman to serve in the role. In her time at Sequoia Union, the district became a “statewide leader in equity awareness,” including engaging in trainings about implicit bias and systemic racism, according to the district.

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Community members in the San Mateo County school district questioned Williams’ departure in December 2022, claiming that her resignation was the result of anti-Black racism from the board of trustees.

After taking over for Pacifica Unified, Williams came under scrutiny herself when she was implicated in a scandal during her time at the Los Angeles Unified School District for collecting $78,051 in extra pay without documentation. A 2020 settlement between LAUSD and another employee claimed that Williams and her supervisor retaliated against the employee.

Williams, then a special assistant to the superintendent during the scandal, was demoted from her position for her actions, according to a report by the L.A. Times.

While board members did not address Williams’ involvement with extra pay at LAUSD, they denied claims by one resident that the search and selection process had not been transparent.

“I didn’t know the person’s name until tonight — no one did — and you all did this in closed session. You did this behind closed doors,” said Allen Payton, publisher of the Antioch Herald.

Candidates and finalists for superintendent are kept confidential during a search, according to board member Jag Lathan, but board president Antonio Hernandez and Lathan said panels of students, educators and other community members were involved in the search.

“We’re not abdicating our responsibility, but rather our choice of superintendent is a tool to support the great work (being done in the district),” said Hernandez.

Rocha, the sole vote against Williams’ appointment, said she had “reservations and concerns moving forward” and that she based her choice of the two finalists on instructional practices and teaching dual language immersion and English language development.

Williams grew up in South Los Angeles and went on to become an English teacher after being inspired by her grandmother, according to an interview with The Almanac. She also worked as a literacy instructor, principal and led the Race and Equity Leadership Academy between LAUSD and the University of Southern California.

Williams has a doctorate in educational leadership from USC and a master’s in educational administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills.