Superintendent Search 2009
Dr. Jane Pryne Selected as Superintendent of Port Angeles Schools: May 28, 2009
The Port Angeles School District Board of Directors announced today that Dr. Jane Pryne has been selected as superintendent of Port Angeles schools.
The Board of Directors conducted a special session to evaluate the two finalists’ qualifications, Dr. Pryne and Dr. Ray Terry. The board took action on her selection in open public meeting after the executive session early this morning at the Central Services Building.
“Both finalists stood out,” Board President Steve Baxter said, “and in the end, board members referred to the search criteria driven by input within the district and from the community. Throughout this open process, we received an incredible amount of excellent input, and wanted to stay true to it. In the end, aligning the candidates’ traits with our search criteria really drove the decision.”
“The depth of experience working in school districts was stronger with Dr. Pryne,” Baxter continued. “Her leadership style fit better with our search criteria. The feedback from her colleagues in previous school districts was extremely consistent and very, very positive, especially in the areas of community involvement with schools, moving the schools forward into today’s more technical and budget challenged environment, the depth of community relationship and team building. All these traits were demonstrated throughout the interview process, especially during our site visits. Her background in special education was also a strong factor.”
Dr. Pryne most recently was superintendent of schools in the Continental School District and Marana Unified School District, both located near Tucson, Arizona. She currently teaches education classes for Northern Arizona University. She received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Arizona in Tucson in May 2002, a Master of Arts in Special Education with an emphasis on Learning Disabilities in August 1981, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in May 1977.
“This selection process was driven by the school board’s commitment to provide an open and transparent process and ample opportunities for community participation,” Baxter explained. “We wish to extend our sincere appreciation to all who have taken part in the search process over the past seven weeks. Input and participation through surveys, open meetings, phone calls, emails, and street chats have all been crucial throughout this process and guided us through our decision making. Staff and community comments have been key to this process. We drew on this input, the characteristics and questions recommended by staff and community stakeholders, in helping us reach our final decision.”
Drs. Wayne Robertson and John Bohrnsen from Principled Leadership Consulting have guided the school board in its search for the new superintendent. The board intends that Dr. Pryne’s contract will be placed on the school board’s June 8, 2009 regular meeting agenda, to be held at the school district’s Central Services Building, 216 East Fourth Street. Her appointment as superintendent is expected to begin July 1, 2009.
The current superintendent, Dr. Gary Cohn, has accepted a position as Everett Public Schools superintendent, beginning July 1, 2009. (Media release, 5/28/09)
Superintendent Search Update: May 22, 2009
School Board President Steve Baxter reports board members will continue the superintendent search process longer than outlined in the original timeline. They had planned to reach a decision by today, May 22. The search process continues to progress as Dr. Wayne Robertson and Dr. John Bohrnsen from Principled Leadership Consulting assist the board with reference checks, site visits, and continued input from the community.
“Travel restrictions and arrangements have thrown our timeline off slightly,” Baxter said. “We have been able to complete one site visit with one candidate, and now will visit the second candidate’s site on Wednesday of this next week. We have scheduled a Thursday special session and hope to make an announcement soon after.”
Questions and comments may still be sent to the board by email to search@portangelesschools.org or by U.S. Mail to: Board of Directors, Attn: Superintendent Search, Port Angeles School District, 216 East Fourth Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362. (Media release, 5/22/09)
Board Members Continue with Selection Process…Pleased with Community Input: May 14, 2009
The Port Angeles School District Board of Directors conducted extensive interviews with the two finalists for the position of superintendent of Port Angeles Schools, Dr. Ray Terry and Dr. Jane Pryne, on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
Dr. Terry was interviewed on Tuesday and Dr. Pryne on Wednesday.
“Each candidate participated in a day of scheduled opportunities to meet with various community shareholders,” Board President Steve Baxter said. “They began their day with Superintendent Gary Cohn at 8:00 a.m. and ended with an open community forum at the Port Angeles Senior Services and Community Center at 8:00 p.m.”
“Several open forums were conducted within the district each day in order to provide time for teachers, staff and students to meet and ask questions of the candidates,” Baxter added. “This process was driven by the school boards’ commitment to provide an open and transparent process and ample opportunities for community participation. To this end, we are extremely pleased with the number of people who attended the sessions, the quality of the questions posed to the candidates, and the excellent feedback provided through the comment forms distributed at every session.”
