Fallbrook Union High School District

Position Title: Superintendent

Salary: $170,000 (competitive and negotiable)

Closing Date: June 4, 2008

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The Position

The Board of Trustees of the Fallbrook Union High School District is seeking qualified candidates to apply for the position of district superintendent. The board is searching for a visionary leader who demonstrates a collaborative management style, supports shared decision making and has the ability to build trust among staff at all levels. The successful candidate will be an individual who is personable and approachable; someone who enjoys the visibility that comes with occupying a high profile position in a district and community where active participation in activities and events is expected. The board is committed to providing direction for the district and the superintendent while allowing him/her to run the operational aspects of the school system.

The Community

Fallbrook, with an area population of about 45,000, is a relatively undiscovered jewel that represents a slice of Middle America — southern California style — tucked away in rolling hills away from the hustle and bustle of its suburban-urban surroundings, but with easy access to them. Nestled among the coastal foothills of North San Diego County, at an elevation of 1,000 feet, the town and its surroundings are aesthetically delightful, replete with flower fields, fruit orchards and vineyards, and with a climate that may be the best in the world. Fallbrook lies an hour from San Diego, two hours from Los Angeles and a half-hour inland from the ocean. In fact, beaches, mountains and desert are all within a half-hour drive.

Fallbrook is a place with a deep sense of history, and an equally deep sense of place. The unincorporated village has some 160 volunteer organizations that reflect a vibrant commitment to community. Cultural and recreational opportunities are almost too numerous to mention. To name a few, there are the Art Works, the Art and Cultural Center, the 1940s era Mission Theater on Main Street, the Fallbrook Historical Society, the Gem and Mineral Society and the Garden Club, which maintains a wildflower and butterfly garden at Live Oak Park. Fallbrook boasts a number of equestrian ranches that raise everything from quarter horses to Arabians. Among seven preserves in Fallbrook, there is the Santa Margarita Trail, a riding and hiking trail that includes 1,500 acres along the Santa Margarita River for nature lovers.

Of course, all the outdoor recreational opportunities abound, and a major activity is golf. Fallbrook alone has six top courses, including the “Top One Hundred” Pala Mesa Resort, and there are more than sixty other courses scattered throughout north San Diego County alone. For many, Fallbrook is the ultimate place to live.

The District

Fallbrook Union High School District consists of a 350 square mile area extending east from the ocean to the Pala Indian Reservation, and from the Orange County-Riverside County lines on the north to Oceanside, and Vista and Escondido on the south. The area includes the villages of Fallbrook, Bonsall, portions of the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and the Naval Weapons Station.

Three elementary districts send students to the 9–12 grade Fallbrook High School. The district also includes three alternative school settings: Oasis High School, an independent study school of approximately 110 students, and Ivy High School, a continuation high school serving approximately 125 students at a campus adjacent to Fallbrook High and at a satellite campus on the Pala Indian Reservation. The diverse student population of FUHSD approximates 3,200: 45 percent Hispanic, 43 percent Caucasian, 5 percent multiethnic, 2 percent African American, 1.5 percent Native American, 1.5 percent Asian, 1 percent Filipino and 1 percent Pacific Islander. These students are served by a staff of 152 certificated and 119 classified employees.

The district prides itself on having a robust technology infrastructure, and there is extensive use of advanced technology and multimedia delivery systems. Fallbrook High School offers a rich curriculum that includes advanced placement courses, visual and performing arts, career technical education, as well as a wide variety of core academic course options. The campus is the location for the 500 seat state-of-the-art Bob Burton Center for the Performing Arts. The high school’s award winning agriculture and Future Farmers of America programs are highly regarded throughout the state and nation, and the school is also well known for its strong athletic programs and nationally recognized student activities program. The budget for the district approximates $31,500,000.

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

High school teaching experience required.
Experience as a secondary site administrator required.
Central office experience required.
Master’s degree required.
Successful experience in a multicultural setting required.
Experience with Future Farmers of America, agricultural education, special education and alternative programs, including Independent Study, desirable.
Bilingual ability desirable.

Personal Characteristics

The ideal candidate is someone who:

Is a “people person” with public and human relations skills and a sense of humor.
Is a warm, approachable leader who enjoys the visibility of a high profile public figure in a close-knit district and community and welcomes the opportunity for involvement in schools and community.
Exhibits genuine concern for students, staff and parents, and treats everyone with courtesy and respect.
Has a demonstrated history of a collaborative, participatory management style.
Exhibits honesty, integrity, sincerity and forthrightness in dealings with all the district’s constituencies.
Is a “bridge builder” of positive relationships who can help to create an atmosphere of professional satisfaction and trust among district employees.
Is an articulate communicator who is effective with both oral and written communications.
Is a leader who demonstrates the same accountability that he or she demands of all district employees.
Is a proactive problem-solver who deals with issues before they become magnified.

Professional Skills and Abilities

The ideal candidate is someone who:

Has the wisdom and the patience to learn about the district and community before initiating any changes.
Understands and respects the role of the board and the value of the governance team concept.
Is a visionary leader who can work with the board to develop both short and long-range plans for the district.
Understands collective bargaining and the value of a positive professional relationship with employee organizations, and has a demonstrated record of developing or sustaining that sort of relationship.
Has excellent knowledge of curriculum and instruction and understands how to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum-instruction-assessment-intervention paradigm in an accountability-oriented school district.
Has a demonstrated record of improving student achievement, preferably in a multi ethnic setting.
Has a versatile background with some experiences in all the major dimensions of management needed in a small school district, including the ability to exercise fiscal oversight of the budget and offer creative options and recommendations to the board on budget matters. Experience with Impact Aid would be desirable.
Is able to build strong coalitions and partnerships with all segments of the community, including business and local governmental agencies.
Is a user of technology and understands its applications in education and management of the school district.

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:
Fallbrook Union High School District
c/o Dr. Jack Gyves, Adviser
California School Boards Association
3100 Beacon Blvd., Suite Fallbrook
West Sacramento, CA 95691

All applicants must provide the following items by the closing date, June 4, 2008 (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 Fallbrook Union High 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 June 4, 2008 (5:00 p.m.) deadline.

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.

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 Fallbrook Union High School District Board of Trustees will offer a minimum salary of $170,000 (competitive and negotiable) plus an above average package of fringe benefits to the successful candidate, based on that individual’s experience and qualifications. The board intends to offer a multi-year contract.

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.