SALIDA, CO 4/12/10 — The Salida R-32-J School Board announced the selection of the new superintendent at an open-session School Board meeting. With the help of over 50 people, the superintendent search committee, including district staff, parents, students, and the community, the school board voted unanimously to hire Darryl Webb, of Colorado Springs, CO as their new superintendent of schools.

Mr. Webb is presently the superintendent of Hanover School District in Colorado Springs, where he began in 2008. He was the Assistant Superintendent in Wiggins School District, where he started as an Elementary School Principal and was also their Director of Curriculum and Instruction. He spent fourteen years as a Science Instructor for grades 7-12. Before becoming an educator, Mr. Webb spent twelve years with the Bureau of Land Management in Canon City where he was a Supervisor and Trainer of national firefighting crews.  He received a Master’s in Educational Leadership at Colorado State University in 2002.  He comes to our district with over 23 years of experience in education.

Board President Lezlie Burkley said, “We had four strong final candidates. Each had a different leadership style and a different set of strengths. Mr. Darryl Webb was a unanimous top finalist among all four interview committees. He also received positive comments from our student group that met with the candidates.”

Mr. Webb was selected from amongst sixteen candidates and chosen over three other finalists:  Dr. Rocco Fuschetto, current Superintendent of Swink School District in Swink, CO, Dr. Brenda Krage, current Executive Director of Secondary Career and Technical Education for Pueblo City Schools, in Pueblo, CO, and Dr. Julia Roark, current Instruction Specialist for Moriarty-Edgewood School District, in Moriarty, NM.

Board Member Rusty Granzella stated, “Our offer to Mr. Webb is based on a community review consensus that felt he has the qualities that will work well in the Salida School District.

Board Member Penny Wilken added, “The fact that Mr. Webb was a top choice amongst the three community committees confirmed what the Board observed as well. Mr. Webb demonstrated knowledge, experience, and integrity through the two day intensive interview process. We look forward to having him join our District.”
Mr. Webb’s contract will begin July 1, 2010, but he and the board are already discussing visits that will begin before that time.

Mr. Webb, shared with us some of his thoughts, “First, I want to take the opportunity to thank the Salida Board of Education, the interview committees, the staff, and the students for a tremendous opportunity to serve as the next superintendent for Salida School District R-32-J.  I’d also like to thank Superintendent John Rouse and Mayor Chuck Rose for taking the time to show us the district and for the community tour.  The hospitality and reception received by all those involved in the selection process was simply amazing.
 I am very excited to start this new position as Superintendent and I am excited to work with the Board, staff, students, parents, and community members. I am committed to moving forward with a vision that focuses on student academic achievement, and one that also supports students in their extracurricular activities. I look forward to continuing to build a strong partnership with the community and strengthening relationships with staff, students, and parents, and hope to make a positive difference in the lives of all students. I have a collaborative leadership style and look forward to continuous input as we work together on many projects in the months and years to come. 
I believe in celebrating with students, staff, and all stakeholders on the little things, as well as on major achievements.  I truly believe that we should be thankful for so many opportunities and accomplishments that we have, each and every day.  I also know the value of feeling appreciated, and I appreciate the start of many relationships that have already begun in the Salida community. 
I will bring to your district and community a commitment to leadership, communication, and a dedication to improve district achievement, while maintaining the present effective programs and systems that are already in place.”

Susan Matthews, High School Librarian, Parent, and Salida Education Association Representative who served on the interview committee said, “First and foremost, Mr. Webb seemed to be an approachable man. He had done his research on the community of Salida, our schools, and the needs of our district in general. My team felt he was sincere in wanting to be part of this community, would support the great things we are already doing both academically and with our extra-curricular activities, but would also bring with him some innovative and fresh ideas.”

Kit Kuester, Parent and Longfellow and District Accountability member, who also served on the interview committee said, “I felt like the process was extremely thorough and it was very fair. We had four great candidates to choose from and I felt like we’d be lucky to have any of them. Mr. Webb was very personable, invested in kids, and down to earth.”
 Administrative Assistant, parent, and resume and interview committee member Nancy Jones, followed up with, “I think that Mr. Webb is well suited to our community and our District. He’s experienced and he has local ties and he is passionate about this area!”