The district received over 100 evaluation forms, and the board reviewed the information during an executive session after the final candidate forum Wednesday evening.
The search process will continue as Dr. Wayne Robertson and Dr. John Bohrnsen from Principled Leadership Consulting now assist the board with reference checks, potential site visits, and continued input from the community.
“The board expects to reach a decision by May 22, which keeps us on our original time line,” commented Baxter.
“We wish to extend our sincere appreciation to all who have taken part in the search process over the past six weeks,” Baxter said. “Input and participation through surveys, open meetings, phone calls, emails, and street chats have all been crucial throughout this process and continue to guide us through our decision making. We’ve received many, many positive comments at every session, regarding the open, transparent, and collaborative process. We plan to use this model whenever possible in the future.”
Questions and comments may still be sent to the board by email to search@portangelesschools.org or by U.S. Mail to: Board of Directors, Attn: Superintendent Search, Port Angeles School District, 216 East Fourth Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362 (Media release, 5/14/09)
Two Superintendent Finalists Announced: May 5, 2009
The Port Angeles School District Board of Directors interviewed five candidates for the position of superintendent of Port Angeles schools on Thursday, May 7 at the district’s central office. One candidate, Steve Rowley of Las Gatos, California withdrew prior to the interviews.
The two finalists are Dr. Jane Pryne of Tucson, Arizona, and Dr. Ray Terry of Beaver, Utah.
Dr. Terry is the current superintendent of Beaver County School District in Beaver, Utah located in the central part of the state. Previously, he held principal positions at North Sevier High School and Salina Elementary School, both in Salina, Utah. He received his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 2005, a Master of Special Education from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City in 1992, and a Bachelor of Science in History and Secondary Education from Utah State University in Logan in 1976.
Dr. Pryne most recently was superintendent of schools in the Continental School District and Marana Unified School District, both located south of Tucson, Arizona. She currently teaches education classes for Northern Arizona University in Tucson. She received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Arizona in Tucson in May 2002, a Master of Arts in Special Education with an emphasis on Learning Disabilities in August 1981, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in May 1977.
Dr. Terry will visit the District for a second interview Tuesday, May 12 and Dr. Pryne makes her second visit Wednesday, May 13. The candidates will meet with various staff groups during the day. There will be an interview with the school board in a meeting open to the public at 1:30 p.m. held in the Central Services Board Room located at 214 East Fourth Street. The public is also invited to meet the candidates and ask them questions at a public forum scheduled for both Tuesday and Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. to be held at the Senior Services and Community Center, 328 East Seventh Street.
“We were pleased with the field of candidates we interviewed and very pleased that Dr. Pryne and Dr. Terry are interested in returning for a second interview,” Board President Steve Baxter said. “We want the selection process to be as open and transparent as possible. We are interested in continued input from the staff, parents and other stakeholders of the school district. We encourage interested citizens to come observe the interviews and meet the candidates in person at the evening public forums.”
Drs. Wayne Robertson and John Bohrnsen from Principled Leadership Consulting have guided the school board in its search for a new superintendent. The target date for completion of the superintendent selection process is May 22. The new superintendent will be expected to report for duty on July 1, 2009. The current superintendent, Dr. Gary Cohn, has accepted a position as Everett Public Schools superintendent. (Media release, 5/8/09)
Directors Narrow Superintendent Search to Six Semi-Finalists: May 1, 2009
Dr. Wayne Robertson, representative of Principled Leadership Consulting, the search firm retained by the Port Angeles School District to guide the new superintendent search process, has announced school board members will interview six semi-finalists on Thursday, May 7 for the open position. The current superintendent, Dr. Gary Cohn, has accepted a position as Everett Public Schools superintendent effective July 1, 2009.
“Semi-finalists will meet with the board for one hour each on May 7,” Dr. Robertson said.
Late Friday afternoon Principled Leadership Consulting was able to confirm participation and interviews with the following semi-finalists: Deputy Superintendent Warren Hopkins, Arlington School District, Washington; Associate Professor Jane Pryne, Northern Arizona University (former superintendent, Marana Unified School District, Arizona); Assistant Superintendent Michelle Reid, Port Angeles School District; Steve Rowley, a consultant and former superintendent for the Fremont Union High School District, California; Superintendent Rich Stewart, Dayton School District, Washington; Superintendent Ray Terry, Beaver County School District, Utah.
