Board interviews second round of superintendent candidates

The third and fourth superintendent candidates interviewed by Douglas County school board members Tuesday night hailed from different corners of the continent.

Thomas Hisiro, director of educational graduate studies at Bethel University, flew in from McKenzie, Tenn., while Heather Henderson-Hill, deputy superintendent of Chinook's Edge School Division, traveled from Alberta, Canada.

Hisiro, 60, told board members he started as a teacher and worked as a coach, counselor and site administrator before deciding to teach education at the college level. He said part of his job is mentoring principals.

"We're charged with the profession of making a difference in a child's life," he said. "Regardless of the accolades and titles I've received, I'll always be a teacher and educator. I can bring to the district a wealth of knowledge and first-hand experience that enables us to move ahead."

When asked why he wanted to leave higher education, Hisiro said he considers himself a public educator first and feels he can make a difference as superintendent.

"I am here to spend the rest of my life," he said. "I am here to make that kind of commitment. This is the only superintendent position I've decided to pursue."

Board Vice President Tom Moore asked Hisiro for any data showing how he's impacted student achievement.

"In my capacity as an administrator, I was able to impact the so-called numbers and make a difference," Hisiro responded. "If you want to generate data, you have to make sure teachers are effective in what they're doing on a day-to-day basis."

Hisiro said one of his biggest strengths is working with site administrators.

"I believe in a team effort and working horizontally as a unit of administrators," he said.

Hisiro said the superintendent is the CEO of the district and thus accountable for everything.

"The superintendent serves as the board's No. 1 resource person," he said. "You do need to gather that data before you make the right decision."

Moore asked Hisiro to define the role of an individual board member.

"The board member's role is to stay objective and unbiased in the decision-making process," Hisiro said. "Another role of the board is to maintain consistency as you carry out policies."

If a given policy is contrary to the best interests of the district, Hisiro said, he would objectively make that argument to the board, backed up by "good solid information."

"Once a decision is rendered, you have to move on," he said. "I believe I have the confidence, leadership and skill to render good, effective decisions in this role."

Board member Randy Green asked Hisiro how he would handle an individual board member speaking out publicly against a majority-decided policy.

"It is not good to do what you described," Hisiro said. "My role would be to confront and engage in feedback, hopefully mutually with the person, and to make myself available to that person."

As superintendent, Hisiro said he would be engaged in the schools.

"It's important to show students we care about what they do not only in the classroom, but equally in every realm and extracurricular endeavor," he said.

Hisiro said he is up against some very well-qualified individuals, but that the district won't find "someone with more experience in the whole realm of education."

Henderson-Hill, 55, might disagree. Following Hisiro, she told board members her career has spanned three provinces: Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. She started as a teacher in the 1970s and later became a principal, director of education and superintendent of curriculum and instruction. She's served as deputy superintendent of Chinook's Edge School Division since 2000.

"I'm a strong believer in relationships," she said. "Everything we do in education is built one conversation at a time, one action at a time."

When asked about student achievement, Henderson-Hill directed board members to a tree diagram she'd provided detailing her vision of "21st Century learning and skill development." Her core tenets included critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, flexibility, resiliency, digital citizenship and communication.

"I have a master's degree in special education, and that's where my heart is," she said. "Student achievement is critical to moving ourselves and our students forward."

Henderson-Hill emphasized what she called a "coaching culture."

"I don't mean coaching baseball," she said. "I mean mentoring and challenging people, challenging the status quo and questioning where we're at. Working with people in their professional growth plans has a profound effect on student achievement."

Henderson-Hill said she doesn't profess her school district in Canada works perfectly 100 percent of the time.

"With shared leadership, though, we have been named one of the top achieving districts in the province," she said.

Henderson-Hill said the role of the superintendent is to provide data, put pieces together and keep board members knowledgeable.

"The board is one of governance and policy making, and my role is to carry out their direction in terms of carrying out the data," she said. "The board speaks as a whole. People have differing opinions; however, when a decision is made, it's made by the board as a whole."

Like Hisiro, Henderson-Hill was asked how she'd handle an individual board member "going rogue."

"I would speak to the president of the board," she said. "It's important the president has that role of working with individual board members."

Trustees asked Henderson-Hill about any potential difficulties in switching from one nation's educational system to another.

She first assured board members that she's already consulted with an immigration attorney. She said she could obtain a work visa and permanent residency if she were hired. Regarding differences between the two systems, she said it wouldn't be a problem.

"There's a learning curve out there for any new job. Do I think it's insurmountable? Not at all," she said. "We have the same issues and challenges, and we deal with them in the same way. We're not all that different. We think the same way and have the same passion for education."

As a new superintendent, Henderson-Hill said the most important thing is getting out and meeting people in the district.

"I think it's important for the superintendent to meet people where they are at, to give differentiated support and not one size fits all," she said.

She said her district in Canada is currently in the middle of a school closure. In such a situation, she said, she's very comfortable working with the stake-holders in the decision-making process.

"I'm good at looking at the big picture and moving forward," she said.

When asked what drew her to the area, Henderson-Hill said she wants to be closer to family members in California.

"It's a wonderful place here," she said. "Everyone I talked to today said just how great the people are."

School board members are meeting 6 p.m. Monday at the district office to narrow the field of superintendent candidates down to a maximum of three. They're also going to schedule a special meeting to discuss terms of employment for the successful candidate.