D21 Superintendent Search - Meet The Candidates

By Tom Peterson

North Wasco County School District 21 has narrowed its search for a permanent superintendent to just three candidates. And one of them is expected to be hired on Friday, Jan. 22.

The district is set to hold a public forum with the candidates on Friday, Jan. 15 via a live broadcast on its Facebook page. Tune in at 6 p.m. Teachers and classified staff had a chance to meet them and ask questions on Monday and Tuesday of this week. 

The school board will conduct final interviews on Thursday, Jan. 21st and their final decision is set for Friday, Jan. 22.

North Wasco County School District retained the services of McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C. to assist in conducting their search. The consultants reviewed, screened, and conducted extensive background checks on 11 applicants. 

School Board Directors and our community have some major decisions ahead of them.

The next leader must guide some 3,000 students and 160 teachers at five different schools in the district.

Goals of equity, inclusivity, and mastery of subjects have been identified as part of the groundwork to make The Dalles Schools and The Dalles Community thrive. 

Economic and social consequences hang in the balance. 

School leadership decisions have the ability to send waves through our community through superior education and lifting the next generation into roles of leadership and civic responsibility. Any realtor or developer can tell you that a strong, well-run school district is key to engaging and recruiting new enterprises and people that provide energy to our community, which key unique thinking and progress. 

Public schools also provide benefits to the local workforce as employers and in this way significantly contribute to the local economy. In fact, North Wasco County School District is the second-largest employer in The Dalles, providing jobs for some 360 people. As a result, decisions made by school leadership can dramatically affect a large portion of the local workforce and economy. 

It’s a huge challenge and an awesome task. The new leader will inherit historic and physically aged buildings that have outlived their intended working lifespan and a community that is seeking to provide an education for their children at the lowest tax burden. 

The district currently manages Col. Wright Elementary - opened in 1925; Chenowith Elementary - opened in 1964; Dry Hollow Elementary - opened in 1960; The Dalles High School - opened in 1940 and The Dalles Middle School - opened in 2002.

So who are these intrepid souls, candidates for the betterment of our community?

In alphabetical order: 

• Rio School District Assistant Superintendent Carolyn Bernal of Oxnard, California

• WIlder School District Superintendent Jeff Dillon of Wilder, Idaho

• And current D21 Interim Superintendent Theresa Peters

CCCNews interviewed each candidate with the same five questions. Candidates were given 30 minutes to make their responses. We have also added additional background information from resumes as well as details of districts for Bernal and Dillon.

Carolyn Bernal

Years in Education:     24
Languages:                 2 - English & Spanish - bilingual, biliterate 
Highest degree:          Doctorate in Educational Leadership from California State University

Click here for Resume

Bernal is the current Assistant Superintendent and is in charge of System Improvement at El Rio Schools in Oxnard, Calif. The district is 61 miles north of Los Angeles and falls on both sides of Highway 101, taking in students from the more Rural El Rio neighborhood as well as from the more developed Oxnard, a major manufacturing center. The Oxnard Plain is the country’s second-largest producer of strawberries with some 8,000 acres planted and an annual Strawberry Festival. Many of the children attending El Rio Schools come from families that work in agriculture. 86% of the school’s students are Hispanic. The district serves more than 5,050 students through five elementary schools, two K-8 schools, and two middle schools. El Rio is also pretty special linguistically, according to neighborhoodscout.com  “Significantly, 68.7% of its residents five years old and above primarily speak Spanish at home.”

Question: The D21 School board recently set the following priorities:
- Developing a school bond to improve facilities.
- Creating equity for all students
- Renaming Col. Wright Elementary

You will be tasked with these goals. What do you bring to the table to accomplish them?

Bond

I currently serve the district that has a high percentage of underserved children, and we had not been able to pass a bond in my first seven years. 

But with the superintendent and the executive team, we passed two bonds, one for $38.5 million in 2015 and one for $59.5 million in 2018. I attribute that success to being able to develop a common vision and communicate it with the public and why it is important to have good facilities to learn in. The environment where kids learn is extremely important. When children come to school and see a building falling apart or a lack of facilities -  Kids are perceptive and it demonstrates to them their social and emotional well-being is not a priority. It is harder for them to learn. It is important to work closely with the community so they understand the benefit of an improved facility, and how it impacts their lives socially, emotionally and educationally.

I have been through the process twice now. Ventura County serves students in Oxnard and unincorporated areas. It is quite a large agricultural rural side to the district… Demographic wise we have a socially-economic disadvantaged student population of 82 percent. English language learners are 45 percent - there is quite a population of underserved children.

