Longtime Sacramento administrator selected as new Merced schools superintendent

The Merced City School District on Tuesday announced a new superintendent to lead the city’s elementary and middle schools, replacing the retiring superintendent, RoseMary Parga Duran.

The MCSD school board approved the contract for Richard Alan “Al” Rogers, deputy superintendent for the Sacramento County Office of Education, to succeed Parga Duran on Jan. 1.

Rogers will be hired on a 3.5-year contract with a base annual salary of $250,000. He will also be reimbursed up to $15,000 for relocation costs from Sacramento to Merced.

“One of the reasons the board chose Dr. Rogers as the next superintendent was his rich background of service not only in school districts but in higher education and consulting as well,” district officials said in a news release.

Rogers also has served in university-based programs and school improvement consulting services, according to the release.

Rogers said his upbringing through the Sacramento area public school systems in a tough neighborhood helped shape him to be an advocate of students.

“Coming up, I was very dependent on my teachers and school,” Rogers said. “I can say to some extent that my teachers really raised me.”

He said he felt a connection with Merced-area students.

“I felt like I just saw a lot of kids that have a similar life experience to me and I saw a lot of dedicated teachers and committed administrators,” he said. “I felt like, you know what, this seems like a nice match.”

Rogers received his doctorate in education from the University of the Pacific, and he holds two master’s degrees in administration and curriculum and instruction from Chapman University. He also has a bachelor’s degree in history and Spanish from Sacramento State University and an associate degree in language and literature from Sacramento City College.

Along with advocating for disadvantaged students and specialized school services at the Sacramento County Office of Education, Rogers, a Sacramento native, has held administrative and teaching positions in the Sacramento City Unified School District and St. Hope Public Schools charter system.

Rogers also was integral in expanding a Sacramento area job center program to the local schools, advocated for homeless youth and has given presentations on urban school reform, according to a resume submitted to the school district.

This story was originally published November 13, 2019 at 9:51 AM.