Position Title: Superintendent

Salary: Competitive and Negotiable

Closing Date: February 29, 2008

Downloads:

• Job Application
• Job Brochure

The Position

The Board of Trustees of the Sierra Unified School District invites qualified, successful leaders to apply for the position of district superintendent. The school district superintendent of the past 16 years is retiring at the end of the 2007-2008 school year.

The ideal candidate will be someone who is a strong leader with excellent communications and interpersonal skills.

The superintendent must be a “generalist” with experience in instruction, finance, budget, personnel, special education and addressing issues associated with declining enrollment.

The successful candidate will also be someone committed to becoming part of a rural, mountain community and being highly visible and involved in the Sierra community and schools.

The Community

The community surrounding the Sierra Unified School District is comprised of a large geographic area from the foothills approximately 25 miles northeast of the Fresno/Clovis area to the remote areas of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

The area of major population consists primarily of grazing foothills and boasts an open environment with a comfortable and peaceful atmosphere conducive to quality family living. Housing is primarily a “country home” atmosphere available in many attractive neighborhoods.

The area also serves as a “bedroom community” for residents working in the Fresno/Clovis area. The area enjoys abundant sunshine and rarely experiences the winter fog which sometimes comes to the valley floor. Nearby Fresno and Clovis provide metropolitan amenities and abundant educational resources, civic and cultural opportunities. The Millerton Lake recreational area is located at the district’s door for inland water sports. Other recreational areas and retreats include Shaver Lake, Huntington Lake, Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Summit Ski Resort.

The District

Sierra Unified was formed in 1992 from the Golden Hills Elementary District (formerly Auberry and Sierra Elementary School Districts) and the corresponding portions of the Minarets Joint Union High School District (formerly the Sierra Joint Union High School District). In July 2003, the district was expanded to include the 9th through 12th grade students in the Big Creek and Pine Ridge Elementary School Districts.

The district serves approximately 2,000 students at ten different sites. The student population includes 13.4 percent American Indian, 1.04 percent Asian, 6.8 percent Hispanic/Latin, 1.3 percent African American and 77.46 percent White students. The district encompasses approximately 3,000 square miles, and runs from the valley floor near Fresno and Clovis to the High Sierra.

Sierra Unified schools have long been noted for the many excellent academic and career and technical education programs and the wide variety of extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. Students score above the state and national averages on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which is used for college entrance, and perform well on the state testing program. The district has an overall API score of 806 for the 2006-2007 school year. This is directly attributable to the excellent teaching and support staff at each site, who have set high expectations for students achievement. Sierra Elementary School, Foothill Middle School and Sierra High School have been recognized as California Distinguished Schools.

The district has a general fund budget of $20,500,000 and is served by 134 certificated and 169 classified employees.

The educational philosophy of the Board of Trustees of the Sierra Unified School District is to provide effective leadership, involving parents, community, students and employees toward the following:

• Enhancing academic excellence;
• Promoting fiscal responsibility;
• Developing student and staff self-esteem and responsibility;
• Promoting a positive school climate;
• Valuing the uniqueness of individuals;
• Promoting ethical and moral behavior;
• Being responsible to parents and community; and
• Developing life-long learning skills and desires.

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 and administrative credential required
• Principal experience required
• Classroom teaching experience required
• District level experience desirable
• Superintendent or assistant superintendent experience desirable

Personal Characteristics

• Has high integrity and is honest, fair and trustworthy
• Is accessible and easily approachable and has an “open door” policy
• Is a “people person” with strong public and human relations skills and a sense of humor
• Is a decisive leader who makes sound, difficult decisions and takes responsibility for those decisions
• Has excellent communications and listening skills and relates to people at all levels
• Is highly visible and active in the community, schools and worksites and is committed to becoming part of the rural community the school district serve
• Is an enthusiastic and energetic team builder who recognizes the abilities and contributions of all district staff
• Is sensitive and responsive to the educational needs and concerns of various ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural groups, including an understanding of the needs of the American Indian student population
• Has a high level of energy, enthusiasm and motivation, with a strong work ethic and highly professional demeanor

Professional Skills and Abilities

• Has a commitment to academic excellence and a clear vision for education that maintains a focus on improving student performance
• Has the ability to work effectively with the board and provide the board with relevant, timely, and accurate information, alternatives, and recommendations to make informed decisions in a timely manner
• Understands and supports a balanced curriculum, with interest in maintaining high quality vocational education, ROP, music, art and drama programs
• Has demonstrated ability to manage the district’s finances, facilities and resources in a responsible manner, as well as the ability to seek and find new funding sources
• Has knowledge and expertise in special education laws, regulations and programs
• Has excellent knowledge of K-12 curriculum and understands current education theory, instructional techniques, curricular expectations and laws and regulations at the state and federal levels
• Supports the increased use of technology in instruction and in district and school site management
• Has the ability to create a district climate of cooperation and collaboration
• Has a successful background in working with all of the problems associated with declining enrollment
• Demonstrates an understanding of collective bargaining and the ability to create a positive climate in employer/employee relations

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:
Sierra Unified School District
c/o Dr. Wendell Chun, Adviser
California School Boards Association
Executive Search Services
3100 Beacon Blvd., Suite Sierra
West Sacramento, CA 95691

All applicants must provide the following items by the closing date, February 29, 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 Sierra Unified 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 February 29, 2008 (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.

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.

Interviews are tentatively scheduled for April 4, 5, and 6, 2008.

Salary and Contract Terms

The Sierra Unified School District Board of Trustees will offer a competitive and negotiable salary, plus 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.

Board of Education