“We hope to see a lot of people who are interested in the success of our community schools,” explained Lezlie Burkley, School Board President. “Even if the chance is small that someone would run for the position, we encourage them to come and find out what we do. Understanding and involvement will help ensure a better decision and a better transition.”

Linda Chelf has served for two four-year terms and is term limited. She serves District # 7, which is the Poncha Springs and a portion of the mesa area. Robin NeJame has served one term and is currently undecided about running again. She represents District # 3 on the east side of Salida. Rusty Granzella serves District # 4, on the mesa near the courthouse and extends to Sackett Ave. He too is undecided about running at this time. Lezlie Burkley will run for a second term in District # 5, which is north of Salida along highway 291. Maps of the districts are located at the Central Administration Office.

Anyone interested in the school board is encouraged to attend the informational meeting. For questions, contact Brandy Coscarella at 719-530-5477.

This billboard is one of several featured prominently throughout Denver International Airport. All are designed to encourage passersby not to fear the future, but to embrace it. Sponsored by the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, the message is: don’t chase today’s jobs or even try to guess at tomorrows. To thrive – not merely survive, we must develop an adaptable toolkit that works for Salida and for our global economy.

A lifelong learning toolkit includes diverse skills and aptitudes, utilizing both hand and mind. Especially in our rural economy, can we fend for ourselves by making simple household repairs, planting a garden and making meals from scratch? What about applied math and science skills? Are we fluent in more than one language? Fully literate in computer applications, networking skills and information searches? How well do we communicate both in writing and when speaking to one or many? Finally, and most importantly: are critical thinking, listening and appreciation of culture, travel and the arts a part of our world? I suggest that our school board consider these criteria when evaluating the performance of both teachers and students.

As community leaders, business people and parents open your eyes to trends in education and engage our school board in ways we can work together to deliver a first-rate education and the economic returns that brings. The Christian Science Monitor has a thought-provoking look at recent successes, myths and failures in education.

Basically, there are two choices for finding a continuum of work: 1) create our own opportunities as an entrepreneur and 2) join the tide of outsourcing (or the newest twist, “crowdsourcing”). A solid education is key to both.

How can the school board partner with county/state government agencies and local businesses to create a community cooperative model for our students, which gives them hope for meaningful job opportunities as they move through their formal education? Rather than chase after businesses with incentives to relocate to Salida, the city and schools should leverage the efforts of the Chaffee/Lake County Small Business Development Center to foster entrepreneurs to grow within our county.

As for the second choice: Crowdsourcing is the act of taking a job traditionally performed by a designated agent (usually an employee) and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people in the form of an open call. – Jeff Howe

In rural Chaffee County we need to wake up to this emerging, if scary, trend. (At least it’s work that can generally be done on-line which might supplement the retail and service jobs typically available here). Amazon.com has created an online marketplace for crowdsourcing called the Mechanical Turk. Anyone with a task to be completed or problem to be solved can put it up on Amazon, setting their price for completion or solution. (Being the lowest bidder for “commodity” work is not a particularly comforting choice.)

Rather than our community depending on the retail, tourism or public sectors, why not take charge of our own destiny and create what the world needs and wants? Promote “Salida Made” as the brand for things we grow or make and the inventions and knowledge capital that our students export? I challenge the school board to foster forums with the business community; to reach out to those like me who are neither retired nor who have children in the system. We have experience and ideas grounded in today’s economic realities. Together we can develop Salida’s economy by exploring new ideas to develop our most sustainable resource – Salida’s future adults.

For the school district, the proposed merger would offer another choice for students and parents, which “will only be of benefit to the community,” said board member Robin NeJame. The community has encouraged the district to “look towards innovation,” she said, which The Crest Academy embodies.

