Board of Education Special Meeting April 16, 2026

001Hello. >> Hi. Are we ready? Welcome. This is the April 16th, 2026 Essis Park School District R3 Board of Education special meeting is now 2:50 p.m. And this meeting is called to order. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Chris, please conduct a board roll call. >> Director Fere >> here. >> Director Shocket >> here. >> Director Reurski >> here. >> Director Wis >> here. >> Moving on to approval agenda. Board members have an agenda before you. At this time, I'll take any comments or amendments to the current agenda. Seeing none, is there a motion to approve the agenda? I move to approve the

002agenda. >> Is there a second? >> And I second. >> We have a motion and a second. Chris, please conduct a board roll call. >> I. >> Director Shocket, >> I. >> Director Ridski, >> I. >> Director Wis >> I cur the vote. Agenda is approved. Moving on to agenda item two. Superintendent interviews. 21. Do you want us to wait till three or do you want us to keep going? You good with that, Mr. Grubs. All right. Um, so Mr. Grebs, welcome this evening. Just uh reminder, we have 45 minutes and for the public and all the stakeholders in the audience or watching over online, we are encouraging you uh the board would encourage you to provide feedback for the link or there is a QR code found on the Estus Park School District website.

003All feedback will be reviewed by the board. So we welcome Mr. Grebs this se this I guess afternoon. Thank you. [laughter] Oh, I don't think it's mic. >> Got it pushed up there. Is that better? >> Yeah, that's it. That got it. All right. Thank you for being here. >> Thanks for having me. >> Um, for the first question, we uh you have spent a full day in the district. What are your thoughts and highlights of the day? What do you know now that you didn't know before? And why do you feel you're a good fit for superintendent position in the Ess Park community? Well, uh, it was a pleasure. I I had a great time. It was fun to see the community in a very different lens. I've been here many times before as

004either a tourist or a hunter or fisherman. Uh, so to put on a different hat uh was a great opportunity. Um, Eric, the director of safety and security, gave us a tour of where the buses would go. Uh that was something that struck me right off the bat. Eric was uh extremely wellspoken and does three different jobs that would be, you know, done by a different person in a larger district. And so he immediately gained my respect and appreciation for uh you could feel the love uh for what he was doing because he has also even been a former board member, he told me. And so to be that invested in the community was a great way to start the interview process. So in in that opportunity also then got to tour the buildings. Um

005got to talk to a number of people in that regard and just see it for myself and and breathe it in. So uh the second part of your question you asked uh what what were my initial thoughts? What what was the second part there? Um, how do you feel? What are good are you a good fit for the superintendent position in the comm in our community? >> Yeah. Uh, I believe I absolutely am. Um, I I think the appreciation that I have for the opportunity in addition to the skill sets that I have and hearing the way people have answered my question, it it feels like a win-win. And and that's important to me. I've really been invested the last couple years as a leader in me leader and that that habit of seek win-win

006is is evident. Being a rural Colorado native myself, uh I'm very appreciative to be in in an area like this. You add on my skill sets to that attitude and I think you got a win-win. >> Thank you. >> I'm sorry. There was one more piece to that question. And it does say um what do you know now that you didn't know before about Estus? >> Yeah. Excellent. Thank you. Um [sighs] there's definitely a a sense of pride on the websites and in having conversations with folks and yet like every school district in the state, there are some things that are very concerning to folks. And so, uh knowing too about the hard work that we would have to do is going to involve conflict resolution. um some some unique ideas about how to use

007our money with um the budget looking as bleak as it is for the state. Um it wasn't as much a new thing, but it's it's the same problem in different areas and so we just have an opportunity to do it differently than other folks. All right. Um, how do you intend to establish clear accountability structures within our district to ensure that all stakeholders including staff, administrators, and students are held to high standards of performance and conduct? It would start with your review of what you already have. Um, again, in visiting with people who have been in the district for a while, there are some really great things to celebrate that I do think include accountability. um how that gets communicated out or um what are people's perceptions of that that's something that I would have

008to evaluate once uh being fortunate enough to sit in that seat. Um but I think you set high goals and then you make those measurements. You've done that in the strategic plan already. Um there were some first year, second year, third year measuring points that have been hit and um the celebrating of those measures that needs to happen. That would be something I would embrace. Um I think the other part where we came up a little short is just ask why. What do we need to do a little bit differently? What do we need to put some time and money into? Uh what do we need to think about differently? And then again, you set those goals and you get people to agree to those goals. That that's the other key element that I think

009is important as a leader is get people to be very transparent. If they don't agree with the goal, we need to hear that. Like tell us why. What is it about this rule that you fundamentally disagree with and then give me an alternative that's going to be a little bit of a negotiation point to where we're still doing what's best for kids. How will you demonstrate your commitment to the community as superintendent ensuring that the needs and aspirations of our stakeholders are prioritized and addressed? Well, uh, something I'm very appreciative of is the schedule for the interview process because it did give me some time to actually go to some places here in town that, um, are supportive of the district. Uh this morning I went to the library um visited with them about some

010of their connections with the foundation, went to the rec center, heard Tom's, you know, perspective of the partnership between the school district and the um community and the schools. Um even visited with a restaurant owner about some of their um pros and cons of how things are going. So I think I would definitely invest time to do that more. go talk to people. Uh I realize a big part of being the superintendent is being the face of the district and the board, making sure that I'm clear with what your vision is. Uh making it our vision and then going out and help people see the picture of what that vision actually looks like. Um the biggest reason we're here is to educate our youth, right? That's typically a very passionate area for people. I mean,

011as parents, that that's why some of you are sitting up there. So, when the goal is to do what's best for kids and you go talk to a community member that maybe doesn't have kids in the district, but understands the importance of that, that that partnership um that that's what will show my commitment to it. if if we can work together to where it's a win-win um and remind people how important it is to educate these kids in the best way we can. Windsor sits um between the Pter school district in Fort Collins and then Thompson in Loveland and Gley. All three of those are much bigger than we are and there are times where um yeah the the base pay is higher for a a new teacher coming in. When I select candidates to

012interview, I put the focus on the quality of the job and the fact that there are other opportunities that they can do um to earn extra money while they're there. and I have in fact proudly stole teachers from those other surrounding districts to come to Windsor. So much of it is how you treat people uh the opportunities that you put in front of them to be influential to kids and um make that progress. And yeah, if it if it boils down to the pure dollar amount, I do understand um we can't always win those battles. But I have definitely um done a a good enough job as a building leader that people have wanted to come to my building and took less money. Uh one in particular, it was a $10,000 cut. And yeah, that

013that family situation might have been a little bit different, but the way you treat people and the way you set up their environment, that matters, too. So that would be something I would do as a superintendent is put a lot of focus on the fact this is a very unique place to live in the world. There are a lot of other gifts around us besides just the bottom line dollar and promote that and get the teachers that are staying here to also promote that amongst their peers. That that goes a long ways. >> Thank you. What leadership habits and behaviors do you have that demonstrate you are the instructional leader for the school district? And give us an example, please. >> When you're in a school, um, again, it's about the kids. And you need

014to have a healthy balance as a leader of the science of teaching and the art of teaching. And I've been able to do both in my role. Um, sometimes it boils down to going into a classroom and demonstrating it. And if that means I do it myself and get teachers to understand that I have that passion for connecting with kids, um, that's an opportunity that I've taken advantage of. Other times it's recognizing I might not have the skill sets when it comes or experience when it comes to secondary schools, but I've got connections. And so you you make those connections with others. You bring them in, you have them demonstrate it, and then you look at the data. From a from a superintendent's point of view too, uh things that I would bring to the

015table as far as experience is that MTSS structure of sitting down and identifying what is the one key thing that's going to give us a leverage point for this kid to have some success. and you put the intervention in place and you test it religiously to make sure that they're making that progress and then you celebrate that. And if it's if it's not changing them, then you change your strategy. The same can be true with adults. You sit down with a a staff member, you set a goal for them, make sure that they've got the intervention they need if necessary, and uh you come back to it and see how the growth is going. As superintendent, how will you foster an atmosphere in the district where teachers and staff feel supported, empowered, valued, and able

016to reach their full potential? >> Well, it starts with some of the same conversations I've had uh these last couple days with with each and every group. Um, again, I I I was very impressed with um how Eric Eric embraced his multiple roles versus, you know, talked about it as a burden. Like I I have to wear all these hats. It it was it was an honor to be that skilled. And I would try to highlight uh more people like that as we um get to know one another. I also could hear the passion in in one of the staff members voices that she needed extra support and um I I I could picture other teachers that I've worked with in the past that again are very passionate about what they're doing. They want to

017feel successful and when they're not, they wear those emotions on their sleeves. And so having conversations about what's a one tangible thing we could add to your job um to empower you versus it's another task you have to do. That framing of that uh is something that I I think I do well and that that would be the skill set that I would want to bring to this job. >> I'd like to ask a follow-up question. You said that Eric embraced wearing multiple hats and I wonder how you would feel about taking that on as a superintendent as well. Or do you think maybe that's not the role of the superintendent? >> Um, if I can drive the bus, you mean because I I've done that before too actually. I've I've taken kids to a

018hockey game in a bus. So, um I do feel like throughout my career I I've tried to celebrate a balance in in everything I do. I try to make my teams really well balanced. Um reminding people about finding balance between work and uh personal life. And the same when it comes to servant leadership versus delegation. And um a fun story that I told one of the groups recently is about a book that was given to me by the librarian within my first couple years because she noticed I was shoveling this the sidewalks. And it's called The Dog Poop Initiative. And it's a silly rhyming kids book, but it is about a dog owner that doesn't pick up after his dog who takes a dump on the soccer field. And when all the kids show up

019to have their game, people point it out, "Watch out here. Don't step in the dog poop." And the kids literally play around it the first game. And when the the dad coach of the next team shows up, he gets a newspaper, he scoops it up, he takes care of the problem, and um his son looks up to him in admiration and the next day picks up trash at school. And so I think having a balance between knowing when to empower and delegate certain tasks and picking up the poop is an important job of a leader because that leadership is about choices, not position. And so if given the opportunity to put on multiple hats, I I would do that with a smile because it's it's a it's an honor to be able to be this

020influential. Describe your experience supporting special education, multilingual learners, and inclusive practices for diverse student needs. My school currently uh is the center-based um program for our district for kiddos that are significantly impacted by autism. And many of them are nonverbal. And when um they are trying to communicate something, whether it's even happiness or sadness, it it comes out in almost physical aggression many times. That program has been in our building for about the last 6 years. And so I have had a chance to see the kiddo that um dropped to the ground and pounded his head on the sidewalk when he first came to where he I might get emotional. when he was a fifth grader, he sang a solo and um sticking with what works and being patient and being kind, it pays off.