Board President Steve Baxter said, “Board members were very pleased with the amount of input we received as we developed criteria and attributes for the new superintendent and interview process, and we intend to continue with this high degree of transparency through final candidate selection. We were very pleased with the consultants’ selection and did not, after lengthy discussion and review, feel a need to make any changes.”
Board members plan to narrow the six semi-finalist candidates to two or three finalists after the May 7 interviews. They will deliberate in executive session after semi-finalist interviews are completed, and then they plan to convene in open session to vote on finalist candidates.
Finalist interviews are currently scheduled for May 12, 13 and 14; each final candidate will spend a day in the district, meeting with staff, students, and completing the process in a public forum during an evening session. The schedule will be announced once the format is finalized and finalists selected.
Several staff, students and community members will be invited to participate in the finalist interview process, and all finalist interview sessions are open to the public.
Principled Leadership Consulting received 23 inquiries regarding the superintendent position; twenty applicants completed applications. Ten applications were received from out-of-state and ten applicants had experience as current or past superintendents.
Comments and suggestions will continue to be accepted by email at search@portangelesschools.org, or by U.S. Mail to: Board of Directors, Attn: Superintendent Search, Port Angeles School District, 216 East Fourth Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362
Visit Superintendent Search on the district website, www.portangelesschools.org, for search updates, interview times and locations. The target date for completion of the superintendent selection process is May 22. The new superintendent will be expected to report for duty on July 1, 2009. (Media release, 5/1/09)
Superintendent Search Community Meetings
Representatives from Principled Leadership Consulting conducted informational meetings on Thursday, April 16 to answer questions, gain input, and review the Port Angeles School District superintendent search process. Consultants Wayne Robertson and John Bohrnsen met with staff groups, community members, the administrative team, and district multi-ethnic committee members. Participants shared ideas on challenges the school district faces, and personal and professional attributes that they felt necessary in a superintendent candidate. In a special board meeting that evening, board members reviewed information from the day's meetings.
View the results of the informational meetings. Note: Board members retained the groups' ideas regarding district Challenges, and summarized those ideas that "rose to the top" in Personal and Professional Attribute areas.
Superintendent Search Timeline
Representatives from Principled Leadership Consulting and the district’s board of directors have set the following timeline for the superintendent search process. (Click here for print version; updated 4/8/09.)
- March 25, 2009: Board and consultants meet for initial planning meeting
- March 30-April 15: Post input survey for constituents and stakeholders
- March 26-27: Begin preparing information for the district promotional materials and application form
- March 25: Post position with professional organizations and AASA
- April 3: Announcement flyer distributed online as a PDF document
- April 6-16: Board members visit various stakeholder groups collecting input on qualifications and characteristics they should seek in a new superintendent
- April 16: Consultants facilitate constituent and stakeholder meetings; consultant reviews input data with board and applies to screening criteria
- April 1-24: Distribute and accept applications and begin reference checks
- April 24: Deadline for application materials
- April 24-May 6: Board invites selected stakeholders to be observers at semi-finalist interviews
- April 24-29: Consultants finish background and reference checks
- April 30: Consultant meets with the board to review all the applicants; helps board select semi-finalists; helps board select interview questions
- May 2-3: Semi-finalists are invited to interview and consultants communicate status to unsuccessful candidates
- May 7: Semi-finalist interviews: Consultants train stakeholders and board members who are involved in semi-finalists interviews and provide them with interview questions and response sheets. Semi-finalist interviews are conducted. Board collects inputs from observers and selects finalists.
- May 12-14: Finalists interviews: Consultants help district organize finalists’ day in the district, interviews with the board and community forum(s). Each finalist spends day in community interview with the board and participates in public forum.
- May 18-20: If necessary, board members will visit finalist district(s); board selects finalist; finalist offered a contract
- May 25-29: Contract negotiations; contract offered, new superintendent announced
- July 1: New superintendent contract begins
- August 9: Consultants provide superintendent/board transition workshop
Updated 5/28/09.