Springfield School Board — February 20, 2026

3:41 Well, good afternoon or evening, depends on your perspective. Thank you for being here at the meeting. Um, I'll call the Springfield Board of Education to order on this February 20th, 2026, at five pm. 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. I've asked Director Langworthy to, uh, acknowledge

4:28 the land we're on. We acknowledge that we are in the traditional homeland of Kalapuya people, specifically the community that was known as Chifen, and the area that we now call Springfield. Kalapuya people, who have lived in this region since time immemorial, were illegally pos- dispo- disposed of their land and forcibly removed to what is now the Grand Ronde and Siletz Reservation over several years, but most notably in treaties between 1851 and 1855. The Kalapuya are now members of the Confederate Tribes of the Grand Ronde and the Confederate Tribes of the Siletz Indians, and

5:14 members of the Kalapuya still live, work, study, and thrive in this area, and continue to make important contributions here in Springfield, across the land we now refer to as Oregon, and around the globe. This information is shared out of responsibility to prevent the erasure of Native culture, heritage, and people, and to ensure a quality contemporary education for future generations. Thank you. So welcome to staff and community members who are attending tonight's special meeting, as well as those who are attending virtually. Jeff, do we have a count of the virtual attendance? Forty-nine. Well, welcome to everybody. We definitely appreciate the interest from everyone in our school district. Um, although there's no public comment

6:01 scheduled for tonight's meeting, the board does appreciate the comments, uh, and the sharing of thoughts from people throughout the community in this leading up to this meeting.... Uh, I wanted to make a point of clarification. The board is meeting this evening to interview candidates for the acting superintendent position, not an interim position, as has sometimes been mentioned. An acting superintendent is a short-term position that fills a sudden vacancy or absence of the permanent superintendent. In th- this case, the acting superintendent will serve from March 2nd of this year through June 30th of this year. The list of candidates for this acting position was developed through recommendations from

6:46 the Coalition of School Administrators, COSA, our board attorney, consultants, and district staff. An interim independent search is a more structured, planful process to hire a temporary leader that will bridge the gap between, in this case, the acting superintendent, and the hiring of a permanent superintendent. This timeline allows for a more thorough and involved search for both the interim and permanent superintendent positions. The interim superintendent will serve the district from July 1st of this year through June 30th of 2027, and the board is going to outline a possible interim superintendent search timeline under discussion item

7:32 6A later this evening. So moving on then to agenda item two, the discussion around the review process for candidate interviews. Um, the way we've structured it is to allow the three candidates to have twenty minutes for questions. Uh, we have a list of possible questions that were developed, uh, as a board, and we compiled those, sent them to candidates yesterday, and board members, and they will be available to the public. We're going to rotate questions among board members, and questions taken from our possibilities list. We may not to get to every question

8:20 with every candidate, um, and the board is certainly welcome to ask questions that are not on that list. So, um, the first thing I wanted to confirm with the board is the twenty-minute time frame. Um, we can extend by, um, decision of the board if we want to extend it or shorten it, for that matter, but I wanna make sure that we're in agreement, and if whatever we offer, we offer to all three candidates. Discussion? Yeah, I had a few questions. Um, you said that, um, this is an acting... We're, um, appointing an acting superintendent. Um, and so, um, that means we didn't, um, have as much input as we will for an

9:06 interim. Um, I also noticed that you said we structured this meeting. I didn't have any part of structuring it, and you also said, "We p- we provided you questions." Um, we didn't, we didn't develop them. We just gave you questions, and you put them on a list. I don't think it's right to surprise candidates with questions, so I think we need to stick to our list. Um, and I also think because it's such an important position, we need to maybe lengthen the time to thirty minutes. Okay. Other comment from other board members? I, I guess, um, I'm okay with lengthening the time. I think it's important that we, you know, do a thorough interview. Um, I don't necessarily agree that we shouldn't be able to, um, have questions that aren't on the list. I think that's...

9:51 I don't think that's out of bounds, as long as they're pertaining to the position, so. Okay, thank you. I'm in favor of lengthening the time as well. And yeah, I agree. I, um, I was having difficulty with my, my, uh, email and wasn't able to get my question in that I had wanted, and I would, I, I would really like to be able to ask that. Um, and I, I think it's a fair, a fair thing to do, so I, I'm in favor of asking them questions outside of this list. Okay. How about- I'm not sure it's fair to the candidates. That's what I meant, is that it's not fair to surprise them with questions. Mm. Um, I did have a question about the whole process.

10:36 When did you contact each candidate, and was that you? It was myself that reached out to candidates because although some candidates were recommended, not all, uh, were in favor of the idea. There were, uh, retirees on the list, and- So when did you reach out to these three that are here tonight? What's that? When did you reach out to each three that are here tonight? I would imagine, thinking it was maybe Tuesday of this week. All three of them were contacted this week? Yeah, might have... It might have been prior to that because I was working with Rebecca, uh, Jacobson, our board attorney, in the process, and, uh, trying to adhere to the guidelines without divulging, uh, the privacy of the potential

11:22 nominees. Um, the Register Guard article said that, uh, you got recommendations from staff, consultants, COSA, and, um, the SPS board attorney. Who is consultants and staff? Who are consultants? Yeah, who's a consultant? Who, who recommended each candidate? Some of them are COSA members. Uh, some of the coln- consultants were con, um, COSA members, but we also got COSA recommendations from COSA through our board attorney, Rebecca. So who can... Who, um, recommended each candidate? Um, I'm not sure that's germane to the-

12:09 It is very germane. Where they- This is an open session, and we are, uh, looking for a superintendent. This has-- This process needs to be transparent, and we need to make sure it's legitimate for everybody. So my other question, if you're not gonna answer that, is, did you ask any other building administrators to apply? ... Uh, we did not a, uh, have a actual applicant, uh, pool, and that's usual. Again, consulting with Rebecca, in some districts- You said it's usual, but this isn't a typical situation, so we need to be above approach. You, you're indeed correct. Acting superintendent is not a usual situation. But because of the imminent timeframe, the February 28th, uh, leaving of the district by our current superintendent, uh, d- I did not, as board chair, want to have any lapse in someone

12:56 sitting in that position and taking, um, taking the reins of the district. None of us want that lapse. We just want a, um, a open, public, transparent, clear process. So do, do you wanna... Do you know who recommended each? Uh, hmm- I, I'm not sure. Why would the who recommend it be for- Because not all s- stakeholders were asked for input. We had a letter today from, um, the Springfield Association of Administrators and Confidentials, and they weren't, they weren't, uh, consulted, and neither was OSDA. So all stakeholders needed to have been asked if one was asked, so that's why I'm asking who the consultant was and who the staff was. COSA was consulted through Rebecca.

13:41 Krista Parent, the chief executive for COSA- Yeah ... reached out to Rebecca and had a list of nominations. So the Register Guard article said, "COSA, staff, consultants, and the attorney." That's correct. So who the, who are the consultants and staff? That was my question. Other board? Ag- again, I guess I'm not sure why we would need to, why it would need to be divulged who specifically- We don't wanna give the appearance- Hmm ... of having a predetermined outcome. That's why. Well, we have- I can tell you how many I reached out to. Mm, mm, mm, four, nine,

14:26 two, eight. I reached out to 10 or 11 different candidates. Some of them were retired superintendents, um, some of who asked not to divulge their names because they weren't interested, so they didn't want that information out there. That's okay. I was just curious who was asked of the m- candidates that are actually here tonight. I don't know who the consultants were. You were quoted in the Register Guard, so I didn't know, 'cause I didn't hear from you. Yeah, you were asking for information, I believe, on how we came up with our list, and again, uh, working with Rebecca, in some districts, the chair actually f- does the entire process, selecting applicants

15:14 and making the decision and moving forward. I chose not to do that, because I feel board members should be included. But we're also driven by the im- Wait, you said a board members were- Excuse me. I was also driven by the imminent departure of our superintendent, and to go through the standard interim process would've pushed us past the date where we would've had a superintendent in place. So you unilaterally decided we need to just do this process, and then we'll do the interim? I was trying to be inclusive with the board. I reached out. I think I left you a voicemail, and I did not hear back. That violates- Reached out- ... public meetings law, so I didn't answer the call. Well, your perception of what that is. When you, when you contact one board member, another board member, and another

16:00 board member, that is a violation of theory of communications. Director Bangoura, are you shaking your head? I am shaking my head, because as board chair, um, in, in my many conversations, um, that I've been having regarding the new public meeting laws that had been changed in 2024, there's been no test case. Um, so there's a lot of interpretation that's going on, and so in the policy, it says that the chair is to go to each board member individually, and it's not sharing what each board member is saying. It's just going to each board member, trying to see what they want on the agenda, trying to get what they would like to see come forth.

16:46 And that is that the chair- We can let OBA decide that. I'm talking about this process for this board being transparent and open. Um, it's important that we just don't give the appearance of predetermining an outcome, and I think the public expects transparency more than what was given. Well, I mean... So, so what we had were two options ahead of us. So we had the option to go with what we are going to do with the interim process, which is to get community feedback, to, um, to get maybe a search committee going. I mean, to get a lot of, a lot of things lifted to make, uh, this search happen. And the other option, which our attorney said that we are in the clear

17:31 to do, was to hold this interview process. Now, the reason why we're holding this interview process in public meeting versus, um, an executive session, is because, um, well, because we didn't do the declare the vacancy. We didn't do the public comment where, um, community members get to come forward. We didn't go through that process. Therefore, here we are today, being fully transparent and having it o- in open session. Now, when you said who, it, you know, who nominated, um, certain board members, I believe that you were on the internet stream, or the, sorry, the email stream, that one of the administrators, you know, brought forth one of,

18:19 uh, one of the interviewer's names for tonight. No, I wasn't. Okay. ... Was that brought forward for the board to decide on? It was brought forward. What do you mean brought forward? Somebody said, "I think this person would be really good." Oh, yeah, we got dozens of emails for one candidate, but none for the others. Yes, we did. So it feels very coordinated. No, it- But nobody, nobody contacted me as a board member and said, "We're gonna discuss this in open session. These are the, the, the members." It was on the agenda, and that's the first time I saw it. Our to-do list was, uh, for him to call you, and he called you. What do you mean our to-do list? I wasn't a part of that. I'm the board.

19:06 This is a board. This is a board, so let's remember that. So, so are you saying that a chair and vice chair can't have communication? Uh, we're not deliberating, we're talking about scheduling- Okay ... and process. Okay. Is there a problem with scheduling or process when- I told you my problems ... talking with others? Told you my problems. Okay, so I, as, uh, chair, I'm gonna ask if we can, uh, move on. We can choose to disagree, um, at this point, but I would like to get to the interviews. I wanna make sure, though, that we're in agreement as far as the process of the interviews that are happening tonight, and I've heard comment that we think that the 20 minute is too short. So do I have a suggestion for what would be a more appropriate time?

19:51 So, um, Nicole had mentioned 30 minutes. That seems fine with me, and I'm okay with moving ahead with that process, and I would say, um, as a board, if, if, if we get to the end of this process, and we don't wanna, um, approve one of these candidates, we can take that action. So, and- Okay ... delay that I'm... You know, I'm- I realize that we're, our hands were somewhat tied in this process of when we could take action on doing this, and the timeline in which we need to have a replacement superintendent, and so, um, it's not the ideal process, and hopefully we can implement that as we move ahead with interim and the, the permanent position. Yeah, the ideal process is to actually, uh...

