2022 STars hall of fame

Kent Kern

Superintendent, San Juan Unified School District

LeGette Elementary School | Arcade MS | Bella Vista HS

Kent Kern has spent his professional career in San Juan Unified. Advancing as a teacher through the administrative ranks, he became the District’s tenth superintendent of schools by a unanimous vote of the Board of Education on March 25, 2014.

As superintendent, he has called out addressing the District’s achievement gaps, infusing a deeper use of data in decision making and enhancing collaboration at all levels.

Kern joined San Juan Unified in 1993 as a teacher at Will Rogers Middle School and high school basketball coach. He became an administrator in 1998 as a vice principal at Will Rogers Middle School and then Arden Middle School before being assigned as the principal of Starr King in 2003, then Carnegie Middle School in 2004.

During his time as a principal, Kern is credited with helping to infuse technology into daily instruction, increasing articulation between schools and developing staff use of data to inform decision making.

In 2007, Kern moved to the district office as a director of schools and programs with oversight of middle schools where he led professional development for principals and assisted with the development of system-wide policies and practices. He moved to the operational side of the organization and served as manager of safe schools and interim senior director of facilities and planning before being named as the assistant superintendent of operations and school support in 2011 with responsibility for technology, transportation, food services, maintenance, planning, student support services, central enrollment and family services.

Kern holds his Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from CSU Sacramento. His teaching credential was earned at National University followed by a Masters of Education from the University of La Verne along with his administrative services credential. He resides in Roseville with his wife and two children.