By The Cordova City School District Board of Education
The Cordova City School District Board of Education extends its heartfelt congratulations to Superintendent Alex Russin on an extraordinary 11-year tenure, and expresses its deepest gratitude for his dedicated service to our students, staff, and community.
His tenure has also spanned some of the most turbulent years in recent memory. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived with little warning and even less guidance, Superintendent Russin navigated an ever-changing landscape of health directives. He coordinated communications across students, staff, families, and state health officials with clarity and consistency. His goal throughout was simple and unwavering: keep our kids connected to their education.
It was because of that clarity – and no small amount of determination – that Cordova schools successfully maintained continuity of learning through one of the most chaotic periods any school leader has ever faced. As one board member quipped at the time, Alex had essentially earned an epidemiology degree along the way.
During Superintendent Russin’s tenure he took on the challenge of the Alaska Reads Act. He implemented the LETRS program district-wide in response to the Alaska Reads Act, with a bold goal of 100% reading proficiency by third grade within five years. He implemented RULER – a research-based social emotional learning framework to incorporate social emotional learning into school curriculum, creating opportunities for our students to learn skills for success beyond academics. He developed a multi-tiered system of support with building principals to identify and support students before they fall through the cracks. Superintendent Russin was also pivotal in introducing the positive behavioral interventions and supports, a proactive and evidence-based approach to improve student behavior and establish positive school cultures.
All this work has paid off. U.S. News and World Report has ranked Cordova High School as the No. 1 high school in Alaska for the last two years.
What is exceptionally noteworthy is that all of these accomplishments are against the backdrop of a tight fiscal reality as the state government failed to adequately fund education. Throughout all the budget cycles, Superintendent Russin always created a budget with student success at the forefront. He managed to balance the budget in creative and effective ways that preserved teaching positions and student resources. He found revenue where none was thought to exist – because he refused to let budget failure become student failure.
It is bittersweet to say farewell. The board is sad to see Superintendent Russin go, but we are profoundly grateful for everything he has given – to our students, our staff, and this community. Cordova is a better place because of his work, and the standard he set will guide us for years to come.
We wish him a retirement that is every bit as remarkable as the career he has built.
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