021camp. Um the powerful message that he taught his peers about accepting him. That that was our job as um leaders and and teachers is continue to put your faith and love into these kiddos that don't have a great voice because when they get on stage and they sing that solo, oh my gosh, you know, um bring a girl man to tears. I was just so proud. So, um, what I've also learned being the leader of that program is it's definitely, um, worked by the the the people that don't get a lot of, um, you know, glorious recognition. And so I've I've tried very hard to also be creative in how we support them in u whether it's professional development opportunities or it is giving them a chance to have a little bit of voice as

022well and what's uh going to happen next for those kids. Being creative with um some of their time off those types of things. Um when it comes to multi- language learners um again the the amount of students that I've had to work with gotten to work with hasn't been as um high but again equally as powerful. Um, we've gotten families to come in and have a chance to talk face to face with them. And that word of mouth, um, I think really helps others know that we do care about them. And just because there's a language barrier doesn't mean there's a love barrier. And so we can get those families in the door, get them a little bit of support. Um, that goes a long ways. What does an effective superintendent board relationship look like

023to you? Particularly around communication, decision-m and governance role. It does feel formal to me and yet you're people. So, I want to know more about your why. Um, again, you're elected officials that don't get paid to do this. So you obviously are passionate about having your own voice. Um when it comes to the governance too, uh I've done my homework on President Furry that you follow the policy very well and you know it and so I'll put a lot of trust in you. Um having faith in me as a person, we're going to use that balance um to get our goals met. Hopefully, we'd have a chance to even do some learning together um at maybe CASBY or any other organizations that are designed just for this. Uh I I do feel like your decision

024to invest in, you know, a search company too shows me that you want to be as non-biased as possible and do what's very best for kids. And yet, again, your hearts are in it for the right reasons. So, that starts us off on the right foot in my opinion. And um yeah, I will need some brushing up on some of the governance stuff. What do you do to encourage participation of employees in organizational decisions? Uh just recently I've had to remind my staff um that if they don't speak up uh that is still sending a message. And so um there has to be some trust that um when they when they do express an opinion about something, I'm going to listen to them. But if they don't speak up, then they need to trust me

025as the leader to make a decision and move on. So, uh, a staff member, I believe last night in the community forum, um, was focusing a little bit on too, we collect data as a district, but then the the emotional piece doesn't always match the data and how can we just doublech checkck that. I think it's important to be very thorough. Give them multiple ways to speak up. Um, give them the opportunity to to visit face to face. I think too the the emotional part of a conversation is important uh just as much as the convenience of a survey uh should be used as well too. It's important to give them time to do those. Any staff survey that I give my teachers now, I try to schedule it during the day. Like when we

026have a staff meeting before they listen to my jokes or silly stories, do the staff survey and and give them time to do it versus uh I'm in the middle of grading and getting ready and and now I got a survey waiting in my email. You know, that survey is important. So, you know, between this time and that time, we'll have you do it. So, um, is there [clears throat] more to that question? Okay. Thank you. Right. Uh, describe a time you had to make a difficult decision or address a significant problem directly. What did you do and what did you learn? Well, nearly every decision's significant when you're a educational leader because um what you think is insignificant means a ton to somebody else. Um most recently uh when it came to uh conflict

027between some staff members, we had to again sit down and address the the elephant in the room. There's tension. Uh the the tension has caused less communication. And when there's less communication, the the kids are the ones that end up suffering. And and when you make it as black and white as you can for that situation, you have people that will make some concessions and and try to be a little bit more tolerant uh maybe of someone else or maybe someone else needs to step up their organizational skills in a different way. Um again going going back to the the leader in me seven habits of of highly effective people. One of those habits is seek to understand before being understood. And so when you ask those questions with someone who's having that conflict, help

028me understand your perspective. Uh why is this a problem to you? What what is the the mitigating factor that's, you know, causing you to be upset about this? Um and really role modeling that listening. um being willing to make some concessions or some being flexible on certain things um usually get some give and take from other folks in that regard. Uh districtwide um challenge that I've gotten to be a part of is addressing the inequities between elementary plan time and secondary plan time. And our district has asked me to be a voice within those conversations. Um, just again based on not only my experience at the elementary level, but some creative ideas that we can bring as well too. Sometimes you're going to have to compare apples to oranges and the types of work that

029a secondary teacher has to do is very different than an elementary person. and and so sometimes the you know more plan time [sighs and gasps] uh it might not ever ever whittle down to where it's totally equal. But if you can again provide different opportunities uh for those elementary folks to where they're still getting their job done [clears throat] then then that becomes your win-win. And so um those are some things I've been involved in lately. How do you balance honoring a district's existing strengths and strategic plan while also moving the organization forward to address existing challenges? >> I had the opportunity to do that um before the the building that I've been in charge of was only three years old when I um took over and they already had really high scores. They had

030pretty well- behaved kiddos. Uh a very um you know forwardinking staff. These these were staff members who left their previous school to come to this brand new school. So willing to take some risks and um yet when I when I got there I discovered that they had decided that they didn't want to do PBIS. Um you know kids should innately you know want to succeed and and we don't want to give them tokens or trinkets. And so I took one of the veteran teachers with me to a training on PBS and I let someone else beside myself talk about the pros and cons of of what it can do for kids and how it can be successful. So I would have a very similar approach. um get settled, get to know the district, get to

031know the people, find out what's going on. But then, okay, here here's what I've seen in the world in my, you know, 30 years in education. Um, this hasn't worked for me, but it's working for you. Gosh, what what are what are you doing? What's your secret sauce? Celebrate the wins, for sure, but but be willing to throw some ideas out there. I I think, you know, when I first came, um I I wanted to make it a point that I'm not here to change things because I do hear so much about how things are positive, but I'm confident enough to say I've got some good ideas just in kicking around some things with with the folks the other day. So, um I I'll find the balance. What kind of authority do you give to

032principles and how do you hold them accountable? >> Well, um when it when it comes to authority, do you mean for them to make decisions based upon what they believe is best for their building or are you is this a what kind of a [laughter] I know you're just reading the question, Frank. I hate to put you on the spot. [laughter] You want to call a friend? >> Well, what kind of authority would you give them? And how would you trust them to do what you told them or >> Well, when you when you explicitly give people that trust, they typically are not going to want to let you down. I I don't think you've you've hired anyone already that um you don't trust to make a good decision. And as people, we're going to

033mess up. we're going to make a mistake. So, the trust will will be built even more if I empower them to make a decision and and then we reflect on that decision and and decide what can we do to make it even better or yeah, you knocked it out of the park. Good job. I I feel like at times too when principals are out of the building um taking care of the things they have to take care of and someone who is not considered an administrator is empowered to act on their behalf. It's very similar to that that relationship and those people themselves they might be very nervous about it because they don't want to mess it up but man when they get it right too their confidence is going to grow. So, for me

034as a superintendent, empowering principles means let's talk about some whatifs. Uh, we're not going to we're not going to get everyone, but we're going to talk about these things in advance and have a feel for it. And then you empower them and you back them up when it's right and you celebrate that. Um, you're you're going to be fine. There's a second part about accountability, too, though, right? No, that's good. All right. So, Mr. Grebs, do you have any questions for us at this time? >> Do >> Yeah, >> I do have a few. Uh, res restorative justice. Um, I I've heard you talk about that as a a something that's very important to the district. I I know that it's it's designed to repair any harm that's done to uh you know the victim

035that was caused in a a conflict versus just punishment. Um but can you can you tell me a little bit more about um you know what what you've invested in? Is it is it a philosophy or is is there specific training that you've already invested in to empower those teachers to do restorative justice? Okay, here. >> I'm glad you asked about it. Um, yes and yes. Uh, we have we really we brought in a lot of training for our teachers quite a while ago, probably nearly 10 years ago, maybe eight years ago. We hired Mary Baron, who you met, who is our current assistant principal at the middle school. She came in as a restorative coordinator for the district on a grant initially when she first started and spent three years invested in training with

036administrators and teachers. And we have an incredible partnership with our local police department, the restorative justice, with our police department where we have we have a great partnership for we have volunteers in our comm community that are really highly trained in facilitating restorative conversations. So sometimes we utilize them and they volunteer and come in and help facilitate conversations between staff members when it gets to a level where we don't feel like our training has is enough to lead that conversation. So we're really lucky in our community to have that partnership and be able to utilize that and have those volunteers that partner with us when we need to call for help as well. But restorative justice, the philosophy, yes, the training, yes. Um or restorative practices, one thing that um we learned along this process

037is that what restorative practices is not is a replacement for any consequences for behavior. And so that's super important to understand that we have a behavior code of conduct. And when that behavior code of conduct is broken, there is consequences for that. The restorative work is really what comes after to repair the harm that is done for the individuals involved and help students change the behavior and become better people. >> Thank you. Thank you. Um, another question that I had was um, in preparing for big decisions like the planning of the facility changes. I had it again on my tour, it was explained to me that um, some of the facilities as they're getting older, there's there's talk about how to really change those. the emotional ties that come with uh educational buildings can run

038pretty deep. Um, you know, traditions and I went there as a kid and I can't imagine that building being torn down uh kind of thing. How how do you as a as a board kind of weigh that data of people's emotional perception with the, you know, rational it's it's broken, we need to fix it and and when we fix it, it may change the look on it. H have you um had a chance to kind of put that together as a themed unit? What how you balance that? >> Um sure I can I can make an attempt. Um have we discussed it as a unit? No, not yet. Because we're kind of still in that process, right? We're still coming up with the plan. Actually, I believe next month we're going to be talking about

039it with the the um contractor that we hired. Yes, there is that. One of the ways that we've addressed that is that we've brought the community in from the beginning um to the process. So when we are having these meetings every month throughout this entire school year, there's 30 40 people in there, students, staff, and just community members, whoever wanted to sign up and and volunteer that time to be part of the process. So they've been in there from the beginning. And then on the emotion side, the part we're trying to get to now is well, if it's different, what could it look like? kind of some excitement for yes it's different is scary but an exciting future >> I relate it to just to add to what Brad said is um similar to this

040process getting our community input and involving our community is very important to break that barrier of that emotion we recently had um a request for organization use our top field are very emotional um part of our community and we learned very quickly that top field has a lot of emotions um so I think For me, it is once we can um zero in on more what this com our original committee is doing, making sure we do a good job of communicating and involving our public and our community in those decisions moving forward. >> Well, on a personal note, the the building that I grew up in as a student uh over on the Western Slope was a a K12 building. Um it was separated by the gym basically uh between the elementary and the secondary.

