San Bernardino City Unified School District’s new superintendent officially takes the helm today

The San Bernardino City Unified School District’s new Superintendent, Harry “Doc” Ervin, the transformational leader hired in March by the Board of Education to steer San Bernardino County’s largest school district into continued excellence, officially took the helm today, June 1.

A lifelong educator with a proven track record of educational leadership, Ervin’s priorities include building collaborative relationships with all stakeholders that result in improved outcomes for students.

“It’s a great feeling to be joining the San Bernardino City Unified School District. I’ve already learned many encouraging things about the staff and programs we have here,” Ervin said. “I’m fortunate to be joining a family of educators who want to continue the excellence that is SBCUSD and also want to grow and improve our educational system. I look forward to the powerful conversations I will have with our District team members and community stakeholders in the coming weeks to learn even more about how we can make meaningful outcomes happen for the students we serve together.”

Ervin has dedicated his career to bringing equity and access to economically disadvantaged students from culturally diverse backgrounds, setting high expectations for their success. He brings more than two decades of experience in education and expansive leadership qualities that he honed as a classroom teacher, school principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent in districts across California, including Kern, Monterey, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino Counties. Most recently, Ervin led the Bakersfield City School District since 2016.

The SBCUSD Board of Education unanimously appointed Ervin superintendent in March. During the Board’s extensive national search, Ervin stood out for his passionate commitment to equity and excellence. Ervin was slated to start his tenure July 1, and his date was moved up to June 1.

Ervin’s fundamental values, interpersonal skills, and collaborative leadership style make him an exceptional leader to carry forward our Board of Education’s vision and mission of a student-centered school district,” said Board President Dr. Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers. 

“We’re excited to welcome Doc Ervin and are eager for him to get to know our incredible students, staff and community,” Dowdy-Rodgers said. “Our new superintendent has the qualifications and skills to move the school district forward, and the Board is excited to work with him.”

Among Ervin’s priorities will be learning about the great things already happening in SBCUSD and the challenges the District is facing, especially as it prepares to reopen schools for in-person instruction in August.