On the PR side of it, there is a lot that goes into the bond and its transparency. You have to make sure it is a thorough process and you are clear about what is going to happen and how every dollar will be used with all the stakeholders. It takes a lot of work, phone banking and knocking on doors and community meetings. But transparency is key. Taxpayers want to know, ‘If I agree to this, where is my dollar going to go - that is completely legitimate.  

Equity

I come from a district with a high percentage of underserved students - equity is what I do - I have a lot of experience in building dual immersion programs from the ground up. I was originally recruited by my district 15 years ago to start a k-8 dual-immersion program. I came in as a coordinator and then became the principal of that school.

I still manage Human Resources. In the last 10 years, I have hired 60 percent of our 265 teachers. These are the people that bring equity to our kids. They have a direct impact on student achievement. We have brought people in that look like the people we teach. I am also bilingual and biliterate, and it has served me well… I get called out to speak with parents.  I can communicate with our parent population directly without a translator and that makes a huge difference in developing relationships with a students’ family.

Renaming of Col. Wright Elementary

I’m happy to hear they are engaging in that process... It may have been good at the time, but given the political climate and history maybe it’s not such a good idea now. I have worked through the naming process when we built the k-8  academy. We included all the kids and it took a lot of student involvement. They had a lot of input and ideas on naming that school. The board took all that input and narrowed it down to three names and they ultimately selected what the final name was going to be. It was really about the kids. We want kids to take pride and ownership in that school. 

 Question: What is your perspective on Comprehensive Distance Learning  - is it working? Would you make changes? If so, what would they be?

No, it’s not working. The long-term impact on kids is going to be devastating and detrimental. There are two parts. The education piece-  are kids able to access and learn? And the other side is the socio-emotional and disconnection from peers. Nothing can replace face-to-face learning with each other and the teacher.
So, working as a whole? No. We’re doing the best we can given the circumstances? Yes.
Our district shut down on March 13, and we were unable to return to in-person classes driven by the state metrics.
I have had to head up the whole COVID mitigation plan, on top of everything else. It has been a beast, and I’ve learned more than I wanted to know about COVID. We were able to bring back the special education population four days a week. I can tell you it made a remarkable difference for special ed kids. They’re the most challenging to do distance learning and the most disconnected population.
We worked extremely hard to identify every single child, every family and identify... through data who got to class - who is still missing. Our goal was to get 100 percent of our students online. IT did an amazing job on the internet. We have taken school busses out to neighborhoods to operate as stand-alone hotspots. We have 96 percent of kids log in every day. The other 4 percent are our most disconnected kids.

We had a principal drive up to their school, and five kids were sitting on the fence line with computers because it was the only place they could get internet services.  So we said, Ok, you’re in your own cohort - they were all siblings - and we put them in a classroom to connect every day. 

Question: In respect to English Language Learners, what experience do you bring in building a more comprehensive program for those whose native language is not English.

The district where I  currently work and have worked for the past 16 years serves a demographic of 76 percent that is designated socio-economically disadvantaged, and 45 percent are ELL. I have been working on ELL programs as a classroom teacher, principal and my work through human resources. On the hiring side, you want qualified teachers with ELL authorization and training.

I would want to see what the district is doing and how they are serving the ELL population currently. Then you build upon what is working... and elevate that to the next level so students can achieve. You look at classroom instruction, what procedures teachers are utilizing and academic proficiency.  Our dual-immersion program shows that ELL do very well in that program and achieve over par when compared to their peers.

Question: What is your 5-year career plan and do you have aspirations outside of being the North Wasco County District 21 Superintendent?

I don't have aspirations outside of being a superintendent. That is my career goal. I have a 10-year plan. If I come to be a superintendent, I want to be there for at least 10 years - change does not happen overnight. It takes time and a lot of relationship building and trust and working collaboratively and being innovative. If I were to become the superintendent, I would love to be there and end my career there. I don't see the superintendent job as a stepping stone for me. 

The Dalles attracted me. I can see the history and data in the stakeholder report. It is a district that speaks to my heart as an educator and as a leader. In my career, I have chosen to work in districts that have highly underserved populations. That is where my passion and heart lie. 

I have been a classroom teacher, and assistant principal, a dual-immersion coordinator, an interim principal, board member of  University Charter School, director of human resources, and an  - assistant superintendent in the last five years. I have done a lot of shadowing with our classified members to experience a day in their life. I am and have been the chief negotiator with our certified and classified for the past 10 years. 

Question: What is your leadership style? Where has it succeeded for you, and where has it failed you. Please give examples within your career.

