Two remain as PSD superintendent finalists

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

Two men, one from Colorado and one from Oregon, remain finalists for the job of superintendent of Poudre School District.

The board of education narrowed the field on Jan. 24. "It was a tough decision," said board president Ross Cunniff. "All three come with a lot of strengths."

The decision came during a month of activity with four candidates visiting the district and fielding questions at public forums. The remaining candidates are former U.S. Senate candidate Mike Miles, who is assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction at Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8, and Jerry Wilson, superintendent for Hermiston School District in Oregon.

Ken Hoover, chief operating officer for Jefferson County School District, Golden, was eliminated as a finalist on Jan. 24. Sandra Husk, superintendent for the Clarksville/Montgomery County School system in Clarksville, Tenn., formally withdrew her name on Jan. 18.

Cunniff said Miles and Wilson seem to be the best fit for this school district in the way they might relate to the board and staff. While Miles was the only top candidate without a doctorate, Cuniff said, his variety of experience could overcome the lack of a Ph.D.

Board members will now visit the two finalists' home districts. "We hope to find out how the candidates are perceived in their districts on these visits, how successful and effective they are," Cunniff said. "We'll be able to talk with staff and community members one-on-one in an informal setting and get instant follow up on our questions."

During a public forum in Fort Collins, Wilson told the audience that he is "passionate about public education." He said he believes students need a rigorous curriculum to prepare them for college, but curriculum must have relevance to keep them in school.

He also said educators have an obligation to help families understand the challenges their children face today and how they can use the school system to help their children succeed.

Describing his leadership style, Wilson said, "I would be a sound spokesperson for the values we hold as an educational community."

At the same forum, Miles said educators have to start with the premise that every child wants to learn. It is critical, he added, that parents have a say in their child's education. "People respect their child's teacher and will help if invited," he said.

Noting his various careers--from Army Ranger to assistant superintendent to political campaigner--Miles said he "knows what it's like to be in the trenches."

All of the finalists commended PSD for what it has already accomplished. Miles said he saw a caring environment in all the schools he visited.

Following visits to Fountain and Hermiston, the board will hold a special meeting at a date yet to be scheduled. Cunniff said the board hopes to be in contract negotiations with the top candidate in February, and he believes that phase should go more smoothly than it did with the finalist the board selected last year. This time around, all candidates reviewed a boiler-plate contract with general terms of employment and felt comfortable with it, Cunniff said.

Cunniff said the board hopes to have the new superintendent in place this summer. In the interim, Nancy Wright is serving as PSD's superintendent for the 2004-2005 school year. The district has 24,166 students and 48 schools.

Cuniff also cited the two candidates' experience as reasons for the board's choice of finalists. Miles has served in a variety of positions in District 8 for the past 10 years--as a middle school principal, coordinator of administrative services and high school social studies teacher. Prior to that, Miles was a foreign service officer for the U.S. Department of State, serving in Russia and Poland; a policy analyst and research specialist for the U.S. Department of State; and an officer in the U.S. Army.

Miles earned a master's of international affairs in Soviet studies at Columbia University in New York; completed an intensive language program at Leningrad State University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Prior to his current position, Wilson served as the superintendent, as well as a middle school teacher, in Sublette School District 1, Pinedale, Wyo. He also served as a principal, curriculum director, teacher and high school curriculum chair in Sublette School District 9, Big Piney, Wyo. Prior to that, he served as a Fullbright exchange teacher in London, England. Wilson received his Ph.D. in educational curriculum and instruction from the University of Wyoming; a master's in education curriculum and supervision from Idaho State University; and a bachelor's in philosophy and English from the University of Maryland.