The Lake Washington School District (LWSD) announced that it plans to conduct an internal search as its first step to finding a new superintendent.
The LWSD board of directors made the decision to stay local in its search to replace outgoing superintendent Dr. Chip Kimball, who will be leaving the district at the end of the school year to take a similar position in Singapore.
“Most of the time, if a school district does an external search, the likelihood of an internal candidate applying is slim to none,” said board president Jackie Pendergrass. “The culture of K-12 education is that it’s much harder to go back to a position if they are not considered or selected.”
The LWSD board will begin conducting initial interviews for internal candidates and name a possible preferred candidate at its Dec. 5 meeting. If an internal candidate is selected, a process for the community to meet the candidate and provide feedback will be determined. If the board determines that no appropriate internal candidate is available, it will discuss the timeline and next steps for an external search and recruitment.
Pendergrass added that it has been past practice in the district to review internal candidates first and then proceed to an external search if there was no appropriate internal candidate or candidates.
The search for a new superintendent comes as the district is in the middle of a major initiative, changing its grade configuration, that will affect every school in the district. The district plans to shift from its current K-6 grades for elementary schools, 7-9 for middle schools and 10-12 for high schools model to a K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 configuration.The board concluded that knowledge and experience of these ongoing challenges favor the consideration of internal candidates.
The board will evaluate all candidates based on criteria gathered through a recent community survey as well as interviews with staff and community members. Board members will also draw on their direct experience and knowledge of the superintendent’s role.
SURVEY RESULTS
The web survey garnered 1,797 responses, primarily from parents and staff members. The district sent email invitations directly to parents and staff. It also put a link to the survey on the district website home page and provided information on the survey to the media.
The top issues facing the district, according to those surveyed, are:
• Budget shortfall/decreasing state funding
• Finding and retaining high quality staff
• Improving student academic achievement
• Ensuring that students are prepared for the global workplace
• Ensuring student preparation for college
Experiences, skill or abilities the next superintendent should have were divided into several areas. Top requirements for items relating to instruction were:
• Developing and maintaining systems that support high quality instruction
• Developing curricula to ensure that all students are challenged and prepared for the future
Items relating to operational management and external relations that were most important to respondents were:
• Managing a school district budget and ensuring the efficient use of public funds
• Recruiting, hiring and retaining a dynamic and efficient staff dedicated to education
Top items concerning management style were identified as:
• Listening to and considering alternative views and opinions while making decisions
• Demonstrating a track record of problem solving
The survey results are posted on the Lake Washington School District website.
