Why longtime Clovis Unified leader wasn’t considered for Central Unified post
Longtime Clovis Unified superintendent Eimear O’Brien came out of retirement to lead Central Unified after the West Fresno district parted with its superintendent during the school year.
O’Brien, who spent nearly three decades as a teacher and administrator in Clovis, wasn’t considered for Central Unified’s top post because she’s long had her eyes set on another job: Fresno County Superintendent of Schools.
O’Brien told The Bee in an interview she had already launched her campaign for county superintendent when she was asked in March to step in as Central Unified’s interim leader.
“I got a call from the president of the board here to say we’re going to need a superintendent,” O’Brien said. “I thought, ‘What does this say about me if I don’t help?’”
O’Brien paused her campaign to focus on the interim job. Her last board meeting will be Tuesday night, and O’Brien says she’ll assist with the transition of incoming superintendent Mark E. Marshall, former leader of the Los Banos school district.
“I’ve learned a lot from my experience here at Central. I had 10 years in Ireland, I had three years in the private Catholic system, I had 27 years in Clovis Unified and now I’ve had an opportunity to really delve into and learn about another big district in our county,” she said.
O’Brien says her experience at Central gave her valuable insights, leaving her “impressed by the fact that the school district had the courage to stop and look at, in particular, the teaching of reading.”
She said Central Unified faces some challenges.
“To be frank, even though the district has grown exponentially over the last 10 years and we now have 16,000 students, we’re in kind of a static period right now. We didn’t grow very much last year, and we’re not projected to grow very much next year. And it’ll depend on the construction that happens in these areas where you see a lot of land that’s being cleared,” O’Brien said.
With her time at Central Unified coming to a close, O’Brien has resumed her campaign for county superintendent.
The elected seat oversees the Fresno County Office of Education, which assists local school districts with finances, human resources and various support programs. O’Brien is running against incumbent Michele Cantwell-Copher, who was elected in 2022. The primary will take place in June 2026.
“The position of county superintendent is very unique. You’re not the boss of the 32 district superintendents. They have their own group of people that they report to — their elected governing boards,” she said. “The county superintendent can be the holder of a greater vision and can rally and inspire the district superintendents to want to be part of that vision. And we can link arms around something truly great.”
O’Brien’s main goals are improving third-grade literacy levels, fostering partnerships with parents and assessing how funds are being spent to support student achievement.
“Currently, 60% of the students in Fresno County are not meeting standards in English Language Arts. That was according to last year’s state results,” she said. “I really feel like our kids deserve better, and I think it’s worth taking a look at that and seeing what we can do together to really move the needle on that statistic.”
Given that statistic, O’Brien said there “clearly is an issue with our return on investment with all those dollars in our county.” She wants to look at whether students can be better supported by adjusting where the funds are going.
O’Brien emphasized achieving literacy by third grade as a key issue she hopes to explore at the county-wide level, as it impacts classroom behavior, absenteeism and challenges in other subject areas.
“If we don’t address the root cause, we’re only going around in circles here. So, that’s why I want to take that on. I’m actually going to stake my reputation on it because I’ve identified something that’s going to be measured by a number,” O’Brien said. “I know I can do it.”
O’Brien has been endorsed by former county superintendents Jim Yovino and Larry Powell.
“What I learned along the way was the leadership that’s required when you’re leading increasingly large groups of people is different. It’s very nuanced. It involves building relationships and rallying people around a goal. And I found myself thinking, ‘I could do that. I know how to do that. And maybe this is my next chapter that I’ve been seeking,’” O’Brien said.
This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 2:57 PM.