20:37 It's not entirely common to have an acting superintendent, but we were driven by the timeframe that we did not create. And so in order to have an interim search, it's a, uh, it's not as lengthy as a permanent search, but it is lengthier, depending on the discretion of the board. So if we involve community, and, uh, forums, and listening sessions, these kinds of things, that all drives the process. But, uh, as you'll see when we get to the conversation around interim process, it's, it's much more involved than the acting process, which, uh, uh, as chair, I felt, really didn't have the choice. I would've liked to have had a ti- a longer timeframe. Uh, we've been talking about the need to move forward for quite a while. So

21:23 with that, uh, I'm gonna take the head nods as a yes, I'm in agreement, and so we will expand that. I hope that's okay for the candidates. We'll expand it to 30 minutes. Uh, uh, you're gonna serve as timekeeper, correct? Yes. So Amber is gonna give the candidates notice at one minute, and then again at 30 seconds, that we're nearing the end of that time limit. So if we can be respectful of that. Okay, just quickly going down, after we interview, then the board will debrief on each of the candidates. In public, we'll have that, uh, session, and then we'll move into the action item.

22:08 So the first candidate is Brian Maagard. And I wanna thank all of the candidates for wanting to be involved in this process. I honestly don't think we can lose. Thanks for being, being here, Brian. I appreciate that. My pleasure. Thank you. And Nicole, I have you down for the first question. We'll do sort of a round robin and go around the circle. We'll ask as many questions as we have time for within the 30 minutes. So Nicole, if you'll go first, please. Hi, Brian. Hi. Um, I, um, didn't have a lot of time to formulate my questions, but there was three things that I was, um, concerned

22:56 about. Um, and one thing I looked at was our policy on the qualifications of a district superintendent. I imagine, um, you guys probably had a chance to look at that. That was Policy CBA, but that's what I used to kind of think about my questions. Um, so the, the three things that are, um, formed my questions is, number one, students. Um, so my first question is, um: What do you see your role as acting superintendent in the next several months? Um... Sorry, that was the wrong one. When faced with pressure from adults, whether political, organization, or personal, how do you ensure your decisions remain anchored in what is best for students?

23:43 Thank you, and thank you for the time. I, I do appreciate having the time to be in front of you today. Um, I think that is one that comes pretty naturally to me. I'm a, I'm a fierce advocate for, for students. Um, it's something that I deal with on a, on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis as the special education director. And having oversight in that area, where we- uh, it's necessary to build relationships and, and ensure that students are at the center of every conversation that we have. And that leads to difficult and uncomfortable situations and

24:30 conversations at times, because it's hard sometimes to, to recognize and see students' strengths when there are, um-... you know, distracting and sometimes unproductive behaviors. So, um, every time, no matter what role I'm in in an organization, no matter what team I'm on, whether it's a decision-making team or a leadership team or other, it's-- I feel like it's my responsibility to bring the student into the conversation. And as we get further away from the classroom, it's, it's easy to forget, so I feel like it's my responsibility to ensure that we

25:16 remember that every decision that we make has an impact on a student in the classroom at their level. And, um, I have, um, experience in, in these types of conversations over the years, just as the special, special education special programs director. There are conflicts that take place, and, um, there are situations that aren't necessarily resolved when, um, in a way that everyone is happy with, but we do have to make sure that we're making that decision, that's sometimes difficult, that is centered on the impact of the child. This is a default mode for me, and I'm

26:04 comfortable in that decision-making, and I would, in the new role as this, as the superintendent, I would bring that to the forefront in every conversation that I had, regardless of stakeholders. Thank you. Thank you. Next question comes from Amber. Mm-hmm. How do you build staff cohesiveness and positive morale? Can you give examples of experiences you've had in this area? Thank you. Um, my belief is that morale thrives when people have voice and agency, and

26:49 this goes for students and staff. And, and I think whether it's at the classroom level or at the building level, we have to make sure that there are opportunities for our staff, administrators, um, building administrators, teachers, our classified staff, that they have, um, they have participation in our decision-making processes. And, um, I've been part of organizations where there is leadership in place that provides that agency, provides that voice, and I have always seen morale at its height when there is that opportunity.

27:37 We have to intentionally create those forums and make sure that there are opportunities for teachers to be part of decision-making teams, whether that's community forums, um, surveys, um, other ways for, for our stakeholders to provide input. My experiences in this is that my oversight of special education, and, and I think you could talk to a lot of special education teachers who I technically have oversight of, that, um, I have a, I have a leadership style that's very loose tight. I communicate clearly about the laws and what we have to adhe- adhere to because of federal and state laws and board

28:24 policies, and then I make sure that I'm a resource to make sure teachers know what those are, and give them autonomy in their site to interpret their service delivery so that there is adherence to that. And, um, not every special education teacher's job is amazing on a day-to-day basis, but I think if you were to inquire, you would, you would hear that, um, morale is high, and I think a big part of it is because we have trust in one of, one another, and they're, they're able to come to me and ask for resource, um, advice, and they know that they can engage in their practices because they know that I know they are the experts in the field.

29:11 And I would, again, take that to this, this new position and make sure that that is, um, pervasive across our system. Thank you. Kim? Yeah, Dr. Baker, thank you for being here. Appreciate it. So, uh, if it's okay, I kind of have a, um, the three-part question. So Jonathan, I don't know if it's just one question, but for me, it's the- there's three parts. It's, um, what do you see as the most significant issues that the superintendent would need to address over the next few months? How would you address the issues, and how do your qualifications align with being able to address them? Right. Um, I think I would put

29:56 two issues at, um, at the same level of severity and need. We have a, um, we have a, an approaching budget shortfall issue, and we have ongoing staff conflict, and I put us all in that, that category around conflict that needs to be resolved. And I put those at the same level because they both are related to each other, and that we need to address some of this, uh, conflict in our district over the next four months, and both of these contribute significantly to services for students. Um, I think we can start by-... um, strategically and

30:43 actively restoring some of the relationships that are fractured. And then once we are able to en- start engaging in that process, I think we're going to be able to, um, better be able to, um, establish what our priorities are, so that we can strategically address this budget shortfall. I have, i- in the relationship realm, I have over a decade experience when it comes to crisis management, um, conflict resolution, mediation, both in a formal and informal capacity, and, and I think I can apply those skills to helping to restore these relationships. And then I

31:28 have, over the past ten years, I've managed a very large budget. I currently manage about a thirty million dollar budget that includes multiple strands. Um, over the years, I've, uh, had to engage in how do we spend more money because of increased funds coming into our system, and definitely decreased funding in some or all of the, the strands of funding that I'm responsible for. And in that, I-- there are over two hundred staff, classified, certified, and administrative staff, that are under my purview when it comes to, uh, addressing staffing and, and budgeting issues. So, um, qualifications in crisis and, um, mediation, and then my experiences within a, a, a large budget, it will translate well

32:16 to this new position, and, and allow me to, um, help stabilise, restore these relationships, and help plan for a very smooth handoff on June 30th to whoever the interim superintendent is. Is that good? Yeah, I, u- the only... I guess the follow-up question is: how would you envision, uh, you've been in charge of the, you know, your section of the, the budget and staff, how would you, you envision scaling that up to district-wide, the- Sure. Well, for one thing, it's about team, and I'm used to working on a, on a team, on the instruction team. And, and then also, I spend a lot of time with the finance department and working through these budgetary issues, so I have

33:04 a solid relationship with the director and, um, and others in the finance department. So there's a familiarity there, and I think it will be a, it'll be a smooth transition. It-- I don't wanna pretend like it's not gonna be a, a large job and a, and, um, and there's gonna be a transition point, but I do have those strong relationships, and, and we have spent a lot of time digging into intricacies of budget, um, over really a decade's time. Great, thank you. Thank you. Um, so my question is, um, what do you view as some of the challenges facing public education overall,

33:49 and what are possible strategies you would, uh, suggest to address these challenges? Yeah, thank you. Um, I wanna make sure that I frame this, this answer properly, because this is for an acting superintendent for four months, and, and I really do... I wanna make sure that there's a clear understanding that I am embracing this position in helping to restore and repair a relationship. I wanna provide stability. There's a lot of work to do between now and, and June, and not just maintaining what we have, but making sure that there's quality instruction for kids every day, and then planning for that smooth handoff, like I

34:35 said. Um, this is a, this is a big question, and I, I do think that, you know, at the state level, when it comes to funding, when it comes to decreasing enrollment, and I think, um, uh, authentic involvement from the community in our education system, I think I put all of those, uh, lumped into one about the, the real concerns that we have in our educational system today. And I think some of the, the specifics around what we- what teachers and our classified staff deal with on a day-to-day basis, I think comes from those larger issues. And

35:20 so this, once again, goes back to our opportunity to bring in stakeholders, spend time authentically listening to our stakeholders, compiling that information, and putting that into, um, our process and procedures in developing out our priorities. And when I say our, I mean the board, the superintendent, and district leadership, so there is a clear communication and a clear understanding from everyone about what the priorities are of the board, so that then we can get together with stakeholders and continue to define what are the issues that everyone is dealing with. Because I, I think we all have individual opinions about what, um, what the problems with public

36:08 education are. Again, I think they, they stem from these larger issues that I mentioned, and getting down to the specifics is the responsibility that we have in providing a, a forum for people to give us information about what they deal with on a day-to-day basis. And again, that's through informal visits, visiting staff meetings, surveys, um, creating community fora, that where we know who the, the community members are and their, um, and their responsibility as a stakeholder.... And again, I think my responsibility in the next four months is about stabilizing, building relationships, and making

36:54 sure there's a clean handoff. And that includes the board, helping the board to, um, develop out what the priorities will be for that interim superintendent and the permanent superintendent position. Thank you. Uh, Nicole? Um, you've already spoken a little bit about, um, your district-level experience, but I want to hear more about that, um, especially with as it relates to you've, you've mentioned budget. But, um, how much, how much, um, experience do you have working with state-level, like, um, ODE, legislative operational issues? Just explain more about your district-level experience.

