9-R Board Selects Superintendent Finalists

1

00:00:00,820 –> 00:00:01,920

One of three finalists

2

00:00:01,920 –> 00:00:03,850

will become Durango School District 9-R’s

3

00:00:03,850 –> 00:00:05,060

next superintendent,

4

00:00:05,060 –> 00:00:08,050

and the Board of Education

invites district residents

5

00:00:08,050 –> 00:00:10,430

to meet the candidates during a Zoom forum

6

00:00:10,430 –> 00:00:11,893

on Monday, March 8th.

7

00:00:12,890 –> 00:00:14,810

You’re watching the Local News Network

8

00:00:14,810 –> 00:00:17,140

brought to you by Serious Texas Bar-B-Q

9

00:00:17,140 –> 00:00:19,390

and Fastsigns of Durango.

10

00:00:19,390 –> 00:00:21,690

I’m Deborah Uroda.

11

00:00:21,690 –> 00:00:22,680

Three finalists,

12

00:00:22,680 –> 00:00:25,470

including former Durango

assistant superintendent,

13

00:00:25,470 –> 00:00:28,160

Andy Burns will meet district residents

14

00:00:28,160 –> 00:00:31,150

and visit district schools

during the next several weeks

15

00:00:31,150 –> 00:00:32,640

as the school board determines

16

00:00:32,640 –> 00:00:35,610

who will become the next superintendent.

17

00:00:35,610 –> 00:00:38,600

District 9-R’s

superintendent, Dan Snowberger

18

00:00:38,600 –> 00:00:41,220

announced his resignation

earlier this year

19

00:00:41,220 –> 00:00:42,890

after serving more than eight years

20

00:00:42,890 –> 00:00:46,610

through some of the district’s

toughest financial dilemmas.

21

00:00:46,610 –> 00:00:48,430

The public will have an opportunity

22

00:00:48,430 –> 00:00:51,870

to meet the three finalists

during a Zoom community forum

23

00:00:51,870 –> 00:00:55,540

scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

On Monday, March 8th.

24

00:00:55,540 –> 00:00:58,190

Candidates will field

questions from the school board

25

00:00:58,190 –> 00:01:00,340

and the public will be

offered an opportunity

26

00:01:00,340 –> 00:01:03,410

to send their comments to

the board in real time.

27

00:01:03,410 –> 00:01:05,200

Board president, Kristin Smith

28

00:01:05,200 –> 00:01:07,230

said the board began

its search in December

29

00:01:07,230 –> 00:01:10,820

with an online community

survey and focus groups.

30

00:01:10,820 –> 00:01:14,070

The community overwhelmingly

wanted a trusted candidate.

31

00:01:14,070 –> 00:01:17,490

They are looking for building

trust in our community

32

00:01:17,490 –> 00:01:19,390

with that superintendency position,

33

00:01:19,390 –> 00:01:20,600

that was highly important.

34

00:01:20,600 –> 00:01:21,650

Also communication.

35

00:01:21,650 –> 00:01:23,900

They want a really great communicator

36

00:01:23,900 –> 00:01:25,040

to come forward to the community

37

00:01:25,040 –> 00:01:28,130

and let everybody know

what’s going on in 9-R.

38

00:01:28,130 –> 00:01:29,080

So those were two things

39

00:01:29,080 –> 00:01:32,330

that overwhelmingly were

supported by the community.

40

00:01:32,330 –> 00:01:34,800

You know, we asked the community,

41

00:01:34,800 –> 00:01:36,810

does it matter if they have a doctorate?

42

00:01:36,810 –> 00:01:38,890

They really didn’t care about that.

43

00:01:38,890 –> 00:01:40,300

You know, that wasn’t as important to them

44

00:01:40,300 –> 00:01:42,270

as those other qualities.

45

00:01:42,270 –> 00:01:43,760

So we’ve been looking for someone

46

00:01:43,760 –> 00:01:46,360

who has a proven trust record

47

00:01:46,360 –> 00:01:48,590

and also is a really great communicator.

48

00:01:48,590 –> 00:01:50,250

It’s also been really

important to the board.

49

00:01:50,250 –> 00:01:53,810

We’re working on some culture

and equity and inclusion work.

50

00:01:53,810 –> 00:01:55,130

So we’re looking for a candidate

51

00:01:55,130 –> 00:01:57,270

that can partner with the

Board of Education on that

52

00:01:57,270 –> 00:01:58,900

and moving that work forward.

53

00:01:58,900 –> 00:02:00,130

So we’ve got some great candidates

54

00:02:00,130 –> 00:02:02,300

who have experience in that area.

55

00:02:02,300 –> 00:02:04,870

One thing that was really

important to the community too

56

00:02:04,870 –> 00:02:06,530

was someone who had been in the classroom,

57

00:02:06,530 –> 00:02:08,500

someone who had been on

the ground as a teacher

58

00:02:08,500 –> 00:02:11,060

and had that in their background.

59

00:02:11,060 –> 00:02:12,220

So we’ve looked at that too,

60

00:02:12,220 –> 00:02:15,230

which candidates have

been a teacher before,

61

00:02:15,230 –> 00:02:17,210

which candidates like to be with kids.

62

00:02:17,210 –> 00:02:19,010

And as part of the superintendent

63

00:02:19,010 –> 00:02:22,020

finalists interview process,

64

00:02:22,020 –> 00:02:24,720

we’re going to have the candidates

walk through our schools,

65

00:02:24,720 –> 00:02:26,770

and we want to see how do

they interact with kids,

66

00:02:26,770 –> 00:02:27,900

how do they interact with staff.

67

00:02:27,900 –> 00:02:30,170

That’s highly important to our community,

68

00:02:30,170 –> 00:02:32,900

that this person in this

superintendent position

69

00:02:32,900 –> 00:02:35,290

can access all of the stakeholders

70

00:02:35,290 –> 00:02:37,290

and communicate with them appropriately.

71

00:02:38,190 –> 00:02:40,470

The board received 28 applications

72

00:02:40,470 –> 00:02:43,870

and announced the finalists at

its meeting on February 23rd.

73

00:02:43,870 –> 00:02:46,020

Finalist include Dr. Karen Cheser,

74

00:02:46,020 –> 00:02:48,250

who retires this year as superintendent

75

00:02:48,250 –> 00:02:50,890

of the Fort Thomas,

Kentucky School District,

76

00:02:50,890 –> 00:02:52,230

Dr. Robert Lundin,

77

00:02:52,230 –> 00:02:55,060

who most recently served

as assistant commissioner

78

00:02:55,060 –> 00:02:57,250

in the Tennessee Department of Education,

79

00:02:57,250 –> 00:02:59,570

and the third candidate, Andy Burns,

80

00:02:59,570 –> 00:03:02,090

former assistant

superintendent with Durango,

81

00:03:02,090 –> 00:03:05,040

now serves as the director

of human resources

82

00:03:05,040 –> 00:03:07,720

in Pueblo School District 60.

83

00:03:07,720 –> 00:03:10,460

To participate in the

candidate forum on March 8th,

84

00:03:10,460 –> 00:03:13,710

log onto durangoschools.org.

85

00:03:13,710 –> 00:03:16,630

Thanks for watching this edition

of the Local News Network,

86

00:03:16,630 –> 00:03:17,953

I’m Deborah Uroda.

‍