041And in uh January they had a um they called it the you know the last dance in the gym. Uh they set up tables and I got to go back. So as a student athlete who played basketball in that gym and watched you know my high school heroes in that gym. It it was a little emotional thinking they're going to tear it down, right? So I do think it's wise to have a a celebration recognition of those emotions because you know the people that were um taxpayers back in the 60s were the ones that built that and as a kid who graduated 1990 that that was a gift and and now they've built another beautiful facility um that the next generation will get to see. So, I think it's wise to involve them early and

042get their voice in it. Um, because that that building will still be here when when they're long gone. So, um, social media uh has a tendency to give voice to those who criticize leaders. Um, I find most people who have not been a leader themselves are the loudest and the most vocal. Do do you have kind of a stance on how you respond to that really negative um bashing that sometimes happen? Do you do you put a voice back out there or do you accept the fact that yeah, no matter what we say, someone's always going to squeak on uh social media. >> So, I can speak for myself. I do not respond to any social media. Like, I'm not even hardly on social media. Um what I place more value in is having a

043conversation with someone to reach out to me or responding in my emails. Our um community does a good job I believe in sending emails with concerns especially on emotional topics. So I think as a board member for me it's looking at my email keeping up with that as uh much as possible and making sure we respond and always offer a meeting when you can see it's a highly emotional um conversation and people have good um um input as well. So that's how you stay connected with the community as well for me that's what I do outreach having coffees doing walks what have you. So, um, but for far as the social media, we do have a website. We just kind of combined all of our social media website. Rub can probably talk that because I

044wasn't behind the scenes on all of that. But, um, I I just I just take social media with a grain of salt for me personally. >> Um, kind of same here. I'm not really on social media at all, but I am in the district all the time with two kids in the district. I'm I'm I'm always around. So, and so people stop me all the time and and ask questions that way. It's it's far more effective. Yeah. >> Likewise, I think uh our community is really good at kind of policing itself and so we don't need to jump in because others will jump in on our behalf. So, just kind of monitor the narrative and make sure you know that no glaring untruths are out there and going unchecked. Excellent. Thank you. [gasps] >> I

045just want to answer about our stance as an administrative team. Um, untruths are out there all the time. That's not something we're going to respond to. We'll control our narrative through our >> our uh tools. Um, but when we do need to respond is when it's out of protection of our students. If there is BERPA being broke, B F B F B F B F B F B F B F B F B F B F Burpa laws being violated or there's slander and liel out there against our students or our staff, that's where then we're going to intervene. >> Well, the the last question that I have for you is um when you picture me sitting up there in that seat a year from now, what will some of the um success indicators look

046like for me? I think the number one thing will be that the forward momentum that the district has been working on for you know the last four years that that continues that there's not um a step backward you know um you said that you don't want to come in and change everything but you do have some good ideas and we are not opposed to change as long as it is forward moving you know so thank you for me it's working collaborative and keeping students front mind and what's best for them so like Brenda said we've had great academic success brought on by Ruby and her leadership and our students are moving forward and we are very uh student centered thinking and I think keeping that in mind as we're making decisions and moving forward to

047me that is a great benefit for our uh community and our students. >> Yeah. Um with with academics test scores, but also with some of like our surveys. We survey our students, we survey our staff, we survey our community and to make sure that things are heading in the right direction that way. Also, >> those are all the questions I have for you. Do you have any last ones for me? Nope. >> Then uh if I may uh just close with um thank you again for this opportunity and uh chatting with the folks involved. It's it's been a great honor to to just get to share a little bit because it reaffirms what's really important to me. When I've talked with so many different groups, I've caught myself uh saying the same thing over and

048over. And so it's it's uh it's reaffirmed some of my core beliefs is the importance of balance and that um you know I want to be that servant leader and I am ready to take on the step of the superintendent and lead the charge with you. um th those habits that I've been living the last several years in particular in teaching to students uh I really feel set me up for success when it comes to embracing your global outcomes uh embracing the work that you've already done. I've done that before. I've followed in the footsteps of a really dynamic leader and um taken the school even farther and I know I have the ability to do that for an entire district and uh having the the pride of being a Colorado native and getting to

049even be here um I would not take advantage of and that would drive me to make you guys proud. So I do hope as you're deliberating you keep that in mind because uh it's sometimes I I feel awkward talking about myself. Uh, I'm pretty humble by nature, but I'm confident enough to say you'd be making a good choice if you hire me. >> Thank you. >> So, we'll be taking a short break. Well, welcome, Mr. Casey. Excited you're here today. Just a reminder, you'll have 45 minutes. Um, so starting with our first question, uh, you spent a full day in the district. What are your thoughts and highlights of the day? What do you know now that you didn't know before? and why do you feel you're a good fit for the superintendent position in

050the ESS Park community? >> All right. Um, starting off easy with a four-part question, I see. Um, so the thoughts on the district. Um, why I think what I know now that I didn't. Okay, got it. Um it's been a great couple of days getting to know some people and touring the district and the facilities and um making some of those initial connections. Obviously there's only so much connecting that happens in a quick two-day thing. Um getting to meet some of the students today was really fun with the high schoolers. Um kind of seeing on the tour yesterday, seeing some of the elementary and middle schoolers also. Um, I think my connection to Estus so far has always been, I mean, other than my one summer living at the YMCA, um, but visiting, right, and

051understanding that visiting is very different than being a part of the community. And so, a little a little window into what it can be like to join the community and and get to know people on a deeper level and the people who are here all the time as opposed to people that are just walking down the street um, a day at a time. um things that I've learned that I didn't know before. Um I think fleshing a lot of details out. I will say the school website and district website has a whole lot of stuff on it, which is awesome. So that helped me feel more prepared and have a lot of research available. But to talk through some of the details with Superintendent Bodie and with Brian about the finances and to go see

052the facilities in person, um to talk through a couple of the ideas in the facility master plan, like to put some some meat to that skeleton that I had built, um has really been insightful and helpful. um and the the opportunity to talk to real people. Um it's different than reading a bio on a website and to stand with um the principal and assistant principal today at lunch duty for a little while and and chat about their families a little bit and find out what the policies are around school safety because the kids brought it up in the meet and greet. Um to meet people in the community last night that that came because they had something they cared about and then to have little conversations afterwards. Those are the connections that that you can't

053make on Zoom or a website research or those kinds of things to get to know real people in a real school that really have kids they care deeply about that we want to build that together and and work together for the things that that matter most to them. Did I get all the parts? No. Good fit. Okay. Um, so I I'm a people person and so when I say getting to know people, that's where that fit comes in, right? Um, to be able to meet with administrators and directors, to meet with staff yesterday, to feel like there's a a common continuity and support system and that that I can step in to a place that is doing really well and be a support and to continue the momentum that's going really well. Um, that feels

054like a really good fit. I'm not interested in going somewhere that's on fire, right? I want to go somewhere that's being successful where I can get to know people and figure out how to support them and how my unique gifts and skills might help do that. And also, like I talked with the teachers yesterday, put little sticky notes in every drawer in the office that say, "Don't screw it up. There's really good things happening. Let's make sure we keep those good things going." And then as we have things we need to tweak or adjust, great. But there's really good things happening. So, just keep it going. All right. Um, how do you intend to establish clear accountability structures within our district to ensure that all stakeholders including staff, administrators, and students are held to high

055standards of performance and conduct? >> That's a great question and interestingly one I got from a high school kid today similarly. Um, so I don't know if he has a parent on the board. I didn't ask that. Um but we we have a lot of opportunities in education for accountability and some of those are state level things um data that we get from state testing teacher evaluation and those are good starts. We also need to continue doing things that give us benchmarks along the way to know that we're reaching those things. And then the accountability of those indicators of the strategic plan. How are we meeting those three areas? And I love that there's already sort of agreed upon measures of how we're doing that and that and that the trends are really good and

056so that we can take student data and say here's the trend in how we're growing and we're seeing it in benchmark testing. We're seeing it in state testing. We're seeing it in our school performance frameworks. Those are continuing to grow. We also have the data around experiential learning. How are we getting those experiences to students? how are they responding to them? And then the wellness and the side of like community perception, student perception, there's already data in place and systems in place to make sure that we're being accountable to the plan that is in place that we're continuing to build that as a district. Um, so in those senses, there's a lot of structures already there for accountability. And then I think the next part of that as a new superintendent is making sure that

057I also come in and build that trust that's already here and needs to be rebuilt with a new person so that we can have hard conversations. So that when the data doesn't indicate something we're crazy about or when there's little blips for some reason, we're not trying to explain it away, but we're willing to have the hard conversations about, oh, is this is this a correction we need to make or is this maybe it is a blip in the data, but let's make sure let's not write it off. And the accountability of being honest with each other is a huge part of that. And that's going to it takes a little time to build that trust as a new person. Um, but it's an important first step. Thank you. How will you demonstrate your commitment

058to the community as superintendent, ensuring that the needs and aspirations of our stakeholders are prioritized and addressed? >> So, one of the great things about this job is to get to be the person who tells so many great stories about what's going on to all the stakeholders. Um, and and like I said, the website already does a great job of that. I'm sure there are other ways that that's being communicated out already. Um the the opportunity to be sort of the ambassador and the chief cheerleader. Um probably without the skirt. Um but to to be the person that tells the great stories of what's happening in our schools um and then to hear from stakeholders what do they need from our schools? How are our graduates doing when they get out in the community either