37:39 So I think there is a responsibility internally and externally for the superintendent. Internally, there are operations and instruction that have to, um, have to have oversight, and, and then the external piece of advocacy and building relationships. So, um, I think what I'll talk about is the experiences in, in, um, in building those relationships with partner organizations in the county. Um, as, as a TOSA and as an administrator, I've had extensive background in informal and informal relationships

38:24 with, uh, with our, our local organizations: the university, um, Lane County DDS, our, uh, Department of Human Services, many mental health organizations, um, the Lane ESD. And in all of these relationships, it requires, um, uh, partnership and ongoing communication, having a clear understanding of what our goals and, and intended outcomes are when it comes to student achievement, whether it's, uh, creating an outside placement for a group of students who fit a certain profile, or working, working in conjunction with the organization to make sure that the family is properly supported. And so that's building relationship and, um,

39:13 and creating a, a, a mutually beneficial, um, relationship with the organizations to make sure that students are properly served. I'll spend a couple of seconds talking about-- I, I'm, I also serve on a nonprofit board in the community called, uh, Thurston Life Foundation, and, um, we're in the final stages of, um, building out a, uh, the Joyce A. Langeliers, uh, Community Centre that's right behind the car wash across the street from Thurston High School. And, um, the intention behind that is making sure that, uh, students are, are better served when it comes to counselling. There's a counselling centre there, and, um, and we're, uh, leasing that to Northlight Counselling, and

39:58 we're-- we have continued conversations with Thurston High School, and we're hoping to integrate some of, um, the students who access that, those services with other surrounding schools. And so that's an example of, you know, work that, that we did over a five-year period with a nonprofit board, working with the city, um, and, and then now continuing that partnership with other businesses. And our intention in- with having, uh, Washburn there and, um, and Tracktown Pizza is making sure that we have very accessible, uh, rates for the, the counselling program there. So that's just, uh, an example of kind of this larger advocacy that I'm aware of, and, and what I would continue to do is build relationships at the

40:45 county and the state level, especially when it comes to funding advocacy and, and any work that we can do together to, to support that. Thank you. Amber? Could you tell me where we are on time by- Yeah. Uh, we are at eleven minutes and forty-six seconds. Okay. Thanks. Um, yeah, so the question I had is, uh, as we know, this acting superintendent role is a four-month appointment during a highly challenging period for our district. Uh, what leadership skills and experiences prepare you to bring immediate

41:32 healing, um, in such a short time frame? Yeah, I think this goes back to my experiences in crisis response, mediation, and, um, in conflict management. That is part of my responsibility in my current role. And the, the actions that I would take is it goes back to providing an opportunity for us, the board, the superintendent, district leadership, to authentically listen to our stakeholders. And I think we would need to take some time defining which stakeholders we want to listen to, um, first. And obviously, I think one of

42:18 the, one of the big groups that we would think about first is, um, obviously our teachers, and then formatting a way that we would bring them together in a, in a way that we can gather authentic information from them. And, and again, I think there are opportunities to create community forums, um, for the broader community, but then also for, for teachers and other stakeholders. But then also spending time in schools and, um, informally gathering information, spending time at, at staff meetings. Um, so I think there are a variety of ways that we can, in time, get information face to face, and then also, you know, gathering information from

43:03 surveys.... My experiences in, in conflict management and mediation, um, contribute- would contribute to my ability to, to help format these, uh, the process and procedures so that we aren't just there listening and then walk away, and, and hope we remember. You know, there would be a, a formulated way to gather the information, consolidate that, and then also for us to, to spend time figuring out how, what actions we are going to take, and then come back to those communities and let them know what those actions are going to be, to be supportive of them, so that we can properly and best serve students. So one, I

43:49 have the skills and the experiences in that, and the immediate actions that I would take is with you defining the stakeholders and, and how we're going to gather that information. Thank you. Ken? Yeah, um, yeah. Don't know if you're familiar with, and Nicole pointed out that we have our policy about the qualifications of superintendent, one of which is a successful teaching experience in elementary or secondary school level. And I was looking at your resume, and forgive me if not being, you know, completely, but it talks about being a behavioral support teacher and a resource teacher, and I'm wondering if maybe you could elaborate on your experience being in the classroom, and, and yeah.

44:34 Sure, um... I don't wanna embellish too much, but I think those might have been the, the best days of my professional career. Um, teaching is fun, and it's really difficult on a day-to-day basis. So I was a resource teacher at the, um, at the elementary level, and then I was also a resource teacher at the middle school level, and then a, um, a behavior support teacher at elementary. And I think the, the thing that I would talk about is that, one, um, it's very exciting to build relationships with students, have a solid understanding of their strengths, both just through informal conversations and, and

45:20 building informal relationships with students, but then also spending time, um, in assessment and making sure I have a very solid understanding of, of what they can and can't do, so that we have a, a clear instructional plan. And I can tell you from little kids to bigger kids, they really appreciated knowing where their strengths were and where their deficits were, and it made the teaching process a lot easier, because we could always have a, a very, um, genuine conversation about the skills that we need to build. And the other thing that I would talk about is relationships with other teachers. So both in resource and behavior support,

46:05 it took a team of people, and I was just one member of that team who happened to have some understanding of the precise nature and needs of, of special education for the student, and then students spent time in the general education setting and in common areas, and we had to be a team of people to make sure that the students got what they needed every day. And, um, to me, it was a very exciting time. I, I look back on it as, um, you know, this foundational growth of, for myself to be able to build those relationships with, um, certified staff and, and with students. I- thank you. I just wondered, I, I guess I'm not, you know, a resource teacher. I'm not sure what the... You know, I- typically, we talk just about teachers, um, and so I'm not

46:52 sure what the roles and responsibility were of, of a resource teacher. Correct. Resource is kind of a generic term, so I don't- Good point. So in, in this field of special education, when there is a, um, there are a group of students who tend to have kind of, um, more mild disabilities and, um, significant, but less severe academic deficits. So there's kind of a profile of kids who generally would have a specific learning disability, some specific areas of academic needs, and then the resource teacher was responsible for supporting students in those areas. So you can do kind of a, a co-teaching, where you're in the classroom together, or you can do kind of a pull-out method, where you pull the students in and, and teach specific, um, skill

47:38 development in those areas. So I would have a caseload between, you know, thirty and fifty students in a, in a resource room setting. Okay, thank you. Yeah. In your experience, both as a teacher and an administrator, can you give examples where you faced a, a difficult problem or challenge, and how you creatively arrived at a solution? So I think the thing that I would say on the front end of that is that, um, relationship is key. So building relationships on the front end, I think is, um, it's necessary, and usually

48:25 resolves a lot of the, the difficult conversations and any conflict that, that may arise. But that said, there are, um, conflicts and difficult decisions that do have to be made. And in my experience, a- as the special education director, special programs director, um, that's something that I have to support and intervene on, on a fairly regular basis. And so first of all, on the front end, this goes back to supporting and supervising special education teachers and school psychologists, and making sure that people know that my value lies in building relationship on the front end. But then also-... uh, there are times when, um, issues, and concerns, and conflict have kind of risen to a level

49:13 that's beyond the special education teacher team and the, the principal, and I am asked to come in to help resolve those concerns, or have more difficult conversations with, um, with parents or staff, to make sure that we can, um, kind of resume, uh, services to students. And in those situations, I'm only called in to, to support this when things have gotten to a level that are, um, sometimes a little intense. So I'm used to walking into those situations, and, um, I think, again, building those relationships on the front end, when I'm working with people, they understand

49:59 that I'm gonna be clear, authentic, let them know where we have wiggle room, and where we have to abide by the law and policies. And then they also know, because I communicate this with them, that the resolution that we come to might not be the ideal for anyone, but it does have to be acceptable, and it also has to be centered on the student... uh, the best possible service for the student, and student success. And, and I think, one, that's, that's something that I have experience in, and I'm comfortable with that. Um, very difficult conversations, and I'm also confident that the relationships that I currently have with staff, um, and a lot of

50:46 parents will, um, will help us together to, to build trust and be able to have difficult conversations with, um, members of our community. Thank you. Nicole? Well, how much time is left? Got a minute and 46. Oh, can we dance? We have... I could do some pushups. Some burpees. Um, if I had to- It's your forum. Oh. Okay, um, we didn't really set any criteria as a board, so mine, like I said, was students first. Second, was district-level experience, which you explained, and, um, you already mentioned what you would do in the short term.

51:33 Um, as a acting superintendent, knowing that many departments have multiple projects, how would you build relationships with the staff in those departments? Well, I'll quickly, since there's- Yeah ... not a ton of time. I, I think this is, um, my biggest strength coming in. I think it would be the, the, um, the primary benefit of using me as the acting superintendent. I have relationships across the system. I've had to build relationships because, um, you know, e- everything from facilities, and you saw the, the expansion of community transition program and, um, you know, when we have ADA issues in buildings. So I have relationships with facilities. I work with human resources, and transportation, and finances,

52:19 on a, on a regular basis. I have the relationships in the system, and we've worked through many difficult situations together. And, um, again, it's a, it's a bigger job, it's a different job, but the relationships are there, and it would provide me the opportunity to, um, pretty immediately work into this, uh, role, and, and be ready to work through a- a- all of the projects that we have to get through to make sure that students have the best services possible, and that we are ready to have a smooth transition on June 30th, 'cause I know that's the expectation. Hey, it's pretty good timing there. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you, Dr Megan. Thank you very much. I appreciate your time.

53:11 The next candidate is Amy Beard. Welcome. Chair Light, maybe the, maybe the next person can ask the third question, if we're gonna have time. That's all right. Maybe you can take another question. We're gonna have time again. You have again. ... Okay. So, uh, Amber, you have the first question on this round. Oof! Well, I'm gonna ask this question to you. Uh, this acting superintendent role is a four-month

53:56 appointment during a highly challenging period for our district. What leadership skills and experience do you have that, um, that you believe would bring us immediate healing in such a short time? Thank you, Amber, and board, for having me. Um, so I believe that my particular skills are very honed in this area. Um, when I think about leadership, there's many different types of leadership, and the type that I excel in is called transformational, and that is leadership when there's great periods of strife, chaos, and discord. And throughout my career, when I've found

54:43 myself that I'm a little bit bored or ready to, to find my way somewhere else, I gravitate to those particular, um, sit- situations. So at A3, I've kind of got to the place where I haven't felt like I could h- do anything more to enhance the environment. So when the call came for this, I immediately became excited in many ways about serving the Springfield School District, because of the particular situation that we find ourselves in with the fiscal challenges, and also, uh-... the stability that we need to bring and work together to bring back to the district for all of our stakeholder groups. I'll give you a couple of

55:28 examples. Uh, when I came to A3 eight years ago, um, we don't have to reiterate all the particular challenges that A3 faced, but what I did is I listened, and I consulted with the people in the district level and throughout the other buildings about what they felt would work. And I spent open listening sessions for months, talking with parents, community members, and the most important group of all, the students. It's one thing to talk about being student-driven and having students in your mind. It's a much different thing to actually listen to

56:13 them, their ideas, their passion, their fears, their vulnerabilities. They are ultimately the people that all of us serve. So when I think back to the days at A3, and I was trying to sense-make all the, um, stress and the competing demands, what I remember the most was collating all the stakeholder groups, thinking about how we could work together to achieve those goals and start to build dreams. And then once we achieved stability through lots of different ways of approaching it, then we could start to set goals that were meaningful for the staff. Our staff told

57:01 me: "Wouldn't it be wonderful if every kid at A3 walked through the finish line?" And we set out to do that. For the last two years, we have celebrated a hundred percent graduation rate, and that is not done by happenstance. That is done with a crew of people that are remarkable, and student and families who believe that they can do it. Now, A3 pulls from three different counties. We have families that have drove an hour and a half to get to school every day. I'm not saying we are without our challenges. You know, sometimes

57:48 attendance is challenging, but we take every kid in front of us, what they want to see happen, and make their dreams come true. We have the most cohesive staff that I've ever worked with, and that wasn't by happenstance. It was because we build them as leaders. At A3, we believe everybody's a leader, everyone's a learner, and everyone's a teacher. And the other thing I did is I teach alongside my staff, because I wanna be in touch with the work that they do, not just leading them, or overseeing them, or giving them feedback to grow, but showing them that I'm in the trenches with

58:35 them, I understand the work, I know how hard it is, and I'm willing to do it right alongside of them. But that isn't the only organization I've, uh... Just one second. But that isn't the only organization that I've led in difficult times. Some years ago, I took over a small charter school in Fort Jay called Network Charter School. It was p- the pay was half the prevailing wage, so it wasn't very attractive for a lot of people, and no

59:20 benefits. It was a school that was all at-risk students. It was a complicated task. I was both the principal and executive director of an organization. So when people think about, like, superintendent, uh, work, I was the head pooh-bah, facilities, operations, along with being the principal. The first day of work, the superintendent at Fort Jay walked in and handed me a letter of closure. He said I was to mail out letters to every family, saying that the school was no longer open. I looked at Gus, and I said: "You know what?

