On his first day as superintendent of Palm Springs Unified School District, Marcus Funchess made one thing clear: “I’m a father first.”
That lens, he said, will guide him as he steps into his role as the district’s first Black superintendent, serving nearly 20,000 students across the western Coachella Valley.
A career redirected by education
Funchess spent nearly 30 years working across San Bernardino City Unified School District, most recently as assistant superintendent of human resources. Following Tony Signoret’s retirement announcement in late February, PSUSD’s board of education launched a nationwide search and ultimately selected him unanimously from a pool of more than 30 applicants.
A native of Riverside and a graduate of John W. North High School, he proudly noted he’s a father of three and has been married to his wife, Celeste, for 22 years. He earned his doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Redlands.
His path to education, however, wasn’t always certain — he once contemplated a career in law or probation.
“My goal was to see if I can save people from going into the system,” he said. “Growing up on the east side of Riverside, I was exposed to and had interactions with things that happen in less affluent areas, and so I thought I would be able to do some work to help keep young people out of the correctional system.”
While studying at Riverside City College, Funchess developed a growing interest in sociology, which he pursued through a bachelor’s degree at California State University, San Bernardino.
And it was during his time as a substitute teacher that he realized just how deeply educators can impact students, often through something as simple as the words they use or the way they show students they matter.
“When you do teaching right, when you actually care about all the young people that are in front of you and you have this goal or this purpose to see them excel in life — it’s not an easy job, but it’s so rewarding,” he said.
San Bernardino City Unified School District hired Funchess as a full-time elementary teacher for a fourth and fifth grade combination class under an emergency credential in 1998 — the first step in a journey that would lead to school and district leadership.
A warm welcome on day one as superintendent
By late morning of his first day on Tuesday, July 1, Funchess was making his way through PSUSD’s administrative offices, exchanging greetings with staff. One of his first stops was the nutrition services department, where he took a moment to tell the director during an aside how much he appreciates their work — something he said is close to his heart.
“Buenos días. If you didn’t know, I’m a little bit bilingual,” he jokingly said, as staff greeted him in return.
“I look forward to working with everyone, getting to know you and getting to know what your hopes and dreams are,” Funchess said. “Alright, day one. We’ll see how you feel about day 30, day 60, and then one year in.”
“Your smile is going to get bigger and bigger, right?” quipped a staff member.
Over the course of his career at SBCUSD, he earned a reputation for turning around struggling schools and building strong relationships with staff and families. As vice principal of a campus facing possible state takeover, he helped improve test scores and reduce suspensions. Later, as principal at Thompson Elementary School in Highland, he challenged staff to raise expectations for all students, especially those bused in from underserved neighborhoods.
His subsequent tenure in human resources focused on recruiting diverse educators and supporting staff in high-need schools. He credits those years with reinforcing his people-first philosophy — an approach he plans to continue at PSUSD.
“We lead people, not outcomes,” Funchess said in an interview later that morning. “If you do right by people, they will follow you willingly … they will go above and beyond what you even expect because they feel this sense of encouragement, they feel a sense of appreciation, this shared sense of purpose.”
Listening first, leading with purpose
Funchess arrives at a time when the district, like many across the state and country, is navigating a polarized education landscape. But he said he was drawn to PSUSD because of its public commitment to equity, inclusion and anti-racism.
Funchess said he wasn’t seeking just any superintendent position. As he researched PSUSD, he was drawn to the district’s equity-focused values. That transparency, he said, is rare among school districts.
“And so in my pursuit of this position here, I (wanted) to join Palm Springs and help them move their mission and vision forward around diversity, equity, the valuing of all young people, special ed scholars, African American scholars, high needs, high-achieving … and increasing the academic excellence,” he said. “I have high expectations for student learning. It’s my job to create the conditions amongst the educators and staff to meet their needs.”
While Funchess acknowledges those values may invite political pushback, he views open dialogue as a key part of his leadership philosophy.
“When you hear the voices of dissent and you, at least, pay attention and listen, you can understand what argument that they might have or what misconceptions they might have about equity,” he said. “Because let’s face it, equity is just giving a child what he or she needs to succeed.”
Still, Funchess left no doubt about where he stands when it comes to doing what’s best for students.
“I don’t shy away from moving forward in a way that I feel is beneficial for our young people. I will never not do what’s right for our children, but I will try to give the benefit of the doubt to those that may have dissenting voices by listening,” he said. “At the end of the day, we have to do what’s right for our scholars, and I will always err on the side of what’s right.”
Even Funchess’ use of the word “scholars” is deliberate.
“It goes back to just who I am as a person. I always want to raise a student’s confidence in who they are as a person,” he said. “It raises your level of thinking and belief about who you are as a young person.”
People first, process second
Funchess is working towards finalizing his entry plan to meet with district employees, students, families and community leaders during his first 100 days as PSUSD’s superintendent. His goal: to listen, learn and began crafting a multi-year shared vision that reflects the aspirations of the entire community.
“I am people first, process second,” he said, attributing the philosophy to Mauricio Arellano, SBCUSD’s superintendent and a former assistant superintendent at PSUSD.
He described his new role not as a launching pad, but as an opportunity to build something lasting with the community. As he begins his tenure at PSUSD under his three-year contract, Funchess hopes the district’s future will be shaped not just by bold goals, but by a shared sense of purpose.
“When I eventually leave here, I want people to feel like they’ve been part of something special and even bigger than themselves,” he said. “(It’s) not what Marcus did. It’s look at what we did, how we impacted our community through the school district.”
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs Unified’s first Black superintendent pledges to move equity values forward
Reporting by Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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