At its Wednesday night meeting, the Highline School Board approved the contract for Dr. Ivan Duran as Highline's next superintendent. Dr. Duran will take the helm on July 1.
“Dr. Duran brings a wealth of experience in leading with equity as a priority," said School Board President Aaron Garcia. "We are confident he is the right person to carry on our promise to know every student by name, strength and need and to lead Highline Public Schools to even greater gains for students.”
Dr. Duran (pictured second from left) is a proud product of public education. An early passion for reading and learning sparked his interest in being an educator. He has served more than 30 years in public education and is currently chief of acceleration and recovery for the Renton School District.
From 2017 to 2021, Dr. Duran was superintendent of the Bellevue School District. As superintendent, he led with a focus on racial equity and inclusion, creating integrated systems to support academic, social-emotional and behavior development for all students. Guided by a clear vision, mission, value system, strategic plan and student experiences, he helped refine the district's strategies to make a positive difference in each student's life. Prior to Bellevue, he was deputy superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District and assistant superintendent for elementary education at Denver Public Schools. He has also served as a classroom teacher, principal and director of instructional technology.
Dr. Duran’s core values include a commitment to educational equity, continuous improvement and collaborative, transparent leadership.
Dr. Duran and his wife Dr. Kelly Kovacic Duran share a passion for leading equity in education, raising two bilingual boys (Mateo and Joaquín), and exploring the great outdoors.