1:00:05 Give me three months. Tell me what you wanna see, and I will do what you're asking me to do." And he said, "Make the business, the, the school fiscally solvent." We were about two hundred thousand in the hole, which is nothing what we're looking at, but it was a lot back then. "And it needs to be academically sound. You need to have a plan of school improvement that I can see deliverables." And I said: "I will do that." And when I met with him the next time, we did... I worked with the staff, the community members, the stakeholders, and we were able to deliver what

1:00:51 was asked of us. We had solved the fiscal problems by attracting new students, by launching a campaign. We got fifty new students within one month. But we were able to maintain those students, so it became so fiscally solvent, with not just a completely full student population, but also a waiting list, that we were able to not only pay down all the debt, but we were able to save enough money to buy the building and launch a capital campaign for that.... So after three years of working in that capacity, I was able to negotiate with 4J a five-year renewal contract. And I was taking a

1:01:37 school that was about to close due to academic, um, poor standards to success, and then Gus offered me a job at 4J in that last day when I cut the ribbon for buying that building. So that's the kind of leader that I am. I want to heal the Springfield community. It's not gonna be a job that the acting superintendent, the interim superintendent, or the new superintendent will be able to do alone. It's gonna take all of us to work. A lot of times people think that the stakeholder groups or the admin group, the teaching group, the classified group, it's so much

1:02:24 more. There's the student group, who are our most vulnerable, and the group that we must serve and keep centered at all times. There's you all, hardworking volunteers who spend all the time working to make hard decisions for the school district. There's our families, who trust us every day to send our kids, and want our kids to feel safe, secure, warm, being invited. And then there's the greater community, that are our community partners that we need to think of, like, how do we work with them to bring them in, bring them on board, and believe in us?

1:03:09 So I hope I covered everything in the question, but it's gonna take a lot of work, and it's gonna take us listening, collating, instilling dreams and beliefs in the work that we do. Good. Thank you. Ken? So, um, I, I think, you know, in our district and a lot of districts, um, A3 is unique in terms of the model we have here, and, you know, how students get accepted there. Um, could you talk a little bit about what that looks like, and then how that may, you know, how that would... your experience there would translate to the, a district of eight thousand plus students and, you know, traditional high

1:03:56 schools and, and gateways and middle schools and elementary schools? You know, that's a great question. I think about it a lot. And I think, um, when I think about why would parents want their students to go to a school, a particular school, and make that choice? And a lot of it comes back to the sense of safety. Um, and one of the things that we've done at A3 that I think could be easily translatable to any school is our restorative justice practices, because what we have done is made bullying and harassment not entirely obsolete, but such a small minimum amount, that consistently we are one of the

1:04:43 schools in the district that has the lowest incident rate, and definitely the lowest suspension rate, and not, you know, knock, knock on linoleum, a single physical altercation in the eight years I've been there. And by design, it's about empowering students, having hard conversations, and having them start to have some of the conversations at- with each other about how they felt in a situation, and how they can repair it and move forward. So to ensure or attract new families to bring their kids back to schools, it doesn't take very much time to look on,

1:05:29 like, social media forums or, um, just out there in, you know, articles about one of the things that parents face or struggle with is sending their kids to school to feel safe. So that is one thing that we have honed into science that I believe that could be brought to any school, should they be interested, because it creates this whole different invitation. We do this process through student to student, student to adult, and so- and adult to adult. The whole school uses this platform to help resolve conflict. And I'm not saying it's perfect. Sometimes people don't stick with the plan that we

1:06:17 develop. But I also do believe that that's why people continue to bring their kids back to our school, why they continue to feel- rank us ridiculously high on safety through parent, student, and staff surveys. Why our teachers, um, said in a nationally normed survey that, that ranked forty percent higher than the national norm. They said over and over again about the quality of work, how they felt about their workplace was so high that the, um, survey business came to us to find out what were we doing, and told us that we thought that maybe it was- there was some glitch in the

1:07:03 system to give us that rate. So when I think about, like, how we're gonna bring families back to our schools, it's gonna start with us giving them that sense of safety, and feeling like they're heard, and they are empowered, and they don't have to worry about coming, dropping off their kids at school, because they'll know that we're gonna take care of them. ... Just follow up. Yeah. So, um, from reading your, you know, the, your letter and resume, it seems like you're very hands-on- Yeah. -uh, yeah, and very involved. And I'm trying to think, you know, how, how would you envision that would work i- in the role of superintendent? You know, maybe more challenging to get out and, and teach and interact with every student

1:07:51 and teacher. That is true, but there's something really special about being in the classroom, and I started that in 2020 when COVID was happening, and my teachers were just so stressed out, and the students were as well. So it's one thing to, like, hear about it, but it's a different thing to, to do it, and that's why being in the classroom is so important. Visibility is really important as well, and I strongly believe that everybody in the district staff... When I was in a district office at Douglas Education Service District, I would schedule two days a month where I was in the buildings. I wanted to remember what it was like and who we were serving, not just the

1:08:38 students, but the staff as well, and they all knew me. And I never met Nancy Golden, but I sure as heck have heard about her, and she, from what I heard, knew everybody. She knew about their kids. She knew about what they, what they were about. That's the type of person I strive to be, and that's where healing's gonna start, is listening, knowing people, and showing that you care, and being visible is one of the most important things. Thank you. Good. Thank you. Springfield is facing a projected 10.4 million shortfall next year. What is your philosophy in dealing with budget cuts, and what are some possible strategies that you might

1:09:26 use to address this issue? I'm glad you asked. I did, um, share some of those ideas, uh, with you in my letter of intent, but I really believe it starts with community engagement. While we have amazing fiscal staff folks, it's much different leading in times of stability compared to leading in times of fiscal ins- instability. And so really getting that community engagement through stakeholder groups, through surveys, through listening to people's ideas, is gonna be critical. Anyone who works with people knows that if you're invested in something, in a

1:10:13 solution, you're much more willing to be willing to go along with the solution than if you're told to do something. And I know that we have people that are very strong in the areas of fiscal, um, planning, but it, that can't be that one person's job alone or that committee alone. And I do feel that even if there is structure set up as a board to have a, a budget committee, there are barriers for people to be able to join that, and that's where you need to- we need to reach out to the community to get their ideas about how to handle it.

1:10:58 After the community engagement piece, which is incredibly important in so many levels with all the different, um, barriers that we face for success, I really feel that we need to follow the money. We really need to analytically look as a district about what streams of revenue have dwindled or became obsolete, and have some hard conversations about them. That's not about, like, cutting departments or cutting things, it's about maybe looking at a different way and making some poor choices. For example, SIA money or other federal funds have, might have drastically changed, but have we looked at the,

1:11:45 what that money entails and what that line item in the budget is, and has that been adjusted accordingly to the revenue streams? And that doesn't mean necessarily the revenue streams will match the cuts, but what it does mean is maybe we need to look at them in a different way. Thank you. Yes. Nicole? Hey, um... The job of a superintendent is one, like, overseeing a city. Can you discuss your district-level experience, um, managing departments, um, managing budgets, that sort of thing? Absolutely. So I did spend a couple years at

1:12:33 the Douglas Education Service District as operations manager, director of human resources, and director of support services, which was basically like seven small departments kind of thrown in together. Um, it was a very interesting job. As you know, ESDs, uh, they serve districts, as you're very familiar with Lane ESD. There was a lot of areas that I am the first person to admit I don't know everything, so I leaned in on the state to be able to get more help and support. For example, I was in charge of the fiscal department, so I went and took a procurement class at the state level because I really wanted to understand not just,

1:13:19 not that I was doing the day-to-day work, but to understand the big picture. I also started a consortium for human resource managers and superintendents throughout the district, because that's hard work to do on your own.... and we would meet on a monthly basis, but we would also, like, share documents. We would work closely with COSA and other organizations to help design and develop, you know, different things that were coming up. We would talk about some of the areas that we would see regarding, um, you know, different types of, uh, consolidations we would have to do, or ways of thinking, and we would develop some things together, because not only did it save money, time, and

1:14:05 resources, but then we would have colleagues that would work together. I was also in charge of, uh, things like the print shop, and the courier services, and, you know, facilities. So you name it, there was all different types. It was all, like, a big, giant mishmash of work. Um, so regarding, like, legislative and operational issues, and state-level issues, I would attend the, um, various conferences, law conferences, COSA conferences. Um, we'd also go, like, the OSBA conferences as well. So we're- I was always trying to enhance my learning, and that was really important to me, especially because there were so

1:14:51 many competing interests to my particular role. Okay. Yep. Uh, and we're back to Amber. Uh, so when faced with pressure from adults, uh, whether politically or through other organizations, or personally, how do you ensure your decisions remain anchored in what's best for the students? That is a fantastic question, and the easy answer would be, be student-driven. But really it's about talking to the students, and getting their feedback about their thoughts

1:15:36 about how it impacts them, and that's how you really know, is being ready to, like, listen. And if possible, don't make hasty decisions. Like, if something doesn't feel right, consult with your team, and ask their opinions. There are many times when I work with my team at A3, where I say to them: "Don't just pander to me. Tell me how it is. Is this sitting well with you? Does this feel right?" And then I might consult with other people. I might call Brian up on the phone and say, "Hey, Brian, am I heading in the right direction," in, you know, with the special education thing. So decisions aren't just made by one person, in

1:16:23 my opinion. It's about gathering information, and sometimes sleeping on it, and thinking about it, and coming back to it, because after a decent night's sleep, and some time, and talking it through, you're gonna come to a better decision than you would by yourself. Good. Thank you. Mm-hmm. Ken? Um, let's see. I'm trying to think. So you, you've kind of hit on some of these, but I was, um... Maybe you, from your perspective, are there any other significant issues that you haven't already addressed, that the sup- you think the superintendent's gonna need to address over the next few months? And, you know, how would you address those, and how do your

1:17:08 qualifications line up with your, you know, being able to address those? Well, over the next couple months, not necessarily, and I think, like, it seemed like Brian and I compared notes, and, 'cause he had a lot of the same answers as me. But there is something that I think, like, long-term might be something to think about, um, or at least start to develop some ideas, and that's around our staff and their professional development. So if you think about schools, we're always a little bit behind what's happening in the world, whether it's technology and what the students are using, or it could be just, you know, the emerging mental health crisis.

1:17:56 And so it almost always feels like we're being reactive instead of proactive, and I feel like it's time for us to look at our system. I am, um, a person who does love tradition and history, but I also think it's time for schools to start really thinking about, how can we get ahead of some of the emerging trends, and be more mindful, and plan better about how we can help support our schools in this ever-changing environment? So if I was to answer the question, you know, just like Brian, I would say stability and, and being fis- fiscally solvent are, like, the two things that I would lay on. But if I was to have the time or inclination, that would be another thing, and how

1:18:44 I would approach that is to talk to our teachers about what kind of professional development they would want to see. And that came up in our recent accreditation of A3 with Cognia. That was one of the things that emerged from, you know, when our teachers were saying, what they really want to see is that teachers have more time to collaborate, to really talk about the real issues they're facing in the classroom, and how is it that we are working together to solve some of those problems, and really having that student voice help us to move us forward. Thank you. Mm-hmm. How we doing on time? Oh, boy!