Terms of the proposed agreement between the school district and the nonprofit Crest have only been discussed informally, but they are likely to include:

• the school district would lease the space currently occupied by The Crest Academy;
• the school district would establish criteria for program admission;
• Crest staff would become employees of the district;
• The Crest Academy curriculum and class sizes would remain largely the same; and
• existing Crest students would be grandfathered into the new program.

Crest Academy director Karen Lundberg explained that the school’s model of “place-based” and “project-based” learning puts a strong emphasis on both academic instruction and experiential education through community involvement. According to Lundberg, in a typical project a student exercises traditional reading, writing, and research skills but may also partner with a mentor from the community who has practical or academic knowledge. Students negotiate these partnerships and through them learn practical skills for everyday living. Ultimately, Lundberg said, the program instills in students a sense of pride and ownership in their community.

The merger would also be advantageous for The Crest Academy. Under the school district, the program could be open to all qualified students, Lundberg said, not just those who can afford tuition. The program might also be able to expand to include high school students, whereas currently The Crest Academy is only available to grades four through eight.

According to Superintendent John Rouse, if the merger goes through, The Crest Academy would be operated as part of the Salida school district but no additional costs would be incurred by the district because the Crest program would pay for itself by bringing more students into the district. “I am excited that the board is interested in the discussion,” Rouse noted. He added that a similar conversation is beginning with Strawberry Door.

Hayden Mellsop has written more about Salida’s Crest Academy and the proposed merger with the district, although the board was clear on Tuesday that The Crest Academy would not become an Innovation School under the current proposal.

Perhaps the best that can be hoped for is to minimize the damage, and by that measure, Gov. Bill Ritter and the Joint Budget Committee are off to a positive start.

When the governor unveiled his proposed cuts for 2009-10, he didn’t take the easy way out. He didn’t propose across-the-board cuts or simply roll back every gain made in the last two years. Instead of a hatchet, he used a scalpel to suggest cuts he hopes will do the least harm to vulnerable Coloradans, preserve core services and protect public safety and health.

Thus, Ritter didn’t propose cutting immunizations. He didn’t propose cutting need-based financial aid for undergraduates. He didn’t propose cutting indigent care for the mentally ill. He didn’t propose cutting existing prenatal programs. And he didn’t propose cutting school breakfasts or existing preschool slots for low-income kids.

Setting priorities like that should be the model as the legislature now begins its work. Lawmakers must minimize the impacts on the neediest among us; do the least harm to long-term reforms in health care, education and prison recidivism; and keep alive programs that expand opportunities for kids and working families and help stimulate economic and business activity.

Lawmakers must focus on the real effects cuts will have on families and businesses, on long-term economic competitiveness and on our future prosperity and opportunity.

As they move forward, we offer some principles we think should serve as guideposts. We will be communicating them each and every chance we get to talk to lawmakers, our allies, the media and the general public.

Do no harm to the most vulnerable Coloradans

• Protect access to safety net services like Medicaid, CHIP, food stamps and unemployment insurance. Spend money to process increased caseloads in a timely manner, because these services not only help the people most hurt by the recession but also provide stimulus to the economy. Try not to cut provider reimbursement rates so low that doctors can no longer afford to serve eligible Coloradans.
• Ensure lower-income people do not bear the brunt of fee increases, such as auto registration fees or tuition increases. Look for offsets. If fees are imposed, they should be based on ability to pay.

Take the long view and remember the state we are creating for the future

• Prioritize expenditures that promote long-term opportunity or that research shows produce positive, long-term returns on investment, such as preschool, children’s health programs and need-based financial aid.
• Concentrate economic development spending in areas known to provide long-term economic growth, such as workforce development, access to post secondary education, repairing infrastructure and expanding broadband capacity.
• When possible, use cash funds and reserves to mitigate General Fund cuts in this fiscal year. Budget cuts depress economic activity and counteract some of the stimulus efforts. In addition, maintaining General Fund levels protects the ability to grow back from the downturn in future years.

Make decisions based on facts, not conventional wisdom.

• Be cautious about tax credits or cuts to promote economic development. Research indicates that many of these tax credits are not effective. While some businesses – especially small businesses – