Schools chief search down to 9

Churchill County School District Board of Trustees have a busy week ahead as they are interviewing nine candidates for the new superintendent position, with three tonight, April 18, from the district.

In order, the district’s Director of Special Services Derild Parsons, Churchill County High School Principal Kevin Lords, and Lahontan Elementary School Principal Gregg Malkovich will be asked a series of questions presented by the board regarding the position.

Candidates were selected by the board’s search consultant Greg McKenzie, whom distributed the applications and collected public input data within a month.

McKenzie received 26 applications between March 9 and April 5. Among the three local candidates chosen, the remaining six are from Arizona, California, Missouri, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. Interviews are expected to be 45 minutes long.

McKenzie selected the following applicants as they met the school district’s requirements as well as the public’s, according to a survey from last month.

After candidates are interviewed, the board will select finalists to interview and appoint a new superintendent by the end of the month. On May 9, the new superintendent will sign their contract and officially begin the position July 1.

CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS FOR CHURCHILL COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT

Churchill County Administration Office, 690 South Maine Street

Today (Wednesday, April 18) 

5:30 p.m.: Derild Parsons, current District Director of Special Services and former Dean of Students at Churchill County High School.

6:30 p.m.: Kevin Lords, current Principal at CCHS and former principal, vice principal at Churchill County Middle School.

7:30 p.m.: Gregg Malkovich, current Principal at Lahontan Elementary School and former assistant superintendent of personnel, principal at formerly Northside Elementary School, and Lyon County School District.

Thursday, April 19, 8 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

Keith Bausman of Colombia, Missouri.

Current Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources at Colombia Public Schools; formerly Executive Director of Human Resources and Principal at middle and high schools throughout Arizona and New Mexico.

With 18 years of experience, 14 of those involved teaching secondary mathematics, science and ESL.

Bausman also taught advanced placement and dual credit through basic level and tutorials courses.

Steve Boynton of Newport, Oregon. 

Former superintendent of Lincoln County and Arlington School Districts (Ore.), and former Assistant Principal/Athletic Director in Molalla, Ore.

In an interview with Oregon’s KLCC 89.7, Boynton expressed his passion to bring communities and children together within the school district, how technology is crucial to today’s education and why educators should get more exposed to it, and school funding circulating around student education.

Boynton also said he helped low achieving schools in Arlington to rebuild academics and student growth.

He resigned in April from Lincoln County in Ore. last year but it was not related to an investigation involving allegations of inappropriate conduct.

Edward Brown of Pleasant Hill, California.

Current Principal at Golden Gate Community School; former Dean, Vice Principal and Alternative Education Principal in the Bay Area.

Brown helped implement an Adult Independent Studies program catering 18-24 year olds, who either dropped out or aged out of traditional school. The program tripled in size and added two new teachers.

"Our classroom sites continue to run at capacity. In Brentwood, we are opening a new middle school class so we can serve sixth graders."

Brown has been involved in education for 33 years and his background includes usage of Google Classroom and online curriculum programs.

Marion Smith Jr. of Renton, Washington.

Current regional director of K–12 Learning, Leadership & Student Success at Puget Sound Educational Service District in Renton.

Smith has experience in public school districts of diverse ethnic, linguistic and socioeconomic settings in Las Vegas, Nevada; North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Seattle, Washington for at least 20 years.

According to Puget Sound Educational Service District, Smith implemented a network-wide K- 12 continuous school improvement framework and service delivery model for low performing schools, with 40 percent of school districts exited schools from state-identified improvement status in two years.

Smith, as a Title I elementary school principal, provided professional development and evaluation of staff to support social emotional learning, Common Core State Standards implementation, and culturally-responsive practices. Smith’s success increased student proficiency on state assessments by 23 percent in math and 17 percent in reading in one academic year.

Last month, Smith was a semi-finalist candidate for superintendent at Vashon Island School District in Washington.

Summer Stephens of Upton, Wyoming.

Current Superintendent of Weston County School District, and formerly Director of Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment and Assistant Superintendent for Personnel in Nebraska.

Stephens holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/Language Arts and Master of Education degree from Doane College, and an Educational Specialist Degree and Doctor of Education degree in Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

According to the Wyoming Associaton of School Administrators, Stephens interests include standards-based grading, instructional practices, curriculum, engagement of all stakeholders, and school/community collaboration.

Risha VanderWey of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Current County Superintendent in Coconino County, former elementary school principal, instructional coach, and computer systems development in Arizona schools for 14 years.

VanderWey also worked on the Navajo Reservation and has worked for Title 1 schools with high rates of poverty and minority students.

She received a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, a Masters in Educational Leadership and a Superintendent Certificate, from Northern Arizona University.

Recently, VanderWey was named as a Flinn-Brown Fellow for 2018.