1:19:29 So, um, I'm curious, do you feel that high school graduates are adequately prepared for the next step? And what are s-... some possible strategies you might suggest to address challenges? Uh, well, four minutes is such a short time, and this would've been- I would've loved this question sooner, so I'll try to make it as brief as possible. Yes, and... So when I look at A3, we have such a beautiful way of approaching helping our students get ready for that next step. We do month-long internships in a profession of the student's choice, so they have a real accredited and articulated, uh, opportunity with LCC to get credit and spend a month in

1:20:16 the business learning about it. Yes, there are students who say, "There's no way I want to become..." dot, dot, dot, and that's how they find out before they go to college for four years, or go into a profession they absolutely hate. That experience is so fantastic, not only for our students, but the community. And the community connections that we make are wonderful as well, because it is curated. And I'm not saying that every single business is super happy with the student they get, but we spend the time to be able to connect with them and, and know that. The other thing that we do really, really well at A3, that I feel that could, um, be used anywhere in the district, is that we really spend

1:21:03 the time to help our students do student-led conferences three times a year. So they are telling the story about their learning, and they are interacting directly with their parents and their teachers to tell that story. And then we require every single one of our students to do a capstone project. So they don't... It's an extra requirement beyond the 24 credits and the other requirements that other schools do, because we want to see them demonstrate the work, the body of work that they have done. And the amazing thing about that is they can take that portfolio to a business, they can take it to college and apply for scholarships, and consistently our kids pull

1:21:49 in millions of dollars of scholarships for such a small graduating class, and they go to prestigious colleges, and they tell us that they're ready. Now, as far as the data that we pull, like, we get, like, the National Clearinghouse, you know, kind of gives us, you know, some information. I do think we could do a better job with collecting the information from our alumni and asking their feedback. We do have lots and lots of graduates that come back and connect with us, but I do think we could do a better job of pulling them back in and asking them some questions. And what I would recommend is that we consider doing an exit interview, or at least an exit survey of our students, to

1:22:34 ask them, what was their experience? How do they think we could do better? What were some of the highlights? What were some of the lowlights? And that will help us grow, because sometimes looking and hearing it directly from the students can make all the difference about the work that we're doing. Thank you. Yeah, so we're at forty-three seconds. Forty-three seconds. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you so much. Thank you. Our final candidate is Jodi O'Mara. Is it... Did I pronounce that right? O'Mara, thank you.

1:23:25 Oh, thank you. Yeah, thank you. Jodi, thanks so much for being here. It's nice to put a face. I, I know I've spoken to you maybe a couple of times on the phone. Um, but you did drive over the hill from Florence, and I appreciate you making that effort to be here in front of us in person. Thank you. It's nice to meet you all. Thanks for being here, and thanks for having me here. So Jodi, we're gonna start with Ken asking the first question, and then we'll rotate through, as you've observed. Okay. Hi, Ken. Hi, Jodi. So, um, based on what you know about Springfield, you know, and our is- what do you see as the most significant issues the superintendent would have to face over the next few months? How would you address those issues?

1:24:10 And, uh, how do your qualifications align with being able to address those issues? Okay, thank you. Well, first and foremost, this, um, portfolio you have in front of you will hopefully answer some of the questions you don't get to ask, so I just want to make sure you- I might reference that as well. But, um, you know, I think just from what I know about what's happening in the Springfield School District, I think the biggest thing that needs to happen in the next four months is a calming of the waters. I think there's some healing that needs to be done, um, some healing with the board, some healing with the district administrators, some healing with building administrators, staff, and even our students and our community. And so I think that is really important, that, uh, the elephant in the room, so to speak, that everybody knows that that is the very first thing that needs to

1:24:58 happen. We need to calm and get some stability and some understanding and some focus. I do realize that, uh, the budget is also a big looming issue, considering the latest round of cuts that had to happen mid-year. Um, and I think that a- addressing the budget cuts is painful, and it's emotional, and it's personal. And so to do that, you have to build trust, and you have to build understanding, and to do that, you have to listen. And when I say listen, I mean listen to learn, not listen to respond, listen to learn. There's a difference, and I think everybody can recognize that. Um, my experience, thirty-plus years in education, ten as a superintendent, uh, has brought me through

1:25:46 COVID-... uh, budget cuts, uh, bond, uh, uh, passing of a bond, building of new schools, renovating new schools. Uh, the gamut of emotions that come along with budget cuts, cutting staff, restructuring, lower enrollment, higher enrollment. Um, all of the emotions that come with that, I've experienced and I've dealt with, and I feel like I've been able to deal with that very well because I build relationships with the people that, um, I serve. I s- I serve the board, I serve the administrators in the district, the students, the community, the parents, all of them. Uh, I, I serve them, and that's my role, I feel, as

1:26:32 a superintendent. And so my, my goal for the first four months, and in here is a transition plan that kind of t- tells you what I would plan to do that first month. Um, but it's meeting and getting to know district officials, building-level officials, staff, students, board members, and community members. I feel that that's one of the strengths I have. Thank you. My question is around budget, and I'm assuming that, uh, you, you were superintendent for how many years? 10 years. So you've, you've experienced bu- budget short- shortfalls yourself. Um, so we're facing a

1:27:19 10.4, and it's all sort of proportional to the size of your district. So, uh, what's your philosophy in dealing with budget cuts, and what are some possible strategies you would use to help us through this? Well, one of the biggest strategies is using the people that you have, and, uh, it's my understanding Brett is an amazing, uh, COO. And so I'm really looking forward to working closely with the Finance department. Because the first thing, before you can even look at budget cuts, is you have to understand the budget, and it's not easy to understand. It doesn't matter what size district you're in, because there's so many different pots of money, and they all have certain restrictions of what they can be used for, and how they can be spent, and when they have to be spent by. And so it's understanding the budget, line item by line item, and

1:28:05 I'm gonna go out on a limb and say, I assume that that's already being done because the district knows that the budget cuts are coming, and so the... A deep dive into the budget. Sometimes it's nice to have a fresh set of eyes that haven't seen the budget before or haven't been, you know, knee-deep in it before. Not to say things are wrong, but sometimes new ideas can spark other ideas, and sometimes that comes from someone who is new and able to look at it from a different perspective. And so, yes, 10.4 million is not fun. N- no amount of budget cuts is fun. Um, but it also involves, you know, the stakeholders, and people talk about the different stakeholder groups. The people that know best about what's needed

1:28:53 are those that are in the trenches: custodians, secretaries, the administrative assistants, the teachers, the assistants, uh, bus drivers, you name it. They're the ones that are in there working, doing the work, and they're doing pretty darn good work. And so making sure that they have a voice, as well as district staff and administrators. Um, you know, as you, as an educator, you, you're in your classroom, and that's your vision, and then as an administrator, you're in your school, and that's your vision, and that's your view. And then you're at district office, and now the district is your view, and so it is hard. I, I would love, as a superintendent, to be able to say, "Yes, I make all the decisions." That's not true. However, I do know that the buck does stop with me, and

1:29:41 that my decision- s- stand by my decision. It's unfortunate, but when you make decisions as the superintendent, you don't make everybody happy. And as long as you have a, a way and a lens that allows you to ensure that the decisions being made in the district are student-centered, and some people call that a decision-making framework, a decision-making lens. Some districts call it an equity lens. It doesn't matter what you call it, but it's a way for you to ensure that the decisions your district is making are focused on students. And so students are at the center, and then there's questions you ask with every decision you make, that leads you to: Yes or no, is it student-centered? Thank you. Mm-hmm.

1:30:27 Nicole? Oh, sorry, I was enjoying your- I know, that's nice, isn't it? - presentation and your portfolio. I liked your plan, your transition plan. Um, so as you've been a superintendent for 10 years, I don't need to ask about your district-level experience. Um, so y- you have this transition plan, so maybe you could talk a little bit more on knowing that you're coming in, and you're talking about there needs to be healing and stability. There's also multiple projects in process, so how would you build re- relationships with the staff in that department? I know you said you'd meet with them- Mm-hmm. - but w- how, how do you approach that? So that's one of the things coming in, uh, meeting with each department, um, with each leader in the leadership team, as well as both district at l- level administrators and leadership team, um, is

1:31:15 learning. What are the projects that are currently in place? What do we need to do now? What's the timeline? Looking at the calendar, um, so to speak, so you can project out what needs to be done when. And so just meeting individually with each of them, not just to find out, "Hey, what, what, what, what are you working on now?" What... It's, "What can I help you with?" Like, this is a huge transition for the entire district, and that includes your district leaders, and so we don't wanna forget them in the mix. We don't wanna forget the building administrators or the teachers, classified or certified staff. It's a big change for all of them, and so they need to feel that-... they're heard, and that's why I said listen to learn. And so when you look and it says, "Meet with leadership team

1:32:03 individually," that's what I wanna do. I wanna listen to learn. Not just what they're doing, but how can I support them? And maybe there's nothing I can do except listen, and that's okay. But it's, it's part of that building relationships and being personable, um, that is extremely important. And you'll see that it's not just meeting with the leadership team individually, it's meeting with the, um, directors, um, the school board members individually. I'd like to know what you guys would like to see in your district. You represent the community, and so I wanna hear that. But it's also meeting with all of the program directors, elementary ed, middle high school, special programs, um, individually and then together as a team, because they're a team, and we need to

1:32:49 make sure that we're continuing to work together as a team, but that they're also feeling supported. Hope that answered your question. Yes, it did. Okay. Thank you. Amber? Hey, yes. Uh, so you mentioned that you, um, you need to work together as a team, and, you know, you also mentioned that you don't always make everybody happy. What are... What's an example of, um, a way that you've collaborated through a difficult situation? So I'm going to say the word Covid. Everybody can giggle, 'cause we all know what that did. Um, for the d- district I was in, Mapleton, Covid was devastating, and so I did collaborate with the special ed director, who was also my high school

1:33:37 principal, and our business manager, as well as teachers, a teacher leadership team from the middle high school and from the elementary school, to try and make both sides happy. In the schedule in Mapleton, all the kids ride the same bus, so when high school started, elementary had to start, and when high school ended their day, elementary had to end their day, otherwise it was two bus runs. And so definitely did not make everybody happy with Covid challenges, whether it was, "Well, we can only run the bus once, so guess what, elementary teac- students, you can come twice a day or twice a week. High school st- students, you come the other two days." Um, so I understand that, that you're, you're not gonna make

1:34:22 everybody happy. Um, some- you, you strive to, you want to, but I don't think it's realistic, and I think that's okay. Um, that's why we can all agree sometimes to disagree. But as long as you have that lens, that's student-focused, and you can explain that, "Well, this is my thinking, this is my rationale, this is why I feel like it's best for students. Here's the stakeholders, and here's the interest groups, and here's the information I've gotten that supports that." Um, yeah. Can I follow on that? So did your students in Mapleton, did, did they, uh, attend virtually the same as other districts, or were they always in physical? No. So, uh, when we closed at spring break, thinking it'd just be for

1:35:09 spring- Mm. Yeah, we didn't come back that year. Um, and teachers taught from home, and students... It was all virtual. But in the- and then in the fall, we started the year virtual, uh, however, teachers were on campus. That was one of the qualifications, was we need staff on, on campus, a little more accountability, um, a little more structure. And then, I believe it was January, we were able to bring the kiddos back on a, um, every other day, um, keeping them separated with cohorts. Mm-hmm. Okay. So, um, but no, we did do virtual learning. How did you deal... I, I'm assuming there's limitations on connectivity- Yes ... in Mapleton? Yeah. Um- So we had Wi-Fi acc- hotspots, Verizon hotspots, for some of our families, and we delivered those to families that needed

1:35:56 them. And then we had school buses that would go out and act as hubs. We also had some churches in the community that let the kids come in, and they acted as a hub, um, as long as only a certain number of students per the square footage were in that area. So we worked very creatively to ensure that all of our students had connectivity, and there were some gaps. That's... Yeah, that's for sure. Thank you. That, um... Yeah. Creativity- Creativity ... and challenges, right? Yeah. Thank you. And let's see, was that your question, Amber? Okay, so then we'll move back to Ken.

