School Board Sets Criteria for Superintendent

 –from the Orcas Island School Board —

On January 20th, the School Board met with Rich Parker of McPherson and Jacobson, the firm contracted to assist the Board with its search for a new Superintendent.

Rich reported on his meetings with stakeholders in regard to this search. He was incredibly impressed with the thoughtfulness of all groups. Of note were the meetings with the teachers and the Middle School. Rich commented that the turnout of teachers was about on par with districts with a 20,000 student base. He also thought the Middle School students gave a remarkable list of qualities for the Superintendent. They ranged from wanting someone “humorous” to someone who is “empathetic.” There were also 45 responses to the on-line survey, and all the chairs were full at the “Community” meeting. All in all, a great showing by staff, students, and community alike.

After hearing the report on the meetings, the Board then came up with five criteria for the Superintendent qualifications. Those criteria are:

1) TEAM BUILDER: the Superintendent will have a proven ability to promote a positive school climate, can provide strong instructional leadership, build trust, and foster positive relations through excellent communication, listening, and leadership skills. The Superintendent must be able to collaborate with all district personnel, be open and respectful to different points of view, and be inclusive to new ideas in decision-making.

2) CREATIVITY: the Superintendent will be a passionate leader in public education who is informed by realities both here on Orcas and in the world into which our students will enter. Orcas is a unique community, which is why so many of us live here as adults. And while our students may choose to come back here at some point, they must be prepared to interact with off-island realities. The Superintendent should be innovative in developing a long-term, 21st century vision for the district, and should be able to communicate this vision to the community and staff. The Orcas Island Superintendent should be excited about and well informed in Alternative Learning Experiences (ALE).

3) MANAGEMENT: the Superintendent must understand school law, Common Core standards, teacher-principal evaluation systems, negotiation and labor relations, budgeting, and have a business acumen that will help with school finance. The candidate should have experience in levy elections and, ideally, grant-writing. This person must be capable of making difficult decisions in order to effectively manage all aspects of a complex educational landscape. The Superintendent must have the ability to plan for identifying excellent new teachers and other educators. As our teachers begin to retire, the new Superintendent should be able to develop a strategic, innovative plan to identify, recruit and retain the best possible next generation of teachers and other educators to the OISD.

4) COMMUNITY LEADER: the superintendent must be knowledgeable about the fiscal and cultural realities of living in an isolated rural environment. The Superintendent will be highly visible within the school community, inspiring all to do their best. The Superintendent will also be highly visible in the community at large. OISD is arguably one of the most important public institutions in our community, but it does not operate in isolation. OISD will succeed and flourish if it is embraced as part of the entire community. The Superintendent must become part of the community in a meaningful and discernible way – this includes commitment to weekend and after-hours school activities. The Superintendent must also be a voice for the district with political and educational leaders in the state.

5) FACILITIES: The Superintendent must demonstrate experience in making decisions about facilities management, maintenance, construction, and renovation as we embark on a 24-month rehabilitation of the campus. Direct experience in overseeing a school construction and/or renovation project is desirable.

McPherson and Jacobson has also created a brochure for potential candidates. The brochure includes: the qualification criteria, information about the district and Orcas, and outlines a timeline for the selection process. That timeline is as follows:

• Application Deadline: February 24
• Finalists selected by the board: March 13
• Finalist interviews: March 17-28
• Selection of new Supt: March 31

To see the brochure in its entirety, click  HERE. We will keep you updated as the process continues. And thank you again for participating in the input. Your thoughts were incredibly helpful.

The School Board

(Orcas Island School District board members are Janet Brownell, Tony Ghazel, Scott Lancaster, Chris Sutton, and Jim Sullivan.)