On May 23, 2018, the Snoqualmie Valley School District announced the three finalists in the board’s search for a new superintendent.
Earlier this week school board members interviewed nine semifinals in order to narrow the field to three. Sixteen observers watched that interview process and also provided written feedback to the board for consideration.
The following three finalists were chosen to advance in the process:
Brett Barley, Deputy State Superintendent of Nevada State Department of Education. In his role Baeley oversees the
Office of Student and School Support; Office of Standards and Instructional Support; Office of Early Learning and Development; Office of Career Readiness, Adult Education, and Education Options; Office of Assessment, Data, and Accountability Management; and Office of Special Education. He and his team administer and monitor $2.3 billion in annual education funding on behalf Nevada’s 475,000 students. Full bio HERE.
Dr. Robert Manahan, the current Superintendent for the Peninsula School District. Before Peninsula, 
Dr. Manahan was the Superintendent of the Lake Chelan School District for six years. Prior to that, he served for three years as Executive Director for Teaching and Learning in the Lake Stevens School District. Full bio HERE.
Dr. Rick Robins, the current Superintendent of the Juab School District in 
Nephi, Utah. He’s been in education for 22 years, serving as a teacher, coach, and school administrator in four Utah school districts. His leadershiphelped establish Juab School District as a leader in competency-based education and personalized learning. Full bio HERE.
According to the district announcement, the finalists will go through a second round of interviews with the School Board on Tuesday, May 29th. District administrators, principals and assistant principals will also have an opportunity to meet each finalist during question and answer forums that day.
There will also be a chance for the public to meet the finalists at a Town Hall on May 29th from 4PM – 6:30PM at the Snoqualmie Fire Station. Attendees can also submit questions for the candidates and provide written feedback for the School Board to consider.
The new superintendent will be named later that evening, May 29th at a special school board meeting at 7:30PM at the District Office.
“The Board was very impressed with the quantity of applicants for this opportunity, and the quality of the semifinalists we interviewed this week. We want to thank the observers to this process for their time and valuable feedback. We look forward to continuing our conversations with the finalists on May 29th, and considering the feedback from others who meet them at the Town Meetings and Administrative Forums,” said School Board President Carolyn Simpson.
Current Superintendent Joel Aune will be leaving this summer to start a new position in Olympia, serving as Executive Director of the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA).
Comments
Reading these bio’s leaves me wondering about the real qualifications of these candidates. Brett Barley hides his enthusiasm for charter schools, vouchers, etc. This seems disingenuous at best. Robert Manahan tells us so little in his bio that one cannot get a feel for his qualifications or where he stands on current issues in education. Rick Robins presents himself as an innovator yet spends a third of his bio telling us about his football career which doesn’t have any relevance to being superintendent.
If these bio’s truly represent these candidates, I am left wondering if this is the best our outstanding public schools can find.