looking back and looking forward[1]
TRANSCRIPT
Looking Back – Looking Ahead
Lessons from the field
•White Pass School District
Takhlakh Lake
Packwood Lake
District Context
•Geographically quite large•Three distinct•communities (all unincorporated)• Glenoma• Randle • Packwood
•Decreased enrollment in the last decade •Significant superintendent turnover
My path to today
Applied for a job as an internal candidate: one
sided
Didn’t get the job
Should I stay or should I try to
go?
Wanted another interview and ultimately a
position
Not place bound but not limitless
Began to look for jobs with
specific attributes
Interview in White Pass: two
sided
Offered job
Negotiated contract and
made the move
There’s no “easing in…”
Negotiations Finishing construction on a new school
Demolition of two schools
Hiring staff And then…
When you have one new board member…
August 16, 2011
Closing some chapters in the district’s history…
…and writing new ones.
Becoming a community member
Join, join, join◦ Trail riders club◦ Theater supporters◦ Friends of the museum
Attend, attend, attend◦ Games◦ Community events (fire hall breakfast, pet ministry breakfast)◦ Senior luncheons
Be visible
The board that hires you…
November 8, 2011
I’ve had my share of “cougar” moments (and I am not talking about the ‘cougs).
Situations arose in which:
• I had no previous knowledge upon which to draw
• Google couldn’t help me
• WSDDA did not have any recommended policies or sample letters
• I had to figure it out…fast
Some dogs can’t help with cougars…
Mind the dip and keep going!
July
Augu
st
Sept
embe
r
Octob
er
Novem
ber
Decem
ber
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
ch
3.54
32.5
11.5
22.5
3
Confidence Scale
Sources
•OSPI• Technical
Assistance• Compliance
•ESDs• Fiscal• PD
•Attorney•Superintendents•WSSDA•Mentors
Seek out help when needed; you aren’t alone
I have taken breaks. Real ones. Not the “watch a video WHILE you read email” kind.
My greatest upcoming challenges
Pace settingNegotiationsStrategic planningBoard relationships