The three finalists for superintendent are visiting Highline this week.
Each finalist will spend a full day in Highline. The day will include:
- Breakfast with community leaders.
- A school visit.
- Meetings with principals and senior leaders.
- A session with an advisory committee made up of parents, principals, union representatives, and leaders of community organizations.
- A final interview with the school board.
- A public forum, where the candidate will answer questions from the audience.
Public forums will be held at the Burien City Council Chambers at 400 SW 152nd Street from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m.
Following the public forums, participants will be asked to provide feedback to the school board via an online survey posted at
www.highlineschools.org.
The board will review feedback generated in the public forums and by the other groups who have met the candidate before making a final decision.
The board expects to announce the new superintendent by March 1.
Community input has been a significant component of the search process. Here is a review of the process to date.
PHASE 1: Community Participation (September 19 – October 24, 2011)
Staff and community were asked to identify the most important characteristics for the new superintendent to possess.
- Focus groups were conducted with teachers, support staff, administrators, parents, community members, and business leaders.
- Interviews were conducted with key community and district leaders.
- Online surveys were completed by 1,000 individuals, including 400 students.
Survey results
Based on this feedback, HYA developed a
candidate profile to be used to attract and screen potential candidates.
PHASE 2: Candidate Recruitment (November, 2011 – January 31, 2012)
A job posting based on the candidate profile was advertised locally and nationally. The search firm contracted by the district recruited candidates that fit the profile.
PHASE 3: Semi-finalist Selection (February, 2012)
- February 4 - The school board met in executive session to review the slate of candidates and select six semi-finalists. (Standard executive hiring practice is to keep candidates names confidential at this stage to protect their privacy.)
- February 10-11 – The school board interviewed semi-finalists.
- February 12 -- The school board selected three candidates for final interviews and feedback from the community.
PHASE 4: Final Candidate Interviews and Selection (February 22 – March 1, 2012)
Each finalist will spend a full day in Highline for a district tour, meeting with staff and community, and a final interview with the school board. The district will host each finalist on a separate day, February 22, 23, and 24.
The school board hopes to announce the new superintendent by March 1.