Superintendent

Washington Central Unified Union School District is seeking a Superintendent for our recently consolidated school district in North Central Vermont, which has roughly 1600 students and a $36 million annual budget for our pre-K through graduation district. Our mission statement is WCUUSD exists to nurture and inspire in all students the passion, creativity and power to contribute to their local and global communities.

Governed by a 15 member board our single-budget district consists of five town-based elementary schools and one regional middle and high school, serving the towns of Berlin, Calais, East Montpelier, Middlesex, and Worcester. Historically, our townspeople strongly support both their own schools and public education in general.

Our student population shows little racial or ethnic diversity, but it spans significant differences along the axes of income and socio- economic status. Natural population growth is stagnant, but in-migration, much of it drawn by our schools’ good reputations, has buoyed our student counts. Our communities continue to provide resources necessary for quality public education for all students.

Linked information about our district (https://www.wcsu32.org) and area (https://www.centralvt.com).

A successful candidate must have sufficient training and experience to perform at a high level of professionalism the core responsibilities of a superintendent as laid out in Vermont statute.

A strong candidate will demonstrate the ability:

•To communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholder groups, including citizens, parents, students, and our entire staff, who are all valued contributors to our school district, and

•To maintain a positive, supportive working relationship with our district board based on shared values of transparency, honest communication, and collaborative problem solving.

Our ideal candidate is well rounded and able to respond constructively to the demands of any given situation. By disposition they will naturally tend to be

• more educator than administrator,

• more democrat than bureaucrat,

• more questioning than knowing,

• more inclined to experiment than to play it safe,

• willing to delegate decision making to capable subordinates,

• able to balance the needs and aspirations of the people with state-mandated requirements.

The Superintendent’s team is comprised of a Business Manager, Director of Special Services, Director of Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment, Director of Technology, Director of Facilities & Operations, Human Resources, District Operations Manager, five Principals, two Assistant Principals and Administrative staff.

Prerequisites:

• Licensed as a Superintendent  of schools by the state of Vermont or be eligible to obtain VT license.
• Have familiarity with the Vermont State Board of Education's Rules and Practices
• Advanced degree and experience as a Superintendent,  or comparable administrative experience, sufficient to establish a track record of superior results
• Three written references

Only complete applications submitted through SchoolSpring Job ID #  3733341 will be considered, and must include written responses for the three essay questions below.

Questions regarding this position may be directed to Michael Deweese at (802) 238-7710.

Citizenship, residency or work visa required

Essay 1: Washington Central students can only learn if they feel safe, welcomed and honored. For all students to feel this way, Washington Central schools must practice zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, bullying or harassment. Washington Central students benefit from developing basic civic skills that include respecting diverse identities and points of view – and, from being comfortable having challenging and even uncomfortable conversations about their differences. We recognize these things don’t happen by accident. Strong leadership, a collective commitment, and a purposeful and well-trained staff are all necessary elements. Please share your strong vision and proactive commitment to addressing racism and advancing diversity, provide specific examples of your leadership in the areas of equity and inclusion.

Essay 2: Using concrete examples of what you’ve learned about WCUUSD and our communities, what especially makes you a good match for our current superintendent vacancy?

Essay 3: In your role as a Superintendent/School Leader, how have you supported your leadership team, central office team specifically, and how have you helped create a culture where people feel heard, seen, respected and safe? Please provide an example.