The Lake Washington School Board will look first internally to seek whether there is one or more qualified and interested candidates for schools superintendent.
The board took that step Nov. 7 after reviewing responses to a survey of parents, staff and community members regarding the next superintendent for the district. The board also discussed the survey results and standard practices in K-12 education superintendent searches.
“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.”
Pendergrass added that it has been past practice in the district to first review internal candidates, if any. The board then proceeded to an external search if there was no appropriate internal candidate or candidates.
In addition, the district is in the middle of a major initiative, changing its grade configuration, that will affect every school in the district. That challenge, as well as other immediate challenges, could benefit from consistent leadership. The board concluded that knowledge and experience of these ongoing challenges also favor the consideration of internal candidates.
At its Dec. 5 meeting, the board will decide if they have an internal candidate to put forward as a preferred candidate. If so, 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.
The board will evaluate all candidates based on criteria gathered through the survey as well as interviews with staff and community members. Board members also will 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:
1. Budget shortfall/decreasing state funding
2. Finding and retaining high quality staff
3. Improving student academic achievement
4. Ensuring that students are prepared for the global workplace
5. 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:
1. Developing and maintaining systems that support high quality instruction
2. 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:
1. Managing a school district budget and ensuring the efficient use of public funds
2. Recruiting, hiring and retaining a dynamic and efficient staff dedicated to education
Top items concerning management style were identified as:
1. Listening to and considering alternative views and opinions while making decisions
2. Demonstrating a track record of problem solving
The survey results are posted on the Lake Washington School District website.
