Carol Johnson, superintendent of the Boston Public Schools system, will step down after this year.
Johnson wrote a letter to the school community and published a video on YouTube Wednesday on how she came to the decision following the recent death of her husband.
“This has been a difficult decision but, as you are aware, the loss of my husband and best friend Matthew has been life-altering for me and my entire family,” she said in the video. “After a long and rewarding career that I am truly proud of, I believe it’s time for me to take time to focus more on family, which, of course, always comes first.”
In 2012, Johnson was awarded the nation’s highest honor for urban educational leadership, the Richard R. Green Award, presented by the Council of the Great City Schools, according to a Boston Public Schools press release.