The school boards of the Richland, South Whidbey and White Pass school districts have been named 2007 Boards of the Year by the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA). The prestigious awards recognize school district boards of directors that have demonstrated outstanding efforts and accomplishments in promoting student achievement.
Members of the three boards were honored Friday during the association’s annual conference in Seattle. The awards, which include a gift of $500 from the Washington State School Boards’ Educational Foundation, are presented to one each from a small, medium and large school district.
Award recipients submitted essays describing what the school board has done to improve student achievement. Essays were judged on several criteria, including the board’s vision and leadership, efforts to work as a team with the district administration, clearly described lessons that will benefit other school boards, and a thoughtful implementation plan.
Richland School Board
The Richland School Board is honored as the School Board of the Year for districts with more than 5,000 students (district enrollment is approximately 10,000). Members of the board are Heather Cleary, Mary Guay, Rick Jansons, Jim Peterson and Phyllis Strickler. The district superintendent is Richard Semler.
The Richland essay notes that the board has implemented focused policies and procedures over the past ten years to "transform the district from a complaint-ridden, financially strapped system to a process oriented and financially sound set of schools that work cooperatively to consistently raise student achievement for all children."
Actions and accomplishments attributed to the board include:
Developing a strategic plan focused on student achievement and the support structure needed to promote student learning.
Using criteria from the national Baldrige quality program to continually assess and improve district performance. The district has received two Washington State Quality Awards, which recognize organizations for performance excellence.
Developing and using multiple assessment tools to measure student progress and align resources to instructional needs. Since 2001, the district has recorded gains in test scores in all areas of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning and other assessments.
Involving the community in revamping the budget monitoring process and assessing the need for new facilities, which in turn help build public support for a bond issue to refurbish and add schools.
Self-insuring the district, investing in state-of-the-art security systems, and promoting a supportive work climate for district staff.
South Whidbey School Board
School Board of the Year for a district with 1,001 to 5,000 students is awarded to the South Whidbey School Board (district enrollment is approximately 1,800). Members of the board are Fred O'Neal, Rich Parker, Helen Price-Johnson, Bob Riggs and Steven Scoles The district superintendent is Fred McCarthy.
In its essay, the South Whidbey district says it has "overcome a number of obstacles and dealt with a great deal of adversity" over the past few years, including financial challenges, overstaffing, declining student enrollment, lawsuits and employee grievance issues. The district is now recognized as a leader in promoting student achievement, with several of its schools receiving national and state awards and ratings for student performance.
Actions and accomplishments attributed to the board include:
Restoring public trust and confidence in the district through a systematic approach to solving academic, financial and personnel challenges.
Developing a long-range plan for continuous improvement in the district’s teaching and learning programs.
Providing support and personal involvement in key areas such as community engagement, facilities planning, technology improvements and labor relations.
Establishing and adhering to a vision and mission that supports the administration in developing new initiatives and removing obstacles related to student success.
Active involvement in advocacy for public schools at the state and national level.
White Pass School Board
The White Pass School Board is honored as the School Board of the Year for districts with 1,000 or fewer students (enrollment is approximately 560 students). Members of the board are Nick Creighton, Blake Griffith, Kay Thomas, Nancy Webber and Barb West. The district superintendent is Brian Talbott.
The White Pass essay notes that "our schools are producing remarking results in student learning" in the face of significant challenges, including as high rates of unemployment and poverty, a steady decline in student enrollment, and difficulty recruiting quality staff to its remote location. It notes that the district’s junior-senior high school recently received a Learning Improvement Award and was named a "School of Distinction" by the state Superintendent of Public Instruction for being among the top five percent of schools in Washington that met this year’s state learning targets and demonstrated outstanding improvement in both reading and mathematics.
Actions and accomplishments attributed to the board include:
Engaging the community and staff in the process of consolidating the district’s three elementary schools students into one campus.
Supporting the development of a four-year plan to create an integrated, aligned approach to teaching at the elementary and secondary levels.
Allocating resources to implement all-day kindergarten and establish preschool programs, and to provide classes for parents on how to prepare their children for these early learning opportunities.
Participating in professional development at the local and state level, and advocating for K-12 education through leadership roles in the Washington State School Directors’ Association.
