Ross Valley School District

Position Title: Superintendent

Salary: $135,000 – $165,000

Closing Date: May 18, 2007

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The Position

The governing board of the Ross Valley School District seeks a visionary education leader. We are seeking an experienced leader with a collaborative and inclusive style of management. The superintendent serves as the district’s chief executive officer and secretary to the board of trustees.

The superintendent provides overall leadership for the educational program and the operation of the district, including the areas of curriculum, finance and budgeting, facilities, personnel, and coordination with public agencies, civic organizations and the business community.

The Community

The Ross Valley School District is located in the hills of beautiful central Marin County, and serves the communities of Fairfax and San Anselmo. The district is located just 20 miles north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge.

The area offers a wealth of recreational and cultural activities. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy hiking, mountain biking, running and bird watching. Plant and animal life are abundant on the area’s many scenic trails.

Mount Tamalpais State Park, groves of coastal redwood trees and county watershed preserves are located nearby. The communities are proud of their park facilities, ranging from rugged and natural to sports fields and playgrounds.

The community has several charming local theaters, providing venues for theatrical and musical entertainment. The area also offers fine dining and diverse shopping experiences, including art galleries, bookstores and antique shops. San Anselmo is known as the antique capital of northern California. Several major universities and community colleges are within easy commuting distance, including UC Berkeley, San Francisco State, University of San Francisco, and Dominican University.

The climate is mild with an average temperature of about 60 degrees. The area’s climate, natural beauty and proximity to San Francisco – combined with its comfortable, secure small town feeling make Fairfax and San Anselmo wonderful places in which to work and raise a family.

The District

The Ross Valley School District offers its 1,816 students an outstanding educational program. The district enjoys strong community support through the YES Foundation and active PTO’s, PTA’s, PO site councils, advisory groups, and parent volunteers. Partnerships and a locally approved parcel tax have provided many special opportunities for children to explore their interests in depth. The passage of a $19.8 million bond has enabled the district to modernize and build new school facilities.

The average class size in the district is just over 25 students. Classes K-3 do not exceed 20 students. The highly qualified staff includes 110 teachers, 70 classified employees and a professional support staff of 15. The district has three schools serving kindergarten through fifth grade, a multi-age K-5 program and one middle school serving grades six through eight. Professional counseling services are available at all schools, and library specialists staff each school’s library.

The ethnicity of the student body consists of 85.5% Caucasian, 5.8% Hispanic, 4.2% Asian, 1.76% African American, and 2.73% Other.

The district’s annual budget is approximately $15,500,000. Ross Valley is very proud of its California distinguished schools and the outstanding academic achievement of its students on the Stanford 9 Tests. All K-5 schools received Academic Performance Awards. The district’s schools rank as some of the best in Marin County and in California.

The district is committed to the highest quality instructional program. Parents, teachers and administrators are involved in the regular assessment of program quality and on going program development. These efforts address the needs of students and ensure alignment with the California state framework and standards.

Selection Criteria

The following criteria represent standards to be used in the evaluation of applications and in the selection of the superintendent.

Professional Experience and Preparation

Master’s degree from an accredited institution; doctorate desirable.
California Teaching and Administrative credentials.
Leadership in a responsible administrative position.
Strong curriculum, instruction and staff development background.

Personal Characteristics

The ideal candidate is someone who:

Exhibits the qualities of integrity, sincerity, compassion and forthrightness.
Is a confident, caring person with effective communication skills; is visible and approachable.
Is a good listener who encourages divergent opinions; has the courage to make tough decisions, and accepts the responsibility for those decisions.
Has a good sense of humor.
Is an articulate spokesperson for the district.
Is excited about being involved in the schools and community, and is able to interact with and support parent and community groups.
Is energetic, innovative, well organized and follows through; has high expectations for self and others.

Professional Skills and Abilities

The ideal candidate is someone who:

Has proven success in working with a governing board to build a strong governance team; a person who can ensure the board receives appropriate information, advice and recommendations that will allow them to make informed decisions.
Has demonstrated the ability to develop and articulate a shared vision for the school district.
Has successfully created an inclusive culture that values parent and community involvement.
Is committed to the implementation of the district strategic plan.
Has demonstrated excellent knowledge of K-8 curriculum and understands current education theory, instructional techniques and curricular reforms.
Is committed to working effectively with our community foundation to maximize the educational opportunities for all students.
Has experienced an in-depth knowledge of managing district finances and other resources in a prudent manner.
Has successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements.
Has shown a commitment to academic excellence.
Has successfully selected and led highly qualified teaching, support and administrative staff.
Has been a team builder with a talent for improving staff morale and eliciting high performance.
Has a desire and the experience in working in a community with high expectations, and the ability to build strong, effective relationships with community and staff.
Will work with neighboring school districts, public agencies, local leaders, the business community and other community organizations on educational issues.
Supports all of the district’s educational programs such as ELL, special education, GATE, foreign language, etc.

Application Procedure

All applications will be held strictly confidential. Each applicant is requested to follow the procedures listed below. Those applicants wishing additional information should contact the CSBA adviser at (916) 669-3297. For duplication purposes, please do not bind application materials.

Applications are to be sent to:

Ross Valley School District
c/o Molly McGee-Hewitt, Adviser
California School Boards Association
3100 Beacon Blvd., Suite Ross
West Sacramento, CA 95691

All applicants must provide the following items by the closing date, May 18, 2007 (5:00 p.m.), , to be considered:

A completed Application Information Form. (Please complete as instructed; do not complete by stating “see attached résumé”.) The Application Information Form and brochure may be downloaded via CSBA’s Web page at www.csba.org/es.
A personal letter of application stating reasons for interest in the Ross Valley School District superintendent position.
A résumé providing biographical background information about educational preparation, experience and achievements.
A placement file and/or five (5) current letters of professional references describing the applicant’s performance in previously held positions.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to arrange to have placement papers or reference letters forwarded in time to meet the May 18, 2007 (5:00 p.m.) deadline. Additional brochures may be requested by calling the CSBA 24-hour Brochure Request Line at (916) 669-3296.

Selection Procedure

A professional screening committee will evaluate the qualifications of each applicant. The board and the screening committee will use the described criteria during the screening, interviewing and final decision-making process. After receiving and studying the report of the screening committee, the board will select and interview the top candidates.

Both the board and the Superintendent Search Advisory Committee (SSAC), consisting of staff and community members, will interview the selected candidates. After the interviews, the SSAC will report to the board the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the candidates.

The board will select candidates for the final interviews, conduct the interviews and select the superintendent. Any applicant who contacts a board member with the intent of influencing the board’s decision will be disqualified.

Travel expenses for those candidates selected for the initial interview will be the responsibility of the candidate.

Salary and Contract Terms

The Ross Valley School District Board of Education will offer a salary of $135,000 – 165,000 (competitive and negotiable) to the successful candidate, based on that individual’s experience and qualifications.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to provide the district with employment eligibility and verification of citizenship in compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act.