PORT TOWNSEND — The next Port Townsend Schools superintendent should not use the job as a way station either to a position at a larger district or as a way to wind down a career, said some of those at a community focus group earlier this week.
“We don’t want to hire someone who will make this their swan song,” said Laura Tucker, one of the 10 people who attended the Wednesday night meeting at the school district’s Lincoln Building.
“We want someone who will actively involve themselves in the community, who can help us
take advantage of
missed opportunities.”
The gathering was the second of three meetings on consecutive nights meant to solicit community input about qualities desired in the next superintendent.
Input from the public meetings will be collected to write a job description.
Permanent chief
The school system is searching for a replacement for Gene Laes, who has said this will be his last year on the job.
Although all three meetings were open to the public, only Wednesday’s meeting invited participation from the public.
In the Tuesday and Thursday night meetings, which were to gather ideas from stakeholders, participation was by invitation only.
Community input also can be given at a link on the Port Townsend School District website, www.ptschools.org.
Richard Parker — a representative of the search consultant firm McPherson & Jacobson LLC, based in Omaha, Neb. — conducted Wednesday’s meeting.
Parker, who is leaving his position on the Whidbey Island School District this month, first dealt with the search firm as a client and then signed on as a consultant.
Helping to select the Port Townsend superintendent is one of his first assignments with the search firm.
“There are challenges here; you have a very active community,” Paula Wakefield said. “We need to have some leadership in place so we can grow and become great.”
Wakefield said the new superintendent needs to take strong positions.
“They need to be OK with a line on the job description that says ‘not everyone will like me.’”
Retired WSU Extension Director Katherine Baril suggested the new superintendent proactively connect with the community.
“We need someone who will bring the community into the schools and the schools into the community,” she said. “Some people don’t see the schools as part of their vision and not even part of the community.”
Scott Walker, a former Port Townsend City Council member, said the new superintendent needs to recognize not every student is headed for college.
“The old model is that all kids should go to college even if it wasn’t always good for them,” he said. “The local food scene is an example of sustainability that the schools could embrace in order to include kids who are alienated by the standard process.”
Citing the example of Jefferson Healthcare hospital, which hired Port Townsend chef Arran Stark as culinary director, Baril said the schools could improve their food offerings “and become a place where people go to eat lunch.”
Develop brochure
The material gathered by the search firm will be used to develop a brochure that is part of the job application package.
“We will have two weeks to craft the brochure and the application and will advertise in early December,” Parker said. “Hopefully, we will have someone selected by March 15.”
After the job description is written and advertised, applications will be collected during the next month to six weeks.
That will be followed by a screening process to narrow applicants to semifinalists who will be invited to the district for interviews.
After the first visit, the finalists will be selected, and a second round of interviews and meetings will take place.
A candidate will then be selected from the finalists.
The search firm is receiving $6,500 for the service, plus expenses.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.