1:36:41 So Mapleton's a relatively small district. Yes, it is. Springfield's a little bit bigger. Yeah. So how... What do you see as the challenges to going to a d- district Springfield's size, I guess, and how would you, you know, how do you think you'll deal with that? So I think it's gonna take longer to get things done, to make changes. In Mapleton, I had a conversation basically with myself. It was a great conversation. Um, but so it's gonna take longer to get things done, and in Mapleton, I was the HR director. I did have a business manager and an IT director, bless his heart, he was amazing. Um, but I did federal programs, uh, I had a special programs director, but other... food service.

1:37:27 Um, so for me, it's going to... I'm gonna have to learn that there are others in those roles as directors, and they know what they're doing a lot more than I do, and so trusting them. Um, I think it's interesting you ask that, 'cause I've had conversations with other superintendents in bigger districts, like Mike Scott from Hillsboro, when I was an acting superintendent, and he, he was amazed when I was telling him my role and what I did and all of the different hats I had to wear. And so I actually am thinking it's going to be kind of nice to have a cabinet, to have a team, to have a leadership team, and not just have conversations with myself. Um, and so I, I think it's doable, but I think it's gonna take longer.... to fix, to heal,

1:38:15 to do those things. Um, in the transition plans, I talk about school visits on Thursdays. It's gonna take longer to get to all those schools. Yeah. I believe there's 21. Um, all of the schools versus what I was doing in Mapleton, so yeah. Great, thank you. Yeah. Thank you. Well, I asked this question earlier, so do you feel, uh, that high school graduates are prepared for the next step? And, um, what, uh, data supports that view, and what are some strategies you might use? I think some are, and I think some aren't. Um, and I think that

1:39:01 it's demonstrated by those students that then go out into the community, and they are either at trade schools, or they have jobs, um, or they go to college. Whatever their choice is after they graduate, if they're successful at that, um, I, I think that is a great way to measure- Mm-hmm ... whether or not students are graduate-ready for the next step in their life. But since every student has a different s- next step, that's why I say some are ready, and some aren't. If you were gonna ask me, are they all ready to graduate and go to college? No, because not every graduate is going to go to college, and that should be okay. Mm-hmm. It should be okay if it's a trade school. It should be okay if they wanna go into business with their family. It should be okay if they want to go work at, at Fred Meyer.

1:39:47 That- there's nothing wrong with that. That's the bread and butter of our communities, and so not every student graduates ready for the world, and I think one of the things we can do... Um, and I, I think Amy m- might have mentioned it, is, uh, the exit surveys, and then following up a year later. Um, I think there's, um, some surveys that do come out about that, and I can't remember the name of them, but I do believe high schools track that, so you can track what the success rate is of students. But you also have to define what is success. What does that mean? So, um, it, it's... That's a tricky question. It is a, a difficult one. Mm-hmm. Um, and, uh, I've taught at the high school level, and I've been at

1:40:32 OSIS. I've been around students, and like you say, some are, and some aren't. Um, but it's, uh, dismaying to me that many don't have a plan, and so, uh, you know, and they just wanna get out. Mm-hmm. So I was wondering if that's your experience. I'm sure you have a breadth of students in Mapleton- Oh, yeah ... you know, and, uh- And having a plan, I think, uh, you're right, if they don't have any ideas or any plan about what their future is, um, you know, that... I mean, that's everybody. Yeah. If we didn't have a plan, we don't know where we're going, so, um- Okay. Well, thank you. Mm-hmm. Nicole? Um, this isn't on the list, but I was thinking, 'cause y- we- you've answered a

1:41:18 lot of the stuff on the list. Just, um, you'd mentioned visiting the schools Thursday, and it just made me think you probably have a different way of building relationships with students at Mapleton. What do you think it would be like here? Um, I can tell you that the pain that the adults have been facing the last, um, month is definitely mirrored with some of the students. Mm-hmm. So I just wondered how you would- Yeah ... build the relationships with them. So I've had the pleasure the last three years of actually being an administrative mentor in the district, and so I worked at four different elementary schools. Mm-hmm. Um, and so it's... And this year as well, been in the buildings, um, and was in the building when cuts happened. Um, and, you

1:42:04 know, just being around the kids, not necessarily in the classroom, but in the lunchroom, at recess, in the morning when they're walking in the door and welcoming them. Um, kids are, are... They're just sponges, and they just- they see somebody new, and it's like, "Oh, who are you?" Yeah. It's like, "Oh, well, I'm Miss O'Meara. Who are you?" Uh, so just being there, um, you know, it's not that I'm gonna necessarily know every kid's name. Mm-hmm. That would be unrealistic. Mm-hmm. But I think just being there and being present, engaging them- Mm-hmm ... treating them like you'd want somebody to treat your kids if they were at school, and same with the staff. How often were you there every week, or every- Um- How often was that? Well, it depended on what school I was at and what...

1:42:51 Yeah- Okay ... it just depended. Okay. Sometimes it was once a week. Sometimes it was, um, you know, every other week. Sometimes it was once a month. Okay. Thanks. So, yeah. Great. Amber? Mm-hmm. I'm gonna ask this question again and to you. Um, so when faced with pressure from adults, uh, what, uh, what could anchor you in keeping you student-focused, um, with pressure from adults? Right. Yeah. So that's, I guess, the job of the superintendent, is to take the pressure from the adults- Mm-hmm ... when it comes to decision-making, and that goes back to that decision-making

1:43:38 framework, um, the decision lens that keeps students centered, and there's a lot of different versions out there. I believe ODE has one. Um, I believe Springfield has a framework, but not necessarily a lens to use, um, to make decisions. Um, and so just ensuring that every decision that's made is student-centered. Typically, if you can explain why it's a decision that's what's best for kiddos, um, then the anger can dissipate. Like, if they know, yes, it's not a decision you would make, or it goes against the decision you were offering, um-... but it's what a team of professionals who are in the educational field really have delved into and believe that it's what's best for kids. That's our job.

1:44:25 I mean, that's, that was my life for 30 years, was kids, and students, and education, and it's a passion I have. And so, you know, just trying to- people who disagree with you, let them understand that, you know, this is, this is my life, and this has been my life for 30 years, and it obviously, past 30 years, continues to be my life. Um, and so I- it, it's hard, I'm not gonna lie, you know, facing, um, pressure, especially from adults. Um, but I, I do feel like I'm strong enough to deal with that. Mm-hmm. Come back to you, Ken. Uh, time check, maybe? Eight minutes. Um, I'm not sure I got another question. I'd defer to somebody else.

1:45:12 I'll may- maybe think of something here in a minute, but I'd defer to whoever's next. Okay. I do have a question for the board. Great! Do you want me to ask it now? Yeah. Okay. That'd be... I mean, that, that's fine with me. That's fine. I would love to know from each of you, what is it that you're looking for in the acting superintendent for the next four months? Go ahead. I'm looking for someone who, um, can offer healing, um, who can think outside of the box, um, who can also receive feedback, um,

1:45:59 and handle, and walk in grace, walk with grace, um, uh, when, when operating with the board and the district, and, you know, outside influences. Um, I, I really am looking for someone that can, uh, take that and make something beautiful from it. Yeah. Yeah, that's, that's, that's what I'm looking for here. I like that. Someone with some healing powers. Yeah. Thank you. Nicole? Um, I'm glad you asked that question, because it was very important to me that the board had, um, developed some criteria and, um, looked at qualifications.

1:46:46 So I, I would say just what I had said earlier with my questions, was that the students were first, and um, that there was someone with district-level experience, and that someone, um, would be able to, um, handle a short-term appointment well, um, knowing that they're walking into, um, a little bit of turmoil. So those were... Um, that's what I'm looking for, is someone that can kinda tick off those boxes as far as, um... Yeah, that's what I'm looking for. Thank you. Yeah, uh, and not just looking for, you know, somebody to manage the ship, but also, yeah, that can deal with some of the challenges that we have coming in and help, you know, get to, you know, some resolutions

1:47:34 and decisions, and move us forward through this, this process, and, and help the board and staff to, to keep the district moving and be successful. Okay. Jonathan? Four months is a very short runway. Mm-hmm. So I think in the immediate, is just maybe, uh, you know, calm the waters, I think is really important. We have been through a very tumultuous journey, uh, so there's some healing that needs to happen. Um, help guide us through the interim search process, and of course, any of the candidates, uh, if selected, can put their hat in the ring for the, the interim position, and that might be when more substantive work can start to occur.

1:48:21 Yeah. But, um, nevertheless, sorta like I think Ken said, uh, not just, uh, uh, someone who will be a placeholder, but someone who can start the conversations, um, listen, um, address some of the issues. I mean, I think the budget, uh, is impacted by the enrollment decline. Mm-hmm. So how do you get kids back? I'm a huge advocate for public education. Um, but you have to determine why, why are people liv- leaving for any reason? And some of those, I think, we as a district can address, some probably not. But really, uh, giving us the ability to take

1:49:06 a rifle shot, rather than just a shotgun approach to it. Okay. And I th- see the acting superintendent as really sort of laying the groundwork for that to happen. Um, and then not, not the least, is helping us navigate the shortfall that we're seeing, and that's a very near-term thing, um, like it or not, right? Yeah. So... Thank you. Other questions? We're about near to the end as well. Okay. Okay. Do you have any other questions? No, I just... To address kind of what you said, I realize it's a four-month short term, um, but I'm not a short-term person, so when I'm in, I'm all in. I'm not in just,

1:49:51 "Oh, I'm only here for four months, okay" No, I'm in, like- Okay ... in like Flynn. Okay. So I just wanna make sure you understand that. It's not, for me, it's not just a job, it's a passion. Okay. I'm not sure how far you've dug into the district, but you'll notice there's four board m- members, not five. So, uh, just, just a heads-up that we are, we will be appointing on March 9th. Okay. Applications are still open for another week. Uh- ... So are you appointing or interviewing on the ninth? Uh, we'll be interviewing on the ninth and appointing the same evening. Okay. I wondered about that. Okay.

1:50:36 Well, p- people in the district probably know, but- ... unless the, the news carries wider than I thought, I could see, uh, you not knowing that, so- Thank you, it was- Anyway, thank you. To meet all of you. Very nice to meet you. Thank you so much. Thank you. All right. Thank you to all of the candidates. Uh, I could talk all day about education and strategies and all that, and it was, uh, very enjoyable with all three candidates. Uh, so now we're moving to agenda item four, the discussion, the debrief, and at the board's discretion, we can take that however you would like.