059while they're in school or after? um what what are people seeing in their own children that that they want the school to meet certain needs? And so listening to the community, to parents, to students, to staff, all of those stakeholders have an important voice in making sure that we're not losing our way. Um and that and that we can be excited about the things that are happening. Certainly, there's times we need to talk about problem solving and issues that are going on and we need to always be telling the good stories. Also, sometimes those don't get enough press. You guys do a great job of celebrating staff and students in those ways and we need to continue to do that because because people need to hear the great things kids are doing. What experience do

060you have recruiting and retaining highquality staff teachers particularly in places where housing and compreh comprehenses or affordability might be barriers? >> Well, I tried to tell staff that my first goal was going to be get the cost of living down. Um, I don't think that's maybe within my scope of power in this case. Um, recruiting staff, hugely important, recruiting and retaining, right? Um, getting the best teachers and keeping the best teachers in front of students is a key to having a successful program. The the recruiting, well, so they're both very different, right? Recruiting, um, we need to make sure that we're competitive in how as much as we can be in the kinds of benefits and things we're offering for teachers. when they're first coming in, they're looking at the dollar sign on the salary

061scale. They're looking at the benefits. They're looking at, can I find a place to live? How does commuting work? I know a decent percent of the staff already commute. Um, can we make that workable for people? Um, so the recruiting side is a lot about advertising and then when they get here making sure that principles, hiring committees, my office that we are telling people how great it is to work here, right? And part of it is look out the windows, right? It's a great beautiful place to be and and I know I've heard a lot about the wind this week. Um, but maybe, you know, maybe we pick calm days for our recruiting days. Um and then and then once we can get people in the door um and tell them how great it is

062to work here, then they've got to feel supported and connected to stay. Um a mentor of mine, um Dr. Mlan, a longtime superintendent, talked about that salary is actually pretty far down the list on why people leave jobs, right? Um, certainly when they first take a job, that's a a key component, but the reason they stay is because number one, they like the people they work with. Do they have connections with their colleagues? Number two, they feel like they have what they need to be successful and that there's a work environment and resources and materials that help them be successful. Three or four is do they feel supported by their super or supervisor? Um, do they have a connection with their administrator that helps them feel supported in that? fourth, fifth, sixth, somewhere down the

063line is salary. It's on the list, but it's not in the top three. If we can get good people in here because it's beautiful, because we did a good job recruiting and telling those stories, and then we can help them feel that connection and support, then they're going to want to stay for a long time, and that benefits our kids. So, what leadership habits and behaviors do you have that demonstrate you are the instructional leader for the school district? And give us an example. leadership habits um and behaviors. So, I think the first thing that comes to mind um I think I've mentioned that I'm pretty relational. Um, what one thing I try to do, and I've I've heard other people this week mention it also, is if I have a a quick message that

064I could send an email, I would much rather get up and walk there because of what you see and hear and the conversations you have along the way there and back. Um, so if I need to, I don't know, give something to the high school principal to get out of my office, walk down the hill, maybe walk through the elementary and elementary and middle school on my way, see things that are going on, right? To have structures that where I plan to be in buildings and seeing what's happening in classrooms and listening to kids and and I love hearing what's happening through classroom doors, right? That you can hear engagement, that you can hear excitement. um that you can stop by and see kids who are doing a brain break and getting their moving a

065little bit and then right back to their math, right? Um those kinds of things I think make a huge difference as a leader. And when you can give those little encouragements along the way like, "Hey, I saw something really cool you just did." Um one of my first years as a principal, I love telling this story. Um I had a teacher who was retiring. She was on a 110 year. Um, she was she had like officially retired before I even got there. But every time I went in her room, she was like, "What'd you see? Was I doing okay? Was it okay?" And I was like, "Listen, I couldn't fire you if I wanted to." And it what you're doing is great. Like she was a math teacher, seventh grade math, and she had those

066kids cruising. And some of the kids didn't like how hard she made them work, and they would complain about it. But what was crazy was there was a pretty steady stream of sophomores, juniors, and seniors coming back to get help from her because they knew one, she could help them and she could push them and she cared about them. So the very last day of school and in middle school often we turn in grades before we're even done with students, right? So very last day of school, grades have been turned in for a couple days. Most people are cleaning their classroom, watching a movie, having a party, doing fun things with kids. and I walk by her classroom and she has them just hammering inverse fractions because she knows next year that's going to be

067the thing that trips them up. She's literally like 45 minutes from retirement and she's doing inverse fractions and so to get in there and encourage people that way to build that sense of we're doing this together. Um this year we've really emphasized professional learning communities. We got it inside the school day every hour or an hour every week so that we could build that consistency of it. We're looking at student data. We're making sure that we're making changes to our practices that affect the classroom. Um, and my each department has a different thing, right? My English department is doing inquiry journals and they're going like crazy at it. Um, my social studies department is working on critical thinking skills and how they're teaching that. They had different needs as a department, but they're pushing forward

068in ways that help kids. All right. Um, as superintendent, how will you foster an atmosphere in the district where teachers and staff feel supported, empowered, valued, and able to reach their full potential, specifically teachers and staff in this one? Okay. I like that there's a little green light to warn me who's about to talk. That's kind of nice. Um, okay. So, how do we help teachers feel empowered and supported to reach their full potential? Is that am I getting that? Okay. Um I think a lot of that works through how we're doing things like professional learning communities, their connection with their principles. How am I supporting principles to create that culture where they feel safe to try things, to risk things, to know that when you're making when you're making an effort to do something

069creative with students, it might flop the first couple times. Um but are you reflective about it? Are you building that skill um in a way that shows that you're doing it as a professional? Right? And then are we treating you as a professional? Are we handling um as administrators, are we handling our jobs in a way that clearly communicates we see you as professionals who are experts in what you do? You work with our kids every day. You know them not as well as their parents, but probably next, right? Um, and so, so are we trusting you, empowering you, supporting you, helping you take those risks, helping you walk it back when it doesn't work and figure out a new way, celebrating when it does work? Um, and are we supporting that with the right

070materials? Do we have curriculum that gives you what you need to get there? Do we have training that gives you what you need to get there? Um, some teachers, I mean, they're ready to try everything all the time, and they'll jump in. Um, I've got a um, one of the art teachers I've worked with will just jump in and try new stuff and new classes all the time and then and then I' there's a social studies teacher like they want to know that it's going to work and they want to see the data and the research before they jump out to that, right? So, so understanding the different needs of different teachers and each of them are doing great things for students. Um, how are we celebrating that? How are we empowering, encouraging it? And

071then how are we listening when they need to know somebody's got my back and they're going to push me and help me get better. >> Describe your experience supporting special education, multilingual learners, and inclusive practices for diverse student needs. >> Special ed, multilingual, and inclusive practices. Okay. Um, I love this question. So, when I first got to university, I got assigned to support the special ed team group and we met weekly. Um, one of my favorite meetings. It was counselors, um, special ed, multilingual, um, school nurse, therapist when we had one. Um, but it's basically a group of people working with the kids who have very unique struggles and and how are we making sure we're talking about individual kids to get them what they need to be successful. Um, when I became principal four

072years later after being the AP for four years, that was redundant, sorry. Um, then I kept that group because I just love doing that. um we get to as administrators support the creative problem solving of those unique specific needs, right? And sometimes it works in groups, right? Some things that work for my multilingual learners are good for lots of kids and we can do it in mass. And sometimes it's designing very specific needs. Um when I first got to Bennett, I think maybe my second month as an administrator, a new family moved in and they had a student who needed colear implants and didn't have them yet. Um we needed to suddenly small district, we did not have the resources of American Sign Language like we do at university. Um and so we needed an

073interpreter and like right away and he had some learning disabilities as well. So we needed somebody that could provide paris support and be an interpreter and work with the special ed teacher and the nurse. He was about to get surgery to get the coclar implants. Um we were able I don't honestly know how but we were able to find an interpreter who could serve as his parah. She was a godsend for that kid right? Um she was not in our budget to start the year but we figured it out and we got her in there working with that kid. um as he got his coclar implants and could start to hear for the first time in his life, which is amazing. Um then she could transition to being more the parah for his academic needs

074and we're able to use her to help other students as well. But as an administrator, you get to be that person coming up with some of the creative supports. You get to be the one that helps figure out how to make the budget work. Um how to do that recruiting, how to support the family and the student. and and sometimes it doesn't go as fast as as we would like, as families would like. So, making sure we're communicating along the way. Um, we're we're doing this, we're working on it, we're not we're not letting it fall through the cracks, and we're going to keep you updated as we go. The family was great, too. Um, those are those are those things that when you're supporting students in their individual needs, um, that's a really rewarding

075part of education, and it takes takes a lot of time and coordination. So sometimes those are things that that the special ed teacher or maybe even the principal don't have enough time to do without some extra support. Um diverse oh including diverse inclusion right um I think one of the things that I know a lot of schools do we have at university also is is letting kids create their own clubs around the interests and identities and all the things that they care about. um supporting that with uh teacher supervision for sure. Um but letting kids create things that matter to them. Um we have a myriad of different clubs. Um and some of them are curricular related. You know, the German club that's going to work on a field trip and go over to Germany,

076but a lot of them are just student interest things, right? Um our little gaming club turned into our esports team eventually. Um, we have all sorts of different student interests and passions that become clubs and that's a way for them to feel like they have a sense of where they belong at school. In addition to really helping support continued participation in extracurriculars, I think when we talk about those identity programs, when you ask a kid like who are you? Usually the first thing they say is some program they're a part of, right? I'm a baseball player. I'm a drama kid. I'm a a sussophone player, right? Whatever it is, um if we can build those identity programs for kids and support them, even if it's small, um this year, um our school for the first

077time in 30 years, the boys were in the state championship game. Super exciting, right? We're down at the coliseum. I'm getting to supervise it. They're all tons of people there. And I had to hurry straight from there right back to it was actually in our church building, my daughter's play. Um, and they had, it's not a super 50 people maybe fit in there, 60 people. Um, and they did an amazing job. And for those boys on the basketball court, it was a huge deal for them. And for those kids on the stage, it was a huge deal for them. And the size of the audience didn't really change that. Um, the size of the venue, it was it was something they had worked hard for. It was something they cared about. It was something they

