By Linda de la Torre
SMUSD Superintendent
It is with deep regret that I report to our San Marino Unified School District families, staff and community that retired SMUSD Superintendent Jack Rose passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 7, with family by his side.
Rose began his career with the school district in October of 1981 when he accepted the position of assistant principal of Henry E. Huntington Middle School. In June of 1982, he accepted the assistant principal of instruction and pupil personnel services position at San Marino High School. In July 1986, Rose served as the SMHS principal from 1986 through 1988, when he was promoted to assistant superintendent of instructional services. In 1996, Rose became the associate superintendent. In 1997, he received the position of superintendent, where he proudly served for eight years before retiring to his home on Roxbury Road in San Marino.
As a superintendent, Rose worked tirelessly to support student achievement. He worked directly with teachers and principals to improve curriculum and instruction. He would frequently be found in classrooms observing teachers and connecting with students. He created the “Core Leadership Teams” for each school, empowering teachers to collaborate on developing curriculum, selecting textbooks and refining their teaching techniques at each grade level. He was very involved in overseeing the modernization of schools when a bond was passed in June 1996. He cared deeply about his students, teachers, and administrators and shared a love of learning with everyone in the school district. He loved celebrating the holidays and visited every kindergarten classroom, and every year before winter break, he dressed up as Santa Claus.
He truly was a beloved superintendent, whose legacy lives on in the wisdom he shared with those left behind. He is survived by his lovely wife, Christine Rose, and two sons, Loren and Jason, their wives, and his grandchildren. A memorial is being planned, and more information will be forthcoming soon.
