Superintendent search begins for Sumner schools
ANDREW FICKES
The Sumner School District is in the early stages of a search for a superintendent.
“We’ve started the first steps in hiring a consultant to work with the (school) board in the process of hiring,” interim Superintendent Craig Spencer said. “We have sent out a survey to all of our constituents to get information about what people in our district value, not just in a superintendent, but what we value, in general, in our school district.”
The school district hopes to receive results by June 30.
Consultant Lee Goeke, a former human resources manager in the Vancouver School District, will compile the results and work with the school board Aug. 1.
Ann Cook, communications director for the school district, said the survey is called an organizational-values assessment.
“It’s a big-picture look at what all of our stakeholders value throughout the district,” she said.
Cook said the values assessment is the beginning of a new hiring model for the district across the board.
Goeke was the first to implement a values-based hiring system during his time at Vancouver.
The Sumner School District said goodbye to 18 retirees at the end of the school year. It has since filled the positions based on the new values-based hiring system.
“We’ve launched this, and we think we’ve hired some wonderful new teachers for the district,” Spencer said.
Interviewing for a new superintendent likely will start as early as January or February. The new hire will be in place by July 1, 2013.