078were doing well, and it was something we as adults get to celebrate together. So building that inclusion comes a lot with finding where do you belong, where do you fit, how do we make sure that everybody has that. >> What does an effective superintendent board relationship look like to you particularly around communication, decision making and governance role? That is a huge important part of the job and I will definitely rely on conversations with um Superintendent Bod to talk about how you guys have done that here. Um the the ability for us to work together to communicate well can help keep I I've seen it done both ways, right? Um, if we're communicating well, if we're on the same page, if we're casting a good vision for the school in a way that doesn't have 500

079people at every board meeting and screaming and yelling and staff worried about what's happening with jobs, we're in the middle of some big things, right? With declining enrollment, with state budget changes, with um all of the challenges around facility plan development, strategic plans, um there's a lot of big things going on. But if we can communicate well, if we can make sure that people feel like we're not asleep at the wheel, we're not pushing rogue agendas, we're working together to do what's best for kids, and we're going to communicate with each other and with stakeholders in a way that can keep things calm and trusting. Um then then parents, staff, students, all those people can do their roles really well also without having to worry about all the drama happening in this room. Um, so

080that's going to look like individual communication to make sure that we're on the same page, that planning for board meetings, that that that communication in board meetings, that we're working together as a team, and that you don't feel like you're out of the loop. I don't feel like I'm surprised by new goals that I didn't know about, that we're having that communication regularly so that we can continue to push things forward in a positive way. What do you do to encourage participation of employees in the organizational decisions? >> Participation of employees in organizational decisions. So I think we find different people are passionate about different things. Um I'll use facility master planning because I know that's a big deal right now. There are probably people that you've been surprised really care about that. Um, and

081there are probably people that you expected really cared about that. Um, but I think making sure that there's an open invitation to have those discussions. Um, as we were walking around um, talking about facilities stuff, I know there's been a lot of communication about different ideas and what's this possibility and what's that and there's a committee that's meeting once a month if I remember right. Um there's a lot of opportunities for people to speak into those organizational decisions. Even the way this superintendent search has gone, um I've been in front of a lot of different groups at a lot of different times of the day in ways that made it clear that you wanted people to be able to feel like they had access to the decision. Um for employees, you're talking about their livelihood.

082You're talking about their career that they're passionate about. you're talking talking about the way that they are choosing to make a difference in the world. So, it matters deeply to them how we do that and they want to be able to do it together and not things be done to them. Um, and sometimes they don't care, right? but giving them the opportunity to speak into those things that they do care about and trusting that they're not going to be that met with someone lashing out at them, that it's okay to disscent and that we'll explain when we disagree because we're not always going to come to a consensus on everything. Um, but they'll at least know the reasons and that what they said was listened to. Um, and and again, there's a lot of different

083ways that can look. It can look like a open forum things. It can look like, "Please contact these people who are your representatives on a committee to make sure that they're hearing your voice." Um, some people aren't comfortable telling their supervisor something they disagree with, but they'll tell a colleague who is comfortable. And we need to take those things seriously and listen well to that. And also then communicate out in a way that's non-threatening or judgmental, but explains our thinking and why we want to do what we do and that it's in keeping with our plans and with what we think is best for students. Describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision or address a significant problem directly. What did you do and what did you learn? A time with a

084difficult decision that I had to address directly and then what did I do? What did I learn? H um I maybe the first thing that comes to mind is personnel decisions. Um the the first first or second year um that I was an administrator, we had a reduction in force and there was a good young teacher. she was the last one hired and so she was by policy going to be the the one whose job was eliminated. Um and she had done pretty well that year. I mean for a new teacher she had done well. Um communicating early with her not in a like I try hard not to let me put this a different way. Sometimes I brainstorm out loud and create uncertainty that I don't need to. So I've learned a little bit

085of that. um that that communicating things has to be done intentionally and well in if we're brainstorming about a reduction in force, you're talking about people's jobs. And so you don't want to just be spitballing and make people worry unnecessarily, but you also want to give them enough early notice. So in her case, we were able to help her find another job in another district. Um and far as I know, she did really well. Um, but to make sure that we could early on say, "Okay, this is what we're going to have to do based on budget. This is how we're going to do it so that we don't have an entire staff of people worried about their job." Um, but then the person who it directly affected, we supported her in being able to

086move forward positively and got her good recommendations and made sure that people knew there was not anything wrong with her is why she lost the job. um those those communication things are difficult, right? And and in that case, nobody did anything wrong. It was just a budget thing. Um but even in that case, making sure that we communicated not too early, not too late, um in a way that that honored the people involved. In some other um HR decisions I've had to make where I'm letting someone go based on performance. Um I think in a couple cases I needed to be more clear about the expectations before we made that call. Um I needed to make sure that I was growing in that and I think that's an area I've grown a lot in over

087the last several years. um that when when there's improvement needed, we're really clear about what that looks like and how to show it. Because saying you need to get better at something doesn't give them the indicators for how to show they've gotten better at it. Um I had a teacher a long time ago now, we gave him a fourth year of probationary status with a mentor to work through some issues and continue to grow um to hopefully be able to stay longterm. Um, and in that case, it it didn't work out. But I think by the time we got to the end of that fourth year, the mentor that had been working with him, um, there was a little more clarity around why we were making the decision rather than just jumping into it. Um,

088and in other cases, improvement plans have worked great. Um, that we've been able to to grow through issues and and get better at things. So, I think the clarity around expectations has been an area I've grown in those HR things in particular. How do you balance honoring a district's existing strengths and strategic plan while also moving the organization forward to address existing challenges? >> That's a great question and I think in in the case of ESS in particular, we're in a great spot for that right now because we have two years left of the strategic plan that has been in place for three years. Indicators are really good. Um I'm not showing up at a time where it's like, "Oh, we better hurry and come up with a new one." Um we've got two years

089to work on that. Now, certainly there's facilities and other things that we're in the middle of. Um but to take something that's going really well, to take something that I can join in and figure out my part in without changing everything right away is an awesome opportunity. Um to to come into a very stable staff, right? to come into a place that that there's a lot of institutional knowledge that can help me learn what's going really well. Um, and then to collaborate together with those directors, administrators, teachers, staff, community members, board members. Um, to collaborate together for what comes next while honoring all the great things that have come before us. Um, one of the things as a history teacher, I work really hard to remember that every generation throughout history has believed they were

090in a unique spot and they've all been right. Um, and we have to keep in mind what's come before us, how we got here and and waiting out here with all of the 108 years now of Estus Park history. um looking at those pictures of how it's developed over the years. Um we need to keep in mind the history of how we got to where we are and we also need to look forward for where we want to be next and how how things are changing and developing along the way. And and I'm going to keep that history in mind because it matters to me and because that that foundation is good and important, but we also can't get stuck there. We've got to continue to move forward also while still honoring all the people

091that got us here. What kind of what kind of authority do you give to the princ the principles and how do you hold them accountable? >> The authority I give to principles and how to hold them accountable. I think um in this particular area because I've been a principal for the last I mean principal and assistant principal for the last 14 years. I have um quite a bit of experience and a whole lot of connections with other people that are doing it well also. And so understanding that they need to be able to let their style, their personality, their strengths um be the way they lead in their building and that they no two of us are alike, right? That that I don't expect people to do things exactly as I would do it. But

092what we do get to do is decide the the values that underpin that. So the way that we respect students can can come out in different ways, but we know that the foundation is we respect students. The way that we honor parents and their role in a kid's lives can come out in different ways, but the starting point is we value and honor parents and their role in the life of a kid. Um, so I think part of that is that communication, me learning them and learning to trust them and them learning to trust me and then having honest questioning conversations. So tell me why you did that that way. Tell me tell me what you're thinking with this program. Tell me what you need for your teachers and your staff. um and and building

093that communication so that we can have the conversations that keep us aligned in the values even if like the particulars of how we get there might be different. Um and then when something doesn't go right, we've built that trust and communication to say uh let's have let's have a conversation right now, right? And that's going to be hopefully no one else will ever know about it. Um, but it'll be that that little course correction along the way of let's make sure we're doing things the right way for the right reasons and talking through it together and if we make adjustments or if we have to make apologies occasionally, so be it. Um, but that we're keeping those values at the core of how we're doing it and and having conversations. Um, I think the best

094accountability happens in little conversations when we see something instead of, "Oh man, you noticed that six months ago and you never said anything to me about it." That that becomes devastating to trust, right? Cuz now you're wondering what other things have you not told me. So, if we keep that communication open, then we can build that together. Okay. Well, perfect timing. So, do you have any questions for us at this time? >> Oh, okay. I thought that was like nine minutes for nine more questions or something. So, >> we can make that happen. >> Okay. [laughter] Um, I think I mean some of the questions I got to ask you guys in the last round of interviews, um, having seen more specifically a lot of things that are exciting things and challenging things that are

095going on, what do you see as like the things on the horizon for the next year or so? Obviously for me the first thing is build relationships and trust and get to know people but what's the next thing as a board? What's the next thing you want your superintendent doing? U AI cuz it's coming fast and it's going to be it's going to be big. So we need to figure out ahead of time what what the board and what the superintendent is going to do with our school. >> Yeah. And it's changing fast every day too. That's good to know. Thank you. Anything else? What are the other things? >> I think the other thing just in that first year along with the learning is maintain the momentum both in the academics, the test scores,

096also our perception surveys with our students, our community, our parents uh and staff and and making sure all those continue to trend upward and continuing that momentum. Yeah. Yeah, that's a exciting thing that's happening right now. So, >> embracing the strategic plan that we already have in place and then of course the new master plan that's being created. Those are going to be huge fronts. And then, uh, student voice is really important to us. So, we want to make sure that we continue that. You know, uh, Ruby created the superintendent council and so we would hope to see that continued and thriving. >> Yeah. Yeah, I got to meet two of those students today cuz they were asking me questions in the forum and I love that. If I remember, that's every Wednesday morning and

097then they also represent you at the board, right? Um, so I love to be able to continue those things. We do the same at university with having students on the board. Um, and it's been a really positive thing for that student voice and then continuing to listen to all the other kids too at different events. But yeah, in terms of leadership style, I know you have a really good superintendent who you wish wasn't leaving you. Um, but it seems like she's pretty committed to that at this point. Um, if not, maybe you should tell me now. Um, what is it in terms of style that you feel like is a good fit for your current leaders and district? What's the what's the style of leadership you're looking for? >> So, for me, I mean, I've

098seen a different I've been in the district for a while. My kids grew up here, graduated from here, and I've seen a lot of different leaders come and go. Um, for me, I like what Ruby brings to us is, um, she's very honest and keeps us highly informed and is willing to work with us and share ideas with us. Um, her ideas that she has brought forth and her enthusiasm and her appreciation for students and everything, every decision is student centered. I really appreciate that leadership style, her availability to us and her willingness to answer questions. And sometimes we may disagree on a point, but she takes the time to sit down and explain her why and how it helps the students. And I think just having that patience with us because I don't come

099from an education background and her ability to have that patience to sit and explain it. I very much appreciate that leadership style. I appreciate in her how she works and honors our staff and every student. I highly appreciate that and leadership Um and then yeah leadership style listening and [laughter] um listening and learning um as as a first point understanding the different perspectives of those who are coming into that conversation um to find the best outcome and um just uh understanding that everyone is here for the same reason for these kids to educate them Well, and uh even when there's disagreements, we're coming at it with the same goal in mind, different ideas how to get there. So, Ruby has built amazing relationships within the community that have really benefit the school district. Um and

100so that is very important to, you know, build those relationships and you have already spoken to that. So, that's good. Another thing is um Ruby's incredibly dedicated and hardworking and she does not ask anything of anyone that she would not take on herself. So I know I said it was great to come to a place that's functioning so well. It's also a little intimidating. So thank you. And man, yeah, >> we do have high expectations here and that's, you know, we do believe that people can rise to them. The same as with our students, you know, so and we're here to support the next superintendent in that as well. So, we know there's going to be a learning curve. We know the next person coming in is not going to be Ruby Bodie, and we're

101excited for who's going to join us. Correct. And that's the thing. We're on an upward trend, but we still have a long ways to go, right? We we can still continue to improve even beyond where we are right now. >> Yeah, I think that's all the questions I have for now. So, thank you. >> Yeah, thank you for being here. We appreciate your time. >> Thank you. Have a good rest of your day. We're going to recess for 5 minutes. Testing. Testing. Hello. >> Technically can't. It's a meeting >> to the mantra. It's a meeting of the board. Welcome, Mr. Right. We appreciate you being here. Just a reminder, you'll have 45 minutes this evening or afternoon. So, starting with your first question, you've spent a full day in the district. What are your thoughts

102and highlights of the day? What do you know now that you didn't know before? And why do you feel you're a good fit for the superintendent position in the Essis Park community? >> Well, first off, thank you. Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it. Um, this has been a tremendous experience. So, no matter what happens, I hope that the district finds the right person. Ultimately, that's what we want. Um, because that's good for kids. So, um I think after spending a full day in the district, what was really nice to see um I think sometimes with these interviews in these these sorts of processes, you don't get to see staff, you don't get to interact with students, even though that was they're busy. It was a brief period of time. Um and and

103just have some conversations. And that's what was really really stood out to me. Um you know, the tours are helpful. So, putting eyes on something and and having a discussion, right? something that I may have looked at on a website, then I get to see it in person is is incredibly helpful, especially for somebody uh from out of town, but being able to talk to the students who um kudos to the district did a fantastic job really um listening and being engaged and then coming out and having follow-up questions for us, which was just um was really really nice to see. That is I I don't think you would see that everywhere. Um, so I think that was the highlight for me and I think for for whatever reason I was the most nervous going

104into the student um forum because you know it it just after you know depending on what order we went in and you're talking at them for a while um you just never know what you're going to get and and that's okay. It's part of being in education. It's part of working with kids. But they just they did a fantastic job. I really really was impressed. So, I think that was a standout moment for me. As far as um my fit, I I feel as though um some of the stuff I talked about resonated um you know, when in the community forum resonated just, you know, based on body language or um facial expression, things of that nature. Um you know, I am one of the students came out and he said, "Well, you know, you

105really I felt like you were really student centered and I am that I want students to be their best selves." Um, and I see the role as being the facilitator to help everybody in the district have our kids be their best selves. And and so I'm going to, you know, work to eliminate roadblocks and um make sure that we have the right access to um instructional materials and and that we're implementing the right programs to ensure that what we're doing is the right thing for kids and that we're we're improving their outcomes. So, um, I think that's why I might be a good fit here. >> How do you intend to establish clear accountability structures within our district to ensure that all stakeholders including staff, administrators, and students are held to high standards of performance

106and conduct? >> Sure. So we talked about this um a little bit with the admin team and um I said you know one of the ways that we can do that is it and whether it's you know building level to teacher or um district level to building level right um is through the use of data right so sometimes things can be you know it's personal and um you know but the data doesn't lie so the data is going to tell the story so um being able to to take the data that we're being given and sort of disagregate data and really take a look at it is going to help us to to to have conversations around um student performance around um teacher performance. And what I said to the staff and you know I'll

107say again tonight is that's not a gotcha. My job is then to say to them, okay, so we're struggling. What do you need in order to you know improve? what do you need to be able to deliver something different so that your students are able to succeed? Um, you know, I don't I don't like the concept of a gotcha and I know that, you know, we're administrators and they're teachers. I talked in the parent forum about I can be friendly. I can want to know everything about you and your kids and and all the things, but we aren't friends and because at some point I'm going to ask you to do something that you don't want to do and and that's just the way that it is. Administration is lonely. Um, so I think you

108know using data being um building trust and getting people comfortable to say that it's okay to make mistakes. It's okay for things to go wrong, but that the goal is that you are a professional. I'm a professional and we're going to come up with strategies to make improvement. Now, if we have those conversations numerous times and there still is an improvement, right? then that's a different process entirely and people would have to be held accountable for that. Um, but as I said to the staff last night, all of you right are are certified by the state of Colorado. I'm coming to you with an understanding that you are a professional and I am also a professional and at times even professionals need a little bit of grace. So, there's that. as far as for students,

109I think um had a couple of parent questions about discipline and and um restorative practices and all of these things and and and bullying. And I said um you know, we're not going to get into sort of the the nuances and definition of bullying as you know because there are um you know, existing definitions and structure around that particular term, which is a hot button issue. I said, but you know, my stance is that a code of conduct and expectations for behavior can exist at the same time that we recognize that we are a learning organization and our job is to teach kids. I would much rather them make mistakes while they're in school rather than when they're out in the community and they're relying on a paycheck and they have families and all of

110the other things. So, you know, that being said, there's some lines in the sand, right? and and if if there's something that's unsafe, um if it truly, you know, it's violating the code of conduct, then the students are going to be held accountable. But the idea that we can be teaching students how to be good humans can coexist with accountability and clear expectations for behavior. Um and and that's that's for everybody, right? That's we have to model that behavior, too. Um and if you know, unfortunately, it happens from time to time. if a staff member is inappropriate or um is crossing one of those lines then they would be held accountable too. Um you know but again we all need to be able to grow together. These are tough jobs. Um and as I said

111to the students today I it's so much more challenging to be a high school student today than it was the many decades ago when I was in high school. Um the things they have to deal with. Um you know so we want to support them through that. And I always say to kids, and my whole time in education, I've said, I, you know, I just want to keep you from making the really big mistakes. Some mistakes are okay. That we all make mistakes. Um, and you know, we want educators that can talk to them about um making mistakes. I worked with somebody years ago who, well, I don't give test corrections because I never needed them. And I said, that's an absolutely ridiculous statement, right? the goal is to learn something, really learn something, and

112learn how to use something. And the idea that you get one shot at it and you're done. I said, I just like, what are you doing? Like, that that's horrible. What a horrible message to send to kids. Um because we get to do stuff over and over and over again until we get it right. Um so, I think um you know, all of those things can coexist, but my you know, they are not criminal masterminds. bad things happen and we'll deal with it, but the rest of it is we're going to work through this and we're going to support you and you know the goal is you come out a better human than when you came to us. >> Thank you. How will you demonstrate your commitment to the community as superintendent, ensuring that the

113needs and aspirations of our stakeholders are prioritized and addressed? So, I'm very impressed with um you know the turnout last night and people really being invested in um finding out more about us and asking questions because they're passionate about um the district and um the district's performance. So, you know, I would continue to build on what's been established here and the relationships that are here. We we came over today. We were kind of walking around town and I came into the library. I got a soft spot for libraries and kind of was scoping it out and talked to a couple of the staff and um I know they're getting ready to undergo a renovation. Um but it's going to be more of that. So sometimes I'm going to have to do the outreach and I'm

114going to have to go and you know knock on doors and and um you know offer to have some conversations and um and then other times, you know, we're going to open the doors of the school and invite people in. I think the best thing is is hearing some of the projects and community comes in and views the projects or the community comes in and hears student presentations. It's fantastic. Um, you know, in a in a more remote community, you know, all of these kids, their first jobs are going to be here. So, having a good understanding of what those their first employers want to see in these kids, that that's going to help us, right? Just like when we know we want to know at at each transition, right? when you leave a grade

115level, right? We want to make sure that what the standards they've met align with what we think in the next grade level where they're coming, right? They're they should be coming to us with this, this, and this. We want that alignment. Well, it's the same thing. We want alignment with what the community values and what the community thinks is important because we want kids to stay and and have families and and you know build their lives here and not all go down you know down into the valley or go somewhere else. Um you want to keep you want to keep people here and the best way to do that is to set them up to be successful. What experience do you have recruiting and retaining highquality staff, teachers, particularly in places where housing, compensation, or

116affordability may be barriers? >> Um, I think this this is a tough one. Um, you know, there's only so much you can do with funding structures. There's only so much you can do with with compensation. And we talked a lot um last night in the parent and the family forum and I talked with staff because I I had a staff directly ask me like what can you do? Um you know it is not at the sole discretion of the superintendent to to determine that right this is you know um that's not how it works and I I I did explain that to them. Um, but I said, you know, if there are ways that I can advocate, um, you know, at the state level for changes, if there's things that we can do, I am

117more than happy to do that for them. Um, I think the biggest thing though is is that figuring out ways to lean into what makes the district special, right? For for staff, for them to have some measure of autonomy where they can, for them to be able to pursue their passions when they can. um you know making sure that it's a climate where people want to come to work, right? Everybody that went into education had an understanding of where the pay scale was, right? Nobody nobody went into education to be independently wealthy. They just didn't. So they already have that passion. They have that understanding. So now how can we enhance the things that we're doing and the things that we're able to offer to them that makes them want to stay, right? maybe there's

