The document summarizes the career path and experiences of a school superintendent for the White Pass School District. It discusses the district context including its large geographic size and three unincorporated communities. It then outlines the superintendent's journey in applying for jobs, interviewing, negotiating a contract, and starting the new role. Key events mentioned include finishing construction on a new school, hiring staff, closing old schools, and writing new chapters for the district. The superintendent discusses building community relationships, dealing with unexpected challenges without prior knowledge or resources, maintaining confidence despite setbacks, and seeking help from various support sources. Upcoming challenges mentioned include setting the pace of change, negotiations, strategic planning, and board relationships.

1. Looking Back –
Looking Ahead
Lessons from the field

2. •White Pass School
District

3. Takhlakh Lake

4. Packwood Lake

5. •Geographically
quite large
•Three distinct
•communities (all
unincorporated)
• Glenoma
• Randle
• Packwood
•Decreased
enrollment in the
last decade
•Significant
superintendent
turnover
District Context

6. Applied for a job Began to look
Interview in
as an internal for jobs with
White Pass: two
candidate: one specific
sided
sided attributes
Didn‟t get the Not place bound
Offered job
job but not limitless
Wanted another
Should I stay or Negotiated
interview and
should I try to contract and
ultimately a
go? made the move
position
My path to today

7. Finishing
Demolition of
Negotiations construction on
two schools
a new school
Hiring staff And then…
There’s no “easing in…”

8.  August 16, 2011
When you have one new board
member…

9. Closing some chapters in the
district’s history…

10. …and writing new ones.

11.  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
Becoming a community member

12.  November 8, 2011
The board that hires you…

13. 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
I‟ve had my share of “cougar”
moments (and I am not talking about
the „cougs).

14. Some dogs can’t help with
cougars…

15. Confidence Scale
4
3.5
3 3
2.5 2.5
2
1.5
1
Mind the dip and keep going!

16.  Seek out help when
needed; you aren‟t Sources
alone •OSPI
• Technical
Assistance
• Compliance
•ESDs
• Fiscal
• PD
•Attorney
•Superintendents
•WSSDA
•Mentors

17. I have taken breaks. Real
ones. Not the “watch a video
WHILE you read email” kind.

18.  Pace setting
 Negotiations
 Strategic planning
 Board relationships
My greatest upcoming challenges