I am a servant leader. Part of being one is listening and empathizing with others. I consider myself extremely adept at including the ideas of others. I do not make decisions in isolation. I am not afraid to make tough decisions. In HR, I have had them. The hard conversations. I was in the unique position to make tough decisions in personnel and what is right for kids. I cannot have employees doing crazy things in the presence of children - do I like to do it? No. Necessary? Absolutely - at the end of the day if it is what is best for kids. 

I always strive to thoroughly vet all impacts of aspects of decisions - build school trust with the community. As an outsider coming in, I will seek to build relationships first while simultaneously developing a plan for high levels of equity and achievement. I  never refuse to meet with anybody - listening is my strongest skill - as chief negotiator - I have done a lot - it’s at the core of who I am. 

All children can learn, and I  believe that idea can not be mine alone. It must be everybody’s in the organization - bus drivers, principals, teachers, classified staff must think the same way to achieve high levels. We’re there to serve others.

Jeff Dillon 

Years in Education: 21 years
Languages: 1 - English - My wife is hispanic and my kids are half - this is my community, though I might not have the Spanish skills.
Highest Degree: PHD in Education Leadership from Northwest Nazarene University

Click here for Resume 

Wilder School District Background

The town of Wilder, Idaho, is surrounded by vast agricultural lands growing a diverse variety of crops which include potatoes, sugar beets, onions, corn, grain, and mint and hops, according to Cityofwilder.org. 

Wilder is 40 miles west of Boise and the town is home to a population of 1,800 people. 

The Wilder School District, which expands outside the city boundaries has some 550 students with an Elementary, Middle and High school. 

The Minority enrollment is 80% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Idaho public school average of 25% (majority Hispanic). 

Many parents of Wilder students work in a Simplot plant that supplies French fries to McDonald’s, or a big meat processing plant north of town, or support farms of corn and hops.

Question: The D21 School board recently set the following priorities:
- Developing a school bond to improve facilities.
- Creating equity for all students
- Renaming Col. Wright Elementary

You will be tasked with these goals. What do you bring to the table to accomplish them?

Bond

“We are required to pass supplemental levies to operate (in Idaho). We must pass them to survive. We are constantly in that process. I have passed many levies. We were able to pass a bond ($5million) a few years ago for our elementary school. It takes 66 ⅓ percent of voters to pass a bond issue here. I bring the asset of knowing how to connect rural schools to the community and get bonds and levies passed. I know (The Dalles) community is concerned about that because of the high tax rate. The superintendent needs to be about determining the direction and putting together a clear plan with large support from the community to change and move forward with bonds. You have to look at the needs and make sure they are focused and create synergy around that focus to get it passed. I also bring the understanding of the community with those who have more means and those with less means and how to work with that framework with the whole community. I have been able to successfully pass levies to support our district financially and reduce the tax rate - we were at 7 and 8 percent and we’re now down to 1.8 percent. 

Equity

I am in a very diverse community with high poverty. Our students are 100 percent free-and-reduced lunch. Forty percent of our population is mobile, they come in and out of the district every 1 1/2 years.  We created personalized learning plans for k-12, and we also have a mastery-based/ competency-based pathway system where students make progress based on competency and standards.

For example, if a student has a 70 percent correct - they go back and decide what more they need or want to learn to get to 80 percent (a B average on all work). With students moving that often, we had to create a system and place in a cohort of same age kiddos and make progress. We keep them together at the same age, but content is based on their mastery level. Students at the upper end are not held back. Lower end gets more support. We have multiple grade levels of content at every grade. Equity is about every student receiving everything possible to be successful. You must remove barriers, solve problems, provide social and emotional support to have a comprehensive program. 

Renaming of Col. Wright Elementary

I need to do a listening tour and begin to hear from the community and incorporate a plan on the next steps. It’s important to listen to our students - that is the voice we want to hear a lot from. The community needs to be involved in that conversation as well. Then you make a decision that best supports the students in moving forward. It’s happening across the nation - there are ways to support all stakeholders in the process. 

Question: What is your perspective on Comprehensive Distance Learning? Is it working? Would you make changes? If so, what would they be?