118a club that they want to be able they want to, you know, show their passion to another to a group of students or they want to do some of those things. Then we should be able to try and facilitate some of those things for them. Um, unfortunately, as we know, it can't always be about dollars. We, and I said to them last night, I said, I can't put something forward that would jeopardize the long-term, you know, fiscal sustainability of the district. And and they wouldn't want that either, right? So a short-term gain right now and then five or 10 years from now the district, you know, is unable to maintain that. So that's that's just kind of that's what happens. Um I said it's not always the answer you want to hear, but then it's

119it's those other things. And I do think um you know giving them opportunities to express themselves, to to show a talent, um to find their their spot, their thing that they're really passionate about is going to keep people here. Um so I I think that's what we have to lean into. What leadership habits and behaviors do you have that demonstrate you are an instructional leader for the school district? And give us an example. >> So I think that um I definitely come from a very reflective um very reflective mindset. So I'm I'm very reflective of my own practice. Um, I, you know, I have to take a close look at, you know, when I do these sorts of things, when I do anything, go back and kind of reflect and and sort of play it

120back and see, you know, what could I have done differently or could I have said something differently? Um, and that's what that's what good educators need to be able to do. They need to be able to be comfortable with analyzing um their instruction, right? Um, what I have to be able to do as a as an instructional leader is assist the buildings in um making sure that teachers have time to do that. making sure that they understand the data that they're and you know that for the assessments that they're taking. We take tons of data all the time. Do they have the time and the level of understanding to be able to take that data and then inform their instruction in a timely manner? Because if we're not turning right around and taking a look

121at that, then that that opportunity has passed us by or now you're trying to build skills when you you already are missing a piece. Um, so for in, you know, in my role is helping them to have those conversations, making sure that the building has time to have those conversations. Um, building principles and assistant principles have a ton of stuff on their plate. My role is to make sure they still have time to be an instructional leader. Um, and as the instructional leader of the instructional leaders, right, it's making sure they also have a comfort level with being reflective. Um, and that they have a comfort level with understanding the data, right? And that's something that we all can do together. And I may notice something or I may have a question about something that

122they didn't, right? And then we we work together to come up with a plan and um we work together to support the teachers. But I think at at this level um you know so when we've rolled out various programs um right now we're rolling out um the eel curriculum at the elementary level. So um that has taken a lot of um professional development. We partnered with EL education to do some coaching. Um and my role in that is to also go through the coaching and also go through the professional development. So, not only are the teachers sitting and they're going through the modules and they're talking with those um with the EL coaches, the administrators are also doing that. We're also getting on calls separately to talk through, okay, here's what we should be looking

123for. We developed a look for tool so that we could go into the classrooms and really briefly some analysis on what we're seeing, not not a an evaluation by any stretch of the imagination, and then we give that feedback to the teachers. Um, so I have to do some of the same things when we roll out um, programs or when we're being an instructional leader. If I can't go into a classroom and talk to you about it in a way that shows that I'm able that I understand it as well, then nobody's going to take anything that I say seriously. Um, so we have to take the time to be able to do that, too. That's valuable work. as superintendent, how will you foster an atmosphere in the district where teachers and staff feel supported,

124empowered, valued, and able to reach their full potential? >> So, my stance is um you know, none of these none of these districts would exist without all the people, right, that are that are doing the jobs and and um and some of the jobs are really really tough, right? Um regardless of title, everybody's working really hard. Everybody is a professional. Everybody needs to be respected. That is my stance. Um, I came from the self-contained world. Uh, had a lot of pair of professionals that I I worked with that were those rooms wouldn't function. I could be doing a great job, but there's no way those rooms would have functioned without those individuals being there. And and unfortunately, as we know, um, you know, they're they're some of the lowest compensated people in education. Um, but

125the district wouldn't wouldn't work without them. So my stance is you know when we were in those rooms um everybody was a teacher everybody was on you know was on equal footing now behind closed doors when you have to do some management you have to do some planning yes then right the teacher is the instructional leader that is the way that it is but in front of the students everybody was respected right you know because every now and again you'd get kids that would well I'm only going to talk to this person or I'm only going to Nope we are all people that you can talk to um we are all people that can help you with your problems all of those things and and and that's my um you know that's my my mindset

126in general is that um you know I respect everybody and I respect the importance of their role um you know and it's it's different than my role and that's okay but you know what if we lost all of them the district would be really in a really bad place and I can't always say that if you know if I wasn't there at this level right for a little bit it's different you mean the buildings wouldn't run. So, um you know, as a as a superintendent, you have to be aware of that and you have to show those people that you value them and that you value their the the day-to-day work that they're doing every day for the buildings to keep the buildings clean, to keep the buildings running, to keep the kids safe, to

127get them to and from their homes, all of those things. So, I really I really try hard to value them. Um and I think that that that is the climate, right? that we all respect one another, that we're every job here is important in terms of moving kids forward. Describe your experience supporting special education, multilingual learners, and inclusive practices for diverse student needs. >> So, um, in the last two districts that I've been in, we've worked really hard, um, to shift to a more inclusive model. um did some work with um Syracuse University a couple of years ago and um all around co-eing and and inclusion and and all of that. And you know, in my time in special education, you know, what I've found is that a lot of the things that we do

128in special ed to to break down the barriers, right, to to make sure that kids have access, they're pretty good for all of the students to be quite honest with you. Um, you know, and a lot of times when you're offering something to one student, the whole room could benefit. Um, you know, the power of inclusion is is there's a lot of aspects to it, but it I think it it helps kids to realize that everybody learns something in a different way, right? And we want them to learn how they learn. Um, and you know, we talk to kids all the time about, listen, you may have you may be a math rock star and math might have been really hard for me, right? But we could both be out in the world and be

129successful. Um, in terms of inclus inclusion, you know, getting kids to realize that not everybody is the same as everybody else and that's okay and they can still be um, successful. I was thrilled that um, some of the, you know, some of the special ed kids that were that have higher level of need were still to the best of their ability, they're going to participate in the forum. Absolutely. They participate in the forum. um you know, whether it's the form, whether it's athletics or extracurriculars, um it may not look the same as everybody else, but that's okay. It's still a valuable experience for them. Um in terms of what works in the classroom and and what works in terms of um differentiation and all of those sorts of things. So putting things in place at

130the tier one level to acknowledge that kids learn things in a different way. Um to acknowledge that there's more than one way to deliver content. Um and you're going to then get more kids participating. You're going to get more kids to to to tap into their learning. You know, looking for ways for it to be more authentic, right? One of the ways that we can we can do we can tap into students background knowledge, right? have them relate it to something that they've already seen in their community, what they see or they hear. Um, you know, we had a co-taught biology class and um I was observing and the whole back of the room was in camouflage and the teacher was talking about the life cycle of various animals and predators and prey and all

131of these things. Whole back of the room in camouflage camouflage. They're all hunters. And it was a missed opportunity. And so we talked about that afterwards and I said did you know you think about they all hunt I said they all hunt turkeys at different times like you know I said think about the opportunity then for those kids because those kids are sitting in the back of the room right now going I just you know I'm just going to get through this class if you had reeled them in to talk about that now you're tapping into that background knowledge you're tapping into a different way for them to relate to the curriculum that's all includ inclusion. That's all um the things that we need to do for our special ed kids, but it's also good

132for everybody else. Movement breaks, right? Um giving things talking about something, but also giving a visual to reference, right? So, what we usually say pairing auditory information with visuals, right? Yeah, a lot of us would do better may may do better one way or the other, but if you give us both, well, now I got it, right? Um so it's those sorts of things and that's been my experience over the years is that um a lot of times you know you look at the accommodations on a on a um an individualized plan and most of those things would work for everybody in the room. It's just we have determined in this particular instance that without those things that child wouldn't be successful. Um, so you know, and sometimes there's a little bit of uh apprehension

133around some of those things and it's like, well, the other kids have noticed that, you know, so and so gets only has to work for, you know, 10 minutes and then they get a break. And my response is, well, that's what that particular individual needs to be successful. But if you want to talk about um a way that maybe we could have everybody get a break after 10 or 15 minutes, I I I think that you know maybe everybody would benefit from that at times. Um it's not about everybody getting the same thing. It's about really knowing your kids and then delivering supports that they need in order to best demonstrate what they know. What does an effective superintendent board relationship look like to you particularly around communication, decision- making and governance role? So um

134you know the board does that higher level thinking and um sets the vision and the policy right and the direction. Um the superintendent serves at the pleasure of the board of education and then takes that work and brings it to the district and then helps the building leaders and helps the staff then implement those those goals and and that vision. The way that I um I have a very good relationship with my my current board um albeit not in a superintendent role and um you know I I see it as a a partnership. I think the most effective um board and superintendent relationships are going to be a partnership where we can come to an agreement on what is best for the kids in the district, what the kids need in order to be successful

135and then your perspectives and my perspective and then it becomes that open dialogue to talk about okay here are the constraints right here are the things that that you know we have to be mindful of because again we don't want to put anything out there that we can't sustain long term. Um, but at the same time, right, here's here are the things that we can do together in order to move the district forward. Um, you know, so for me, it would be a true partnership in terms of alignment between where you feel you want the district to be. Does that align with where I feel like I want to go as a superintendent and how I want to help those administrators and those teams um, you know, move the kids forward? um what do you

136do to encourage participation of employees in organizational decisions? So I think you know initially coming in any new um administrator there's going to be that's there's going to be some trepidation in terms of like well does he really want me to say what I I feel or does he really want my decision right and I've been in organizations where they do like the sensing session and it's like nope my stance everybody's doing a fabulous job I'm not saying anything um you don't want that type of organization you want to build some trust that starts with um small things, right? Making sure that if somebody brings something to your attention that you follow up and you get back to them. Um if they they talk about something and you can't do it that you come back

