School board narrows superintendent search to five

Out of 16 applicants for the job of Douglas County superintendent, five are moving on to interviews with the school board, including one candidate with a contentious past.

On Tuesday, superintendent search consultant Jim Huge compared the application process to the NFL draft.

"The best analogy I can give is the NFL draft," he told board members. "We have a very strong pool."

Public interviews for the position will be March 22, 23 and 24.

Board members originally approved eight candidates for interviews, but two have since accepted offers elsewhere, and one candidate was dropped after controversial issues surrounding his previous position surfaced.

"I want the public to understand that just because people withdraw does not mean we've lost the best ones," said Huge.

The only applicant from within the school district, Carson Valley Middle School Assistant Principal Dan Wold, did not make the finalist pool.

n Mary Bull, former superintendent of Vallejo City Unified School District in Vallejo, Calif., from 2007 to 2009.

"I believe the breadth and depth of my experience and expertise as a superintendent, assistant superintendent, campus administrator, and teacher enable me to bring K-12 educational administration leadership skills, innovative practices, and an inclusive, collaborative style to Douglas County schools that would benefit students, parents, teachers and the community," said Bull.

Bull said in August 2009 the remainder of her contract was bought out by the Vallejo City school board "due to a protracted philosophical disagreement."

According to the Vallejo Times-Herald, Bull was placed on paid leave in June 2009 as the district investigated an employee complaint against her. According to the paper, she was terminated without cause in August and paid out the remainder of her contract, though no details of the investigation were made public.

"The candidate has all the skill sets, but there's one potential reason you may not want an interview," Huge told board members.

Huge said his own bias is that she is one of the better candidates; he called her experience exceptional; but he questioned whether the board, especially in light of Carol Lark's contentious departure, wanted to interview someone with "that kind of baggage."

n Jason Glass, director of human resources for Eagle County Schools in Eagle, Colo., since 2007.

"I believe in the sacred work of public education," said Glass. "I have experience in leadership, student assessment and data, measuring educator effectiveness, performance-based compensation, curriculum alignment and development, special education and organizational change."

"He's probably one of the brightest and most interesting candidates to come forward," Huge said. "He doesn't have the experience some of the others have, but knows data and has done a great deal of research."

n David Jensen, assistant superintendent of Humboldt County School District in Winnemuca since 2008.

"I believe you will find that I have outstanding experience, great people skills and a desire to serve, while maintaining a perspective that is data-driven and goal oriented," said Jensen. "In this age of ever increasing accountability and fiscal disparity, I believe you will find this a very positive and effective combination."

Huge said in the past, he tried to recruit Jensen for other superintendent positions, but that Jensen repeatedly declined. Yet with Douglas County, Huge said, Jensen was more than ready to apply.

"He has all the skills necessary," Huge said.

n Ron Lustig, principal of Eldorado High School in Las Vegas since 2007.

"I seek to lead a school district that hungers to promote student academic achievement and collaborate in helping our students become responsible and productive members of the community," Lustig said.

Huge said Lustig was originally not included in the list because he's only a principal.

"He's done extremely great work," said Huge. "He also had 10 very successful years in the military (U.S. Coast Guard), and so has the leadership."

n Elisabeth Noonan, chief academic officer for Washoe County School District since 2009.

"My career path has included 27 years of serving children in a variety of roles, all of which have contributed to making me an empathetic and knowledgeable leader," Noonan said.

Huge said that like Jensen, he's also been trying to recruit Noonan for years.

"Her experience ranges from a building principal to curriculum work to assistant superintendent," he said. "She definitely has the experience."