(In Wilder, Dillon led his team to a partnership with the Apple Corporation in being identified as an Apple ConnectED school district. This partnership has brought to the District a commercial upgrade in technology infrastructure, professional development for all staff, iPads for all students PreK-12. The campus was visited in 2018 by Ivanka Trump and Apple CEO Tim Cook.)
Our model is an excellent model - we had this in place fortunately when the pandemic hit. We were able to transition to distance learning in a day. We were very successful all spring last year… We did not see a drop in student participation. It was a different shift for us. The focus for our students previously was they are taking charge of their learning. It's more difficult to manage a forced, online learning platform. Our students have skill sets, soft skills. They are owners of their own learning… Kids need soft skills. We use the  16 habits of mind - it’s a  foundational tool used to look at what students need in order for them to be lifelong learners. For example, a kindergarten student needs to be able to manage impulsivity, think independently, and strive for accuracy.  If a student can’t manage impulsivity at school they are probably not handling online learning at home - there are 16 of these habits. We hold these to be valuable to students to be successful learners... it is a game-changer. 

Question: What is your 5-year career plan and do you have aspirations outside of being the North Wasco County District 21 Superintendent?

No other aspirations, I had the aspiration of being the State Superintendent for Idaho a few years ago. My track record is solid in staying and being focused on the community. I have been here 13 years - I have really shown that I have a skill set for change but also staying in a community. 

My 5-year plan would be to be at North Wasco County School District. I would love to come and do that. 

This offers me the opportunity to grow as a leader and meet others. I love these challenges. I see an opportunity to grow; I need to go. I love my community. It’s a great situation with my staff and board. I considered this pretty deeply before deciding to apply. 

From a personal perspective, it puts me closer to grandkids and kids, a few live in the lower Yakama Valley and a couple in Seattle. My wife would love to be closer to grandkids. 

Question: In respect to English Language Learners, what experience do you bring in building a more comprehensive program for those whose native language is not English.

Thirty percent plus of our student population is ELL identified. My skill set is very strong in making sure every student’s needs are met. A student with ELL needs the right support throughout that student’s day to be successful. Some can work online and others need more personalized support - what is that students’ best style of learning? And how are you going to gain the knowledge for the language and support the home language at the same time? 

I understand very well and very clearly how to support those students. For example, - we had a student come in third grade and with no English, a full Spanish speaker at the time. The student graduated with honors and received a large scholarship when he graduated… In our district, it is 70 percent Hispanic with 30 percent ELL. Before COVID, 80 percent were going onto college. We have a robust system for our students. At North Wasco, I would really get into looking at data and aligning it with staffing correctly. We have a difficult time identifying ELL - personalizing it has been a life-changer for these kids.

Question: What is your leadership style - where has it succeeded for you and where has it failed you. Please give examples within your career.

I'm a transformational leader combined with a coaching leader and a collaborative leader style.  Those three - I believe in empowering others around me - no matter what position they are in so we are all growing together… I support staff in tremendous ways so they can grow. 

I’m transformational. I look outside the box a lot, and I support staff that looks outside the box as well. 

I listen. When you make significant changes or shifts in a system, you better be a good listener, otherwise, you’ll be out of a job. 

I have teachers that really liked the traditional approach, and one was literally in tears in the fear of the change that would be coming. So, I sat and listened for a while to the needs and concerns she was having. We put together a plan to take baby steps, and we were able to personalize math for her students with this plan that she felt comfortable with. In less than a week, she came back and said, ‘That worked really good,  - can I do that with reading now?’ 

We are one of the top 25 most innovative districts in the nation… that is a - testament to my success for transformation - that is using my leadership style. 

I don't think it has failed me. I do recognize with the transformational style that I push my staff forward. I have to slow up a little bit and not push too much - I have to recognize that I need to take that deep breath and support the teachers with the right timeline to make those moves. 

Theresa Peters

Years in Education: 31 

Languages: 2, English and some Spanish- “I can communicate basic things. Fine details, I do not have that.”  She completed high school and college courses in Spanish as well as a two-week immersion program in Guatamala.

Highest Degree: Masters Degree in Education from Western Oregon University with initial administration and continuing administration credentials from Lewis & Clark College

Click here for Resume

Question: The D21 School board recently set the following priorities:
- Developing a school bond to improve facilities
- Creating equity for all students
- Renaming Col. Wright Elementary

You will be tasked with these goals. What do you bring to the table to accomplish them?

Bond & Renaming of Col. Wright Elementary

I have a historical perspective on the bond and on renaming schools. I have worked in the district for 31 years… But right now I have a good sense of where our staff is at when it comes to everything we are going through with COVID and comprehensive distance learning. I feel I have a good pulse on where the staff is. I will be able to bring that forward to the board to help focus the priorities, whether that is renaming schools, equity and eventually the bond. I am keeping in mind where the staff is and moving forward with that. 

