Position Details
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District: Claremont Unified School District
Position/Title: Superintendent
Salary: Competitve and Negotiable
Closing Date: Monday, April 16, 2012

The Position

The Board of Education of the Claremont Unified School District is seeking an experienced, respected, visionary leader to be its next superintendent. This person will be someone who will make a long-term commitment to serving the school district. They will also be someone who possesses intellectual, diplomatic and interpersonal skills that will promote effective interaction with diverse stakeholder groups, including an educated, articulate, active constituency that has high expectations for its schools. This person must be able to successfully work with educational, community and governmental agencies to maintain and develop positive relationships, partnerships and coalitions to enhance educational opportunities for all. A collaborative, inclusive management style that honors and encourages the contributions of all stakeholders, including employees and their professional organizations is essential.

The Community

The City of Claremont, population 34,926, is located 30 miles east of Los Angeles and is considered one of the most desirable areas in which to live in all of California. Featured in 2007 as one of Money magazine’s top five best places to live in the entire nation, Claremont is nestled at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains and features a mix of Victorian and Spanish colonial architecture. Called the City of Trees due to the large number of spectacular trees throughout the community, it has won the National Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA award for over two decades. Also referred to as the City of Ph.D.’s, Claremont is the home of Pomona College and the prestigious seven-school consortium known as the Claremont Colleges. With 3,000 employees these colleges make up the largest employer in the community.

The District

The Claremont Unified School District is considered by many to be one of the premier school systems in all of California and throughout the nation. Many residents have chosen the community as the place to reside, confident that their children will receive an outstanding education. Honors received by schools of the district include California Distinguished Schools, National Blue Ribbon designations and Academic Achievement awards. With but one exception, all district schools have met or surpassed the California Department of Education’s target on the Academic Performance Index (API) of 800. Three of the school system’s elementary schools have exceeded 900 and Claremont High School earned a score of 826 placing it in the elite category of one of the top 28% of California high schools.

The District operates eight K-6 elementary schools, one 7-8 middle school, one comprehensive high school , one Continuation High School, a 6-9 community day school and an Adult School. In addition, the district offers before and after school child care at all of its elementary schools. The diverse student body of 6,953 students is served by a staff of approximately 337 certificated and 332 classified employees. The ethnicities of the students are White (38%), Hispanic (37%), Asian (11%), African American (7%) and other (7%). English Language Learners comprise 5.5% of the student population . The district’s high academic and achievement standards are reflected in the fact that 91 % of graduating students are college bound. There is also a strong commitment to offering career preparation opportunities to students. The district is a member of the local Vocational Education Regional Occupational Program (R.O.P.) consortium.

The 2011-12 operating budget is $55.7 million.

Selection Criteria

The following criteria represent standards that will be used in the evaluation of applications and in the selection of the superintendent.

Professional Experience and Preparation

  • Classroom teaching experience required
  • Administrative experience at site and district levels required
  • Experience as a superintendent or assistant/deputy superintendent in a similar district preferred
  • Earned Doctorate preferred

Personal Characteristics

  • Supports the uniqueness of each school and its instructional services to students while holding sites accountable for the achievement of common goals
  • Knows and/or will be able to quickly learn and embrace the history, culture, traditions and values of the community and district before making significant changes
  • Will make a long term commitment to serving the district
  • High integrity; honest, forthright and trustworthy in all dealings
  • A “people person” who is approachable and accessible, possesses empathetic listening skills and can communicate effectively with all stakeholders
  • Models an open, inclusive, collaborative, consensus building and confident leadership style with all individuals and groups
  • Treats all people fairly, with dignity and respect
  • Highly visible and active in the community, schools and worksites
  • A proactive, creative problem solver who “thinks out of the box”
  • Open to divergent opinions and able to secure the thoughtful and meaningful involvement of staff, parents and the community
  • A person who is a team builder, recognizes the abilities and contributions of all stakeholders and motivates toward excellence, inspires confidence
  • Keeps students the focus of decision-making
  • Projects a strong leadership presence
  • A courageous leader able to make the difficult decisions based on what is best for students and will stand on their convictions when confronted with pressure

Professional Skills and Abilities

  • A visionary, future-oriented educator who leads by example and will guide the district in its continuing quest to provide children with strong instructional programs and career preparation, including the Regional Occupation Program, that result in the highest levels of achievement for all
  • Supports the concept of educating the whole child and believes in the large goal of developing knowledge and skills
  • Understands politics and has the energy and diplomacy to work cooperatively with local, state and federal governmental agencies, community organizations, foundations and others to build and/or sustain successful partnerships and collaborations
  • Is a passionate, articulate spokesperson for the district about the vision of the district and maintaining the best possible education for children
  • Has a record of sensitivity and success with students with special needs
  • Has fiscal expertise that allows for the oversight of the budget, supervision of the budget development process, creative funding approaches and long-range fiscal planning
  • Is a strategic thinker and planner
  • Has a successful record of building and maintaining positive working relationships with employee associations/unions and their leadership
  • Respects, supports and encourages stakeholder involvement in school and district activities, including parents and parent organizations
  • Able to mentor and guide all staff for continued excellence

Board Relationships

  • Able to work effectively with the Governing Board to foster a common vision and commitment, maintain a strong governance team structure and establish strong board/superintendent relationships
  • Knows and actively supports school board members in performing their roles in district operations and activities


Application Procedures

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 board consultants. Applications must be submitted on-line to:
DLAssoc.com
Claremont Unified School District c/o William E. Diedrich, Ph.D. (760) 219 -5873 and Patricia Novotney, Ed.D. (760) 567-5590, Advisors
Dave Long & Associates, Executive Search Services
636 Loretta Drive
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

All applicants must provide the following items by the closing date, Monday, April 16, 2012 (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 prospectus may be downloaded via Dave Long and Associates’ web page at www.DLAssoc.com
  • A personal letter of application stating reasons for interest in the Claremont Unified School District superintendent position.
  • A resume 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 submit placement papers or reference letters on-line to meet the April 16, 2012 (5:00 p.m.) deadline.


Selection Procedure

A professional screening committee of respected educational leaders will evaluate the qualifications of each applicant. The Board and the screening committee will use the described selection criteria during the screening, interviewing and final decision-making process. After receiving the report of the committee, the Board will select and interview the top candidates.
The Board will then select and invite 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. The Board may schedule a visit to the successful applicant’s community prior to finalizing its decision.


Salary Contract Terms

The Claremont Unified School District Board of Education will offer a multi-year contract of employment with a salary that is competitive and negotiable based on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate, plus fringe benefits.
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. The finalist will also be required to provide the district with certified transcripts that verify attainment of academic degrees and proof of appropriate credentials.


Board of Education

Term Expires
Jeff Stark, President 2013
Mary Caenepeel, Vice-President 2013
Steven Llanusa, Clerk 2013
Hilary LaConte, Member 2015
Sam Mowbray, Ph.D., Member 2015


Applications Close

Monday, April 16, 2012 (5:00 p.m.)

Interviews

Tentatively scheduled for May 9-11, 2012