Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Jonathan Raymond is stepping down at the end of the year. 

He says there is much to be done within the district including implementing the new "Common Core" curriculum standards and developing a new leadership academy.  But, he says he promised his wife Julie their family would be here for four years and that time is up.

"She had the confidence and faith to say yes.  And without her saying yes, you know, this never would have happened, we never would have come to Sacramento and the children today wouldn't be better off than they were four-and-a-half years ago." 

Raymond says three of the seven schools that were the worst performers when he got here are now among the highest performers in the district.  He thanked the school board for backing his proposals -including the controversial closure of seven schools. 

He said closing seven schools and visiting the families of hospitalized school children were the hardest parts of the job.

He listed higher graduation rates, healthier school lunches, and the introduction of social and emotional education to curriculum as some of his highlights.

Raymond says he and his family will return to the Boston area after December 31st -his last day.

The school board says it will begin the process of finding an interim replacement and a new superintendent.