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

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Octob

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Novem

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Decem

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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