137and you have a conversation with them. So if you want to get them involved, then you have to show that their voice matters. Um you have to show that um you are taking that into consideration what they want. As I said in the in the parent forum though last night, I said that doesn't mean and I think I said it with the students too, right? That doesn't mean that you get whatever you want, right? That there's still going to be um some give and take. There's going to be things that I'm thinking of that um we have to consider that they may not have thought of. Um and so then it's okay to have a conversation about that. I would love to have um staff want to be more involved in the decision-m in um

138you know the direction that we're headed and the things that we want to do because you know all of us that that sort of group collective there's so much so many years of experience and different perspectives and and knowing the kids in a different way than I ever will. Um and they bring all of that to the table. So I it can't be a situation where I'm sitting and I'm just making decisions in isolation or we were making decisions in isolation and it's sort of that top- down approach. Now there are times where things have to be a directive and we can't always get there and you know whether there's time constraints whether there's there's particular um you know regulatory requirements and that happens but you can weather those if in the other opportunities you're

139able to to build that um group consensus with them and and so um I think that it's a lot of work and it will take some time that that initially it's going to Everybody's going to tell me that everything Well, one of two things could happen. Everybody's going to tell me everything's great, even if it isn't. Or I'm going to get everybody's list, you know, it's going to be like the airing of grievances. Um, and then they're going to they're going to step back and see what I do with it, right? Oh, well, now let's see what he does with that. Um, and you know, either way, I think, um, you still have to build the relationship. you look to to address some small things on those lists and and make them feel heard and

140then over time you get to the point hopefully where you have some shared decision-m which would be fantastic. Describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision or address a significant problem directly. What did you do and what did you learn? Um well, I'll talk about uh an issue with a with a teacher. So, um we had a teacher and there were some students that that reported um some rather inappropriate behavior. Um and then very shortly thereafter, a teacher came and reported um there were some concerns and um it was a challenging situation. Um the the teacher was also connected to um my home district about 10 minutes away and their sign their spouse was a district level administrator that I'd had some involvement with just one you know 10 the districts are

141about 10 miles apart. So, it was a bit of a um complicated situation, but you know, we we stuck to our um you know, what we do for one, we try to do for everyone for the most part. We try to be consistent. So, we we we looked at the approach. This was um this was dealing directly with students. So, we followed our protocol. Um and then the the teachers unit wanted to engage um the the New York State rep and um which was something that we did not have to do. This was not a um a teacher that had had tenure in the state of New York. Um but we um had that conversation and we said okay we will you know we'll engage in that process as well and I ended up having

142a few meetings and we had meetings together um and we came to the decision between the the teachers unit and um the district that it you know that the allegations had some merit and um and then we proceeded to you know terminate that teacher. It was just it was kind of a sticky situation just given the the nature of the of the relationships there. But I think it's we approached it the right way. Um I think the you know the thing that we it was a little bit different was engaging the the New York State teachers rep. But okay like we can we can go through this and and talk talk it through. And they actually ended up being very reasonable. So I think um what I learned in that is that um sometimes there

143is a little bit of that give and take. I could have very easily put my foot down and said, "I don't have to do that. I don't have to give you a reason in this particular situation. This is a student that or this is a teacher that doesn't have tenure." Um, but then the ripples in the in in the pond, right, of the then now the teachers unit is kind of up in arms and and you know the long-term effects of that rather than building a working relationship with the president of the teachers unit to say that behavior is not something that we want in your unit and that is not something that we want in the district. And we were able to get to the point where we could kind of lock arms on

144that and say that's it. And um so it was good. I think a little bit of a give and um we ended up at the right outcome anyway and the person wasn't in the building any longer. It wasn't like they were there waiting and and still around students like all of that was handled. Um but you know build some inroads with the unit as well because at some point I'll need it. So, >> how do you balance honoring a district's or existing strengths and strategic plan while also moving the organization forward to address existing challenges? >> So, coming into a position, right, none of us um you know that sit here before you should be looking to just wipe everything out and start over, right? um there are a lot of great things happening. And

145so even if a district is struggling, there are still good things happening. Um and I think that you have to um you have to make sure that you're able to highlight some of those things um and acknowledge some of those things because it can sometimes feel like oh you know that you know all the administrators think that the sky is always falling um and that nothing we do is good enough. So I think you know I was very impressed with the strategic plan. I've said that in across the the forums. I'm very impressed with the work that was done on the the global outcomes. Um you know what we would want to do is have a lot of conversations with the um admin team, have a lot of conversations with the staff. You know, how

146are those things going? What are the challenges? Right? And then as you kind of you're in this role and you're doing that work. All right. So if there are barriers, then that's what we look to tackle. if there are gaps and we're not meeting a particular marker, right? So, if we're not meeting um our academic goals, where are the gaps? What's happening? Um and then tackling those pieces and then, you know, um they're in year three of the five-year cycle. So, then going into next year, it's already starting to talk about, okay, let's get a committee back together. Let's get stakeholders back together to talk about here's where we're at at this point. you know what are you seeing again what's what are those gaps and um now developing working to develop the next plan.

147So it should be an ongoing process of being able to take that information um and get all the stakeholders in the room and say now we we've lived with this for a couple of years. Is are these still true? Right? And if and if they go right to oh well no no no no right um then really having a conversation about you know what is that particular aspect missing or about that definition that you feel doesn't meet it. Um but again it's not scrapping everything. We don't want to end up with initiative fatigue. We don't want to end up with oh well this is just another thing. Um you really want it to be um internalized and nope this is what we do. This is how we work with kids. um and you know and

148um and this is what's going to make them their best selves. So it but coming in and just wiping everything out and saying nope, you know, we're going to do it this particular way um is just a recipe for disaster. >> What kind of authority do you give to principles and how do you hold them accountable? So, um I respect the principal's ability to um run their buildings again, right? They've reached a level in their career as professionals and they were appointed to be the principal in the building. I was not appointed to be the principal in the building. Um my job is that if they need something, if they are unable to do something that I help them to figure out how we can get that done. So I do give um you know

149that that autonomy that um that's their purview. That's that's what they operate in. They run those buildings. Now the worst thing that I can do is come in and circle behind them and undercut them and make decisions right around them all of those things because um then they'll lose their building. So, even if we were worried about a set of decisions that a a principal was making, it doesn't solve the problem for me to come in behind them and undercut them because now they're they're going to have an even harder time making decisions and and implementing those things because you they're going to lose their staff. They're going to be like, "Oh, well, we don't have to worry about the principal because I mean, you know, the superintendent is kind of circling behind them." So,

150you know, I have to I have to know my lane, too. And my lane is to come from the angle of, you know, if you make a mistake or something happens, right, that how do I support you? How do we work through this? Right? How do we move forward? Um, and not come in behind them. And and and unfortunately, I've worked with some fantastic superintendents and um in a small district sometimes it happens and staff pick up on it right away, right? when somebody kind of circles in and I say something I haven't had a conversation with one of my principles and then I say something or I do something that maybe isn't quite perfectly aligned right away staff are going to kind of pounce on that. So um it takes a lot of communication

151and um a lot of trust between us but I I do I try hard to respect you know another administrator's um you know professional ability. There is a level of professional discretion there. Um and and I'm I'm more in that support role. So would do you have any questions for us at this time? >> Oh, I I mean I think that so much has been answered over the last there's just so much information and I and I think that's the the that's the part of this um that's been so interesting is it's just it's like how much information can you digest in a really compressed period of time. Um, I think it was it, you know, fantastic experience to get eyes on and really see and and and talk to people and kind of just

152and and be in the district. Um, it's been very very helpful. I'm sure I would if you know if I'm the successful candidate, I will have lots of other questions and and other resources and, you know, starting to do a deep dive into different areas and and making sure that I'm getting up to speed as quickly as possible. Um you know the process I think for the most part has been fairly straightforward and clear um in terms of of the kind of getting everybody's involvement and and getting feedback from all the stakeholders and then um you know working with the um you know the consultants and and laying out the timelines all of that. Um so that's been very helpful. Um, I I don't know if I I normally, you know, you don't want to

153leave and say, "Oh, I don't have any other questions." Um, I'm sure I will later on. Um, you know, it even with the community, we've been driving around all day and just seeing the different, you know, like where people live and the different types of of housing that the kids are in and all the different things and just kind of just getting the lay of the land. Um, answering those questions as well. Um, but no, I I don't think that I have any other questions at this point. Um, like I said, if if I were your successful candidate, then I'm sure um the open dialogue would would begin. So, but thank you. >> Thank you. I appreciate being here. >> So, the board is going to take a 10m minute recess. Chris, we ready? Recording.

154All right, it is now 5:20. Chris, if you will uh conduct a board roll call, please. >> Director Furry here. >> Director Shocket here. >> Director RSki here. >> Director Wis here. Moving on to agenda four. The board having named more than one finalist and having conducted interviews with each of the finalists in a forum open to the public may proceed into executive session pursuant to CRS section 246424 I1 and CRS section 246424 I3 to meet with and instruct the district superintendent search consultants in order to prioritize for purpose of negotiation and one or more finalist and to begin contract negotiations concerning the terms of employment. contract with one or more finalists for the position of superintendent. Do I have a motion to go into executive session for the previously stated purpose? >> Do I

155say the whole thing? >> Okay. I move that the board proceed into executive session having named more than one finalist and having conducted interviews with each of the finalists in an open in a forum open to the public proceed into executive session pursuant to CRS 24642411 and CRS 246 to meet with and instruct the district superintendent search consultants in order to prioritize for purposes of negotiation one or more finalists and to begin contract negotiations concerning the terms of an employment contract with one or more finalists for the position of superintendent. >> Director Shaket made the motion. Is there a second? >> I second. >> Director Wis made second the motion. Any discussion? Seeing none, Chris, please conduct a board roll call. >> Director Free >> I. >> Director Shockett >> I. Director Reurski >> I.

156>> Director Wis I. >> The motion passes. Joining the board in executive session this evening is HY Representative Brian Eward and David Ball. We have no members of the public um in the room. It is now 5:22 p.m. and the board will move into executive session. It is now 7:14 p.m. The board is reconvened in open session. Moving on to agenda item five, upcoming meetings. The next regular board meeting is Monday, April 20th, 2026, 5:15 p.m. at town hall. Moving on to agenda item 6, adjournment. Would a board member make a motion to adjurnn? >> I move we adjurnn. Is there a second? >> I second. >> We're um Thank you everyone. We'rejourned. >> Thank you.