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Title : My Interview with Superintendent Denise Juneau
link : My Interview with Superintendent Denise Juneau

My Interview with Superintendent Denise Juneau

I was granted a 30-minute interview with new superintendent, Denise Juneau, on July 16th.  She seemed in very good spirits.  Juneau has a winning way where she neither comes off as know-it-all or gladhander.  I see a quiet strength but we'll have to see if she uses it. I hope my first impression holds true. 

Analysis
To note, at the time of the interview, she had been on the job less than three weeks.  I asked her some questions that she rightly said she needed to wait until she is thoroughly up-to-speed on the district.  It is quite a complicated district and the first one that she has ever overseen.

I am hoping that she decides to have a clear vision of communication.  I recall a meeting where the DAD principle was discussed for use by principals and/or superintendents.  Decide, Announce, Defend.  I'm not sure "defend" is exactly the right word but being able to show the data/rationale used for the decision including engagement with parents/community.

Her main message that day was serving all students and meeting students "were they are."  I followed up at the end of the meeting to ask her if she really meant all students, no matter where they are in learning.  She said it is about equity and said, "Equity is all boats rising with kids getting a quality education and supports they need. Equity is not equal." 

Clearly, her first challenge will be able to negotiate the teachers contract.  Can she help the district avoid a strike?   The McCleary money was definitely to pay teachers as the Legislature did not want money from levies used to pay teachers.  But should all the money go to teachers' contract? 

Principals
I laid out issues that I have heard raised by parents:

• no policy how principals are selected nor whether parents will be involved.  
• changing principals every couple of years at a small number of schools
• principal autonomy and if parents have any real recourse to the district if, as it seems, principals have the final say on school-based decisions.

She didn't have a lot to say except that every school deserves a great principal.   She also did agree that changing principals frequently at a single school could be hard on community. 

She made a statement that I wish would be said over and over to parents (and maybe JSCEE staff) - the primary work of the principal is to be the instructional leader for the school's teaching corp.  Yup.  Not manager or disciplinarian.  I wish the Executive Directors could be used to take some of the school management duties from principals so that they could better focus on teaching and learning.  (She did mention she had no experience with EDs and needed to better understand their role.  I told her good luck because most people have no idea.)

Wish I had mentioned to her how the use of the Racial Equity Tool and consulting communities in decisions sometimes seems more random than it should for items that are mentioned in every BAR on the Board agenda. 

Special Education/Advanced Learning
Juneau said these two issues are the number one issues that she has heard about (and I believe she meant parents). 

Again, she needs to get up-to-speed on both services.  We talked about the costs for Special Education and how the State is putting too much of the financial burden on districts.

I did tell her that I did not believe HCC was the basis for all inequity in the district and she nodded along.  (I also asked her if she thought Asians were a minority group.  She said that she would need to consult OSPI but yes, she believes so.)

Personalized Learning
She seemed enthused about the idea but didn't define what it might look like nor how much time - on technology - that it might entail.

Mayor Durkan
She said she has a standing, once-a-month meeting with the Mayor.  She said they had not yet discussed homelessness.  I asked her about Montana and their homeless issues and she stated that it is on the rise but not to the level of Seattle.  I told her that former Mayor Murray had promised to end homelessness for children in Seattle and  suggested that if Durkan could do that, it might be the biggest help of all to SPS.

She also mentioned a good partnership with the Seattle Housing Authority.

She also stated that she has not discussed a downtown school with the Mayor but expects to do so.

SEA Contract
She had no news on this front except that every student needs a quality teacher. 

thus Article My Interview with Superintendent Denise Juneau

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