1:51:21 Um, would we want to start with a more general discussion, and, uh, then move to the next item? I, I think we have, uh, three good candidates. I appreciate them taking the time and effort to, you know, present themselves here, and so, um, you know, I have some thoughts on who, I guess, who I think we should appoint. Unless, is it an appointment? Is it... Are we hiring? You know, come time to make the, the decision, is it, that what we're motion to appoint, or is it a motion to- Well, we will- uh, it is hiring- Yeah ... and just prior to the meeting, um, I asked the question actually of Nicole and yourself. Uh, I, you know, for better or worse, Vince

1:52:07 Adams, OSBA, picked up his phone with that question, uh, "How would you do it?" And he said, basically, on a l- uh, you know, if you're appointing, like, a, an office or something like that, then it's common to do it through a nominee, which does not take a second. However, in a hiring decision, uh, it's, it's more deliberative, was his word, to do it by motion- Okay ... which requires a second. Any other just, uh, general comments from board members? Does that mean- so normally, like, when we're appointing a board, um, member, there isn't a, a second required, but we also,

1:52:52 um... The first nomination is taken, voted on, and then the second. Is that the same what, what he said for hiring? I would think it- Yeah ... um, is it gonna be that way? I, I would think it would be a motion, and then we have the discussion, and vote. And do one and then move to the next. If- Okay. So also, when we talk about board, um, appointments, um, we usually talk about candidates that kind of rise to the top. Is that what we're doing now for the debrief? For this position? Yeah. Yes, if you choose to.

1:53:46 So as I just said to, um, um, the last candidate, the things that I'm looking for are somebody that, um, I think will put students first or has experience with that, and I think, uh, they all three do. Um, the, the other important thing for me is district-level experience. Um, and then, of course, h- how I feel someone will do in the short term, whether or not, um, they know the role or they know the district. Um, those are the, the, the three things that I'm thinking of right now. Okay. Other criteria, or... I think they all bring, you know, separate strengths and, uh, individual strengths and qualifications. Um,

1:54:32 and some more broader than others. Um, and so I guess, um, yeah, there's- are we- should we say preferences now, or if it's just who rose to the top? Is that... Are we waiting for a motion, or what's the process? Uh, I think we can go forward with just sort of general comments- Okay ... so I'll respond a little bit. Um, it's only four months, and, and that compressed timeframe, I think there's an advantage from an internal candidate, just knowing the district and knowing all the players. Um, totally impressed with Jody's qualifications. Um,

1:55:18 and, and, uh, but again, just having that general district knowledge I see is very valuable. Beyond that, I look at the breadth of experience, you know, the financial, uh, skills, the, uh, abilities to face a difficult situation and come out of it on the positive side. Um, the willingness to have, you know, deep conversations and to really listen, I think is important at this stage. Amber, anything? Yeah, they, they all three, um, brought something

1:56:06 very different to the table. Um, I, I was really, um, I was really happy to hear some, some folks, m- candidates mention just how much community engagement they're, um, ex-... they, they have done, um, that, um, their experience, um, from, from being an educator to being, um, an administrator. Um, and then I also feel that having, um, mmm, being an internal person, just understanding what we've been going through as a district has,

1:56:53 uh, uh... That would help with the healing, uh, 'cause I, I, I think they'd get the full context of it. And, um, uh, that's, that's really important to our healing, is to understand what our history is, and to be able to move forward, um, with that wisdom and what we could do differently. And yeah, again, it's only four months, right? But they do set, they do set the foundation for that. Thank you. Um, so then we'll move on to the action item, which is the appointment of the acting superintendent. Um, and so at this point, I guess I would entertain a motion.

1:57:39 Um, I, I guess having considered all the candidates, I, I, I feel like, and I'll get my motion. I think, um, I feel like for a variety of reasons, um, that maybe, um, I feel like Jodi would be the best candidate, so I would make a motion to appoint Jodi as, um, acting superintendent. Okay. Do I have a second? I'll second. Nicole seconded. Oh, I didn't hear that. Sorry. So we have a motion by Ken, a second by, uh, Nicole. So discussion? My first instinct was to kind of prioritize some internal operation,

1:58:27 operational continuity. Um, um, but I also... It was a really hard- It's a, it's- This is really difficult because, um, um, I know we need someone with a lot of district-level experience. And, um, I, I, I think, um, having somebody that's been in the role, even though there's a learning curve of learning the people here, um, might be better for, um, the district as a whole. Okay. Any other comments before calling for the vote? The motion was to approve, uh, the hiring of

1:59:14 Jodi O'Meara. I'll call for the vote. I'm gonna do a roll call vote. So Ken? Aye. Nicole? Aye. Amber? No. And myself is a no. So at this point, giving, given that we don't have a clear majority, I will entertain another motion. I, uh, Amy Beard. So can you put it in the form of a motion? I'm sorry. I move to- I move to make the m- motion for Amy Beard. Is that- Okay. Yeah. Do I have a second? I will provide the second.

2:00:00 So, um, we have a motion and a second, and, uh, conversation. I will start by saying that, uh, I think Amy has a proven track record as calming some significant waters. Um, and again, I think that's sort of the, the job one facing the district. Um, she's had some challenges that, uh, I'm not sure everybody could have met the challenge and, and come out ahead of. Uh, she specifically mentioned wanting to heal the district, so she understands that, and I think given the, um,

2:00:47 the strategies of listening and inclusion, uh, I would say that that's a good start. Um, yeah, just I think that some of the, um, things that they have done at A3 could be replicated through the district, and I'm not saying there's the time frame necessarily to do that now. But as far as maybe starting the conversation on some of the things that, uh, need to happen moving forward, uh, she's a proven commodity in that area. I feel like all of the candidates talked about inclusion and, you know- Mm ... and, and healing. Um, I guess, um, I'm not sure I got my sense of Amy having the, you know, the administrative

2:01:35 experience at a district-wide level, that I think that Jodi brings to the table, and so that's- Well, Amy had the two years of experience at Douglas County ESD, which is, uh, in the capacity that she served, was at the director level of a, a school district. Uh, it's somewhat different with an ESD, but I think many of the same, uh, responsibilities and lessons are evident at an ESD. So that would be my, my conversation back. Yeah. I think our responsibility tonight is to evaluate qualifications. Um, so I, I won't be voting for Amy.

2:02:20 Okay. Amber? I saw Amy as a person that's willing to put in the work. Um, she has... Let me get the right thing up here.... She has, uh, sought education to educate herself to gain, uh, perspective of what, uh, folks go through. Um, she gets that it takes all of us to, uh, to calm this water, to, um, to move forward. And I, I like

2:03:05 that she has that, that she, she wants to bring us all together, and, um, it shows through her work at A3. Um, she, she- I see that she strives for excellence. Um, um, she's definitely community-driven. Um, I, students who come from all over, students, uh, seem to be very passionate about their educators there. I mean, I can, I can see that they have high morale there at A3. Um, and I would, would really like to see somebody spread that through the district. Um, and I think she would be the one to, um,

2:03:53 to, to push us in that way, to assist us in that way, walk with us in that way, not push us. I think she would walk with us in that way and, and be willing to listen to everyone. Um, so I, I, I really like that she also puts herself in the shoes of the teachers, 'cause she goes there and she teaches, uh, when the teachers need some reprieve. I mean, that just shows that she's willing to go into the trenches to gain perspective, and that's the healing that we need right now. Um, we need someone that's willing to, to listen to all perspectives and take that in, and willing to get into the work to understand that. So that's... I mean, that's why I'm

2:04:38 with, um, Ms. Beard. She, um, she also has a transformational leadership style that, um, we need that too. We- we're in a very tight place. Uh, it's been hard for far too long, and, um, that's exactly where we're at. We're in a, a transformable spot, and, and I think she would just bring some calm to us while we're looking for our next steps. Yeah. Any other thoughts or questions? Ken, Nicole? Well, I, I think some of the points that Amber brings up, I've heard from all of the candidates.

2:05:24 So, you know, it's not necessarily, um, unique to, um, Ms. Beard's experience. Um, and I believe, you know, the, all the candidates could pro- provide that. I think there's some benefit to having, um, somebody that's not necessarily integral to, you know, Springfield, and not tied to that. And, um, also, I just still feel like, um, Ms. O'Hara's experience, you know, is, is broader in terms of being able to guide it, guide the district and get us through, you know, the budget and some of the other things that we're gonna have to deal with, so... Okay.

2:06:09 In an interview, um, and Ken, you and I have had this conversation, that sometimes, uh, you know, uh, the answers tend to be similar. Um, the difference that I see, and, and is demonstrated in Amy's resume, is the proven experience. Uh, being able to turn around an organization to financial viability, uh, to increase enrollment, to get the kind of graduation rates that we say, you know, we aspire to as a district. I think these are all plu- pluses, and in a way, having the short runway, the four-month time period, uh,

2:06:57 gives us the advantage of seeing if any of the candidates are the kind of leader we want. So particularly in the area of, um, nominating Amy, I see it as an opportunity to move forward with someone in that position without, uh, without a bump. I should mention that if we are unable to reach a decision tonight, we do always have the option of reaching out to Lane ESD to provide services. That is a function of theirs to do. Okay. Um, but- But what does... Do you know what that looks like? I guess I, I'm not sure what that looks like for ESD. I don't really know what it looks like- Okay ... because, but I know they've provided those services to smaller d- districts.

2:07:42 For example, I think they, they provided it initially to Mapleton, uh, post Jodi's experience, um, at least on a part-time basis, and then it evolves from there. But it's, uh, you know, it's not something that they probably wanna do long dur- term, but they could step in in a four-month period and have the, um, capacity to sign agreements and/or work with the leadership team, et cetera. I think, I think the point you make about Amy, you know, and long term, I think, I think they could make sense in terms of thinking about it for an interim or a permanent superintendent. But I, I just, with this short runway of, and the, the challenges we have, um, ahead of us, I

2:08:28 feel, I just really feel like Jodi's the better candidate. Okay. Well, seeing or hearing no other comment, I'm going to go ahead and call for the vote.... So, um, I'll do a roll call again. So, Ken? No. Nicole? No. Amber? Yes for Amy. And yes for myself. So we're at an impasse, and this is one of the- So we're- ... disadvantages of having a, an even-numbered board. So I would, um, entertain suggestions at this point. Can we, uh... One suggestion would be to table it until Monday. Is that an option?

2:09:14 Or is this something we're- Would it change the outcome? I mean, I think we can. I can't imagine why we, why we- Do board members need more time to- If we need more time to think about it. But, um, it seems like we're all pretty set, so I'm not sure, you know? Yeah. Um, but, and which is just... And I hate this, um, that we're then forced to, um, do something that, you know, I, I think is a lesser alternative. I think by going to ESD and, or we don't... It's an unknown.

2:10:02 We don't know what that looks like. Not that we know what it looks like for any of the candidates to be superintendent. That's somewhat of an unknown as well, but, um- Well, they would do a similar process as far as probably managing the interim superintendent search process, which we'll get to in discussion. Um, but I'm assuming the board wants to have a superintendent and wants to go with the interim superintendent plan. Definitely want a superintendent, and, and I see an interim is, is, is necessary, yes. Um, I also feel like, uh, acting as having somebody in that role to get us through the, you know, the next few months is

2:10:50 critical as well. Well, I agree with that, and, uh, for the reasons I've stated, I, I think the candidate that I nominated has a skill set that would serve that purpose in a four-month window. So I guess, um... I'm a, I'm a little concerned about that. As, as I read through, um, Ms. Beard's, you know, cover letter and, um, and, uh, uh, resume, I, I, it just felt like the, the cover letter to me was, uh, not necessarily focused, a little

2:11:37 broad, and so it didn't resonate with me, you know, and concerned about how that communication style will get us through to the end. So i- it just, yeah, and, uh, or get us through this the next few months. Um- One of the things that I appreciated was the support that Ms. Beard received, and I know that there might be the perception that that was, um, orchestrated, for lack of a word, better word, but it was, uh, a, a, uh, a number of staff and parents

2:12:22 and former staff. Um, so that breadth, I think, to me, said that it's a, it's a broad support. Granted, it's one school in the district, but, um, I think this candidate has a good knowledge. I mean, it's, it's, it's as simple as knowing how many buildings we have and how many elementaries, and maybe who the principals are, and these kinds of things. And I, and I think, um, she has that experience to hit the ground running, and I'm concerned, especially with spring break in the way, that it'll be a, a longer process, uh, for

2:13:08 Jodi. But she's definitely qualified. She has a really, really nice resume. So, you know, when, um... advocacy is not inappropriate, but I think we do need to acknowledge the volume of coordination. Uh, if this outcome was effectively decided beforehand, then, um, it just shows our process was performative, and I don't think this bro- board can be trusted to, to place an acting superintendent. I think we should go with the, um, Laney SD's help for services right now. I'm not sure what level of coordination you're talking about. Um, well, I'm directly talking about, um, the

2:13:53 SAAC letter about, um, only certain stakeholders being, um, giving input. So, and my question wasn't able to be asked tonight, my ans- or answered about, um, who was recommending each, um, candidate. So I just feel like we need to, if we're not gonna agree, and I'm not changing my vote, we need to, um, we need somebody in there, so I would contact Laney SD. So should I say who nominated, who, who I saw in emails, who nominated certain folks? Would you like- Sure. Okay, so Dustin Reese nominated, uh, Brett

2:14:39 Meagher. Um, Jodi was- Brian Meagher. Brian Meagher, sorry. So I didn't, I didn't see that email. I blended... Sorry about that.... Yeah. Um, uh, uh, it, it was very much varied, I'm sure. Um, and then, uh, Jodi, she came from COSA. Um, our lawyer recommended her, and then Amy came from... Well, I don't know where Amy came from. Where did - Amy's name was put forward by staff. Okay. What staff? Uh, former staff, actually. Someone working in 4J.

2:15:25 What former staff? You've named Dustin, and you've named COSA. What former staff? Andy Hawk, currently working in 4J. So what is, what is- So I didn't reach out to anybody because, other than to say yes or no, because I think that's undue pressure coming from a board member- But you- And inappropriate. Huh? I thought you said you, you called everybody. I called them to determine simply two questions: Do you want to, or do you not want to? And did you call any other principals of any other buildings? I did not. Okay. 'Cause no other, no others were put forward. So why was, was she put forward and no, no, nobody else?

2:16:11 How did, how did they find out about it? I can't tell you that. Productive- This is information that I have- And that's why I think that Laney SD needs to get involved, 'cause this board cannot be trusted. Well, I, I don't- That's all I'll say about that ... think that's true. I don't think that's true either. Um- Um, there were other names that were mentioned, uh, but a lot of people retired, retired, um, that came from COSA. Um, can't do anything with that, but they were recommended, and- And for, for many of them, um, the interim position is more attractive. I guess I would like to propose that we, um... I'd maybe like to think about it over the weekend, and maybe we can, um,

2:16:58 revisit it on Monday, and add it to Monday's agenda. Okay. To, you know, I wanna see us move forward and, um, not default to the, because we can't make a decision. Okay. Um, so that's what I would propose. Okay. Other board input on that? I'm in agreement with that- Okay ... for Monday. And I would agree with that also. Um, although I have immense respect for Laney SD, uh, they, they're already balancing a bunch of other work, and, uh, and I think it would be better to name our own, so. So are we okay leaving all three

2:17:43 candidates as a possibility? I am, yes. Okay, and I am too. Okay. So, um, I don't see any reason for action item 5B, because all that was, is to, um, negotiate a contract with a candidate, having no candidate, unnecessary, but you'll see it, um, on the agenda then for Monday. And that's really to save the board another meeting, 'cause in lieu of the board chair serving in that capacity, um,

2:18:28 then, then we have to meet in executive. Well, actually, I think it might have to be public. But we have to meet nevertheless- Yeah Okay? Again, I wanna thank all of the candidates. Obviously, you've made it a tough decision, so, uh... And that's because you're all exemplary candidates. So I, I appreciate that, and sorry, you'll have to stay tuned until Monday. Um, finally, on the agenda, on the agenda is the, um, discussion around interim superintendent search pro, uh, process. So I'll give you my rundown, having seen it before, um, and then put it in the context of the

2:19:16 timeframe that we're on. So generally, in a full s- interim search, and this is why I proposed an acting, followed by an interim- Mm-hmm ... uh, is to give us more time to do a thorough, uh, due diligence of the interim selection. So the first thing, and everything else follows after that, from a timeline standpoint, is to find a search firm. So identify the possibilities, probably have a board discussion around possibilities, send out an RFP, a request for proposal, come back, entertain those, and then make a decision. Once a search firm, uh, is decided upon, then we work

2:20:02 with them. So an accelerated timeframe, timeframe might be to do the search firm in March, and then we work with them. You usually start with, uh, establishing qualifications for the interim. Um, and that can or cannot, or does not ne- necessarily have to include community, uh, input on that, or staff input, but at the discretion of the board, that might be something that we would discuss. Um- So would that be a discussion that the next meeting in March, when we're interviewing board applicants? Um, or do we want the, the... If we're going to select somebody to be on the board, to be part of that discussion.

2:20:49 Personally, I think it would be, be important to seat the new board member- Yeah ... and then have them included in the process. But what it could look like is scheduling an extra meeting in March. As you know, we only have one currently scheduled. Spring break, I think, allows us to, uh, to schedule another one.... prior to spring break, and we could do some of the legwork at that point. Yeah. So I think one of the constraints we've had as a board, it seems like, you know, when time-critical issues come up, we don't have, we don't have regular enough meetings, and that, and decisions, and it takes a long time to get information, you know, vetted, and then get to a decision, and, and it doesn't work well when we

2:21:35 have things are, that are short timeline. Um, for example- Obvious. Obvious, yeah. Um, so, you know, scheduling a, another meeting that we could bring the, you know, uh, a new board member in, and have, um, you know, a f- a full suite of five board members, I think would be helpful for this discussion, and talk about it more, in more detail and- Okay ... and then maybe some additional meetings just to, you know, expedite that process, and so we can, you know, get it done in time to be able to have somebody, um, for the next, uh, school year. Yeah. So, uh... And the board is not limited in the number of meetings that we can call, except by the constraints of the 48-hour notice.

2:22:22 So if the board as a group decides we wanna have more meetings, it takes a majority of the board to make that decision, and we can make it happen. Uh, assuming that we sort of wrap things up in March from the search firm standpoint, you know, April might develop, you know, uh, the criteria, open the, the door for applications, and, and that May might be to review the applications and hold interviews. Uh, June might be the opportunity to discuss the candidates and make a decision, and I'd put ideally have the interim in place by July 1st. Yeah, I- And then- That would be the goal- Start the year ... trying to make sure we're making, you know- Mm-hmm ... good progress in our meetings to-

2:23:08 Yeah ... make that happen. Yeah. Yeah, ideally, you know, during that next year... I shouldn't say ideally. I mean, the plan would be to then start the permanent app, uh, process, and even with that, we could designate a different search firm, or we can continue service with the one we have or we've chosen. But if, for example, we, we aren't particularly enamored with the, uh, search firm we've chosen, we do have the option to put out another RFP and rethink that. Yeah. So... And again, I, I keep coming back to, the search firm is, is very important as far as delineate not only the process, but also the timeframe.

2:23:55 If, uh- The process, and I assume we'd want time to talk about the criteria, right, by which we wanna- Yeah ... use somebody. And they'll lead, usually they'll lead that. And again, what we should be thinking about, what do we want that to look like? Community involvement, staff involvement, et cetera, um- Yeah, absolutely. So yeah, and then generally, just, just real briefly, a regular search for, uh, uh, the permanent superintendent arguably is a six-month process, and usually would start, given we have knowledge beforehand, we- it would start maybe even at a retreat in August, and then, uh, establish the timeline. And if we choose to use the same search firm,

2:24:43 that expedites things, so... Okay. Uh, so, um, in this moment, I'm, I... As I've mentioned before, I've been looking for, um, facilitators and trainers, and in my journey, I'm realizing a lot of them, um, do search, also, also provide searches- Okay ... as well. So, um, just wanted to share that, so maybe I also let the, the facilitators know that, and they can slide that into their brochure for us, and so that we have something to look at. Um, 'cause maybe it could be we're able to use, um, to... I'm sorry, um,

2:25:30 you know, use one, one, one, uh, firm to move us along in, in our process. Well, and that's, uh, like I say, usually done through, uh, research and recommendations. Okay. Um, OSBA does those, maybe even COSA does those, but there's a number, uh, of others. I think Human Capital, uh, is another, so there's a variety to choose from. Um, as a board, we wanna, may wanna limit the number of, of RFPs that we send out, just to make it an easier choice, but we can cast a broad net, and that process is also at our discretion. We could do formal interviews before the board, presentations, et cetera. Um, at this point, everything has a time cost

2:26:16 to it. Yeah. So that's just something we should be aware of. Any other questions on that? Okay. So, wait, I'm sorry, so when, um, uh, do we wanna wait until Monday to pick another day to put on our agenda, um, uh, to have another meeting, or is that just something we'll- Um- We'll schedule out? It will certainly be brought up. Okay. There will be, you know, board communications- Mm-hmm ... uh, opportunities, where I'll make sure as board chair, that we have that opportunity. Okay. Um, and then, I think it was sort of scheduled for the 9th, but

2:27:02 I, I don't have that information with me. Yeah, we're scheduled for the 9th, and, um, spring break is at the end of March, and I was just looking at the calendar, and I saw March 16th might be an opportunity, but looks like we can talk about that later. Yeah, I mean, given the board chair appointee scheduled for the 9th, and the interviews, and that dialogue, and all of that, I hate to load up the 9th with too much. Yeah. So again, might be looking at, you know, what can we do on the 23rd, the 9th. Beyond that, uh, at some point, we need to have the conversation about adding a special meeting. Yeah. Okay. All right? Thank you. So just circling back, you know, we still have a quorum, so Ken, you're, you're good with moving it to Monday?

2:27:49 I, I would like to have it on there, and a chance to, to... I guess we could all contemplate it over the weekend and see if anybody has a change of heart, any of us. Okay. Well, seeing no other business, our next meeting is February 23rd. It's a work session, or what I call a work session, and it's scheduled at 5:30, so this meeting is adjourned at 7:25.