Equity

I am learning as I go. The board has been focusing on it all year, and at the last board meeting, we focused on that issue. We will get guidance at our February meeting on the parameters of those equity meetings and specifics on Col. Wright… I have been attending trainings myself around equity, and it ties in nicely at the state level and with the Oregon Department of Education’s All Students Belong Initiative that is moving across the state. 

Question: What is your perspective on Comprehensive Distance Learning  - is it working? Would you make changes? If so, what would they be?

It has been a vehicle for educating students for now. Comprehensive distance learning and guidelines are continuing to evolve on how we educate. We have had a drastic improvement over last spring. Our teachers are doing a great job of providing instruction. It is very challenging. It is a different place as far as comfort levels go with a lot of tech. 

We have also seen many innovative ways of providing instruction. It has given our teachers and staff opportunities to grow. Some kids are thriving in it and others are most definitely challenged. The impact of the pandemic and isolation with the community in distance learning for many of our students has had a  negative impact and a learning loss for some of them, and I think about kindergarten and first grade. You really have to have someone there with them. This puts stress on parents and families as well. In the big picture, the positive things we’re able to learn from it... We can see what pieces of the tech side will be able to keep to enhance instruction in the future. Last week, I toured the high school and was looking at our ventilation system and I was invited into a classroom so I could see how a teacher had set up for distance learning. They were able to do science experiments via distance learning. It was pretty innovative and definitely an opportunity to make sure everybody had access to physics experiments. And there are some real positives with some of the ways we connect with parents through part of the comprehensive distance learning. That communication system developed in the classroom could be brought to the district level to keep an open line of communication with parents.

Question: What is your 5-year career plan and do you have aspirations outside of being the North Wasco County District 21 Superintendent?

My entire career has been here. At some point, I am going to retire. I cannot picture ending my career somewhere else. That said, regardless of whatever happens in the next few weeks I will be working at North Wasco County School District, either at Dry Hollow or here as Superintendent. Do I have aspirations to go somewhere else to be a superintendent, I have not. 

Question: In respect to English Language Learners, what experience do you bring in building a more comprehensive program for those whose native language is not English.

My experience comes from being a building administrator and superintendent. I supervised education for all students, and, partly, my special education background comes into play for serving all students.

For the last several years we have had an ELL plan in place and targeting strategies and instructional techniques to improve more comprehensive support for all students and targeting ELL students. We have provided training to teachers at the elementary level and focused on English language development overall. We have focused on techniques of teaching second language learners and we’re providing good support for any student who has a low language level. We have also been training in constructing meaning (using explicit language instruction in every class, every day) and providing instructional support that is embedded in the instruction provided. We are training middle and high school staff and in elementary 3rd grade and up. We need to make sure and continue that work...  

We need to look at data and the work we do through a lens of equity - from attendance to our achievement data, we need to drill down and see the impact of instruction and ELL, children with disability, all students across the board - that way we can support students that are second language learners. 

Question: What is your leadership style - where has it succeeded for you and where has it failed you. Please give examples within your career.

I think it depends - for example when it comes to policy and expectations and following a board policy, that is cut and dried. I try to be clear with my expectations and that comes from being an ethical educator. 

In building administration, I place a lot of value on what happens in the classroom and the instruction that is provided. I make sure teachers have the support and new teachers have the coaching and support needed to ensure the instruction they are providing is high quality. For example,  - the district looked at training staff and mentorship for English Language Learners. I wholeheartedly supported that and made sure we had a veteran teacher in each of the buildings trained in the model used at the time. It was an eight-day training to learn all those coaching techniques for a mentor. I was principal at Dry Hollow… I did the eight-day training to support my new teachers and other teachers in the district too. 

In the big picture, I am a servant leader. For example, last year when applied to be interim superintendent my goal was not to become the full-time superintendent. I had not applied in the original selection process. But I reflected, and I had the skills necessary. We needed somebody to step up, and I felt like I could do the job and serve the staff and the parents. 

At the building level, my leadership style is servant leader. My interactions with students and staff and parents are to create a climate and culture where… you ensure the instructional environment for kids is positive and safe and comfortable for everyone. 

...I know over the years if you are too authoritative when it comes to policy and expectations…  if you go about the job in an authoritative way,  people will not want to work with you. There have been times wherein the role of doing my job I have said something with staff that offended or was taken wrong or actually I said it not fully thinking about the impact on the other person. What I have learned over the years as a building leader, I know relationships are primary in getting work done for kids. When I have failed and made missteps, I apologize and reconnect and rebuild that relationship. It is an opportunity for growth and learning to step back and come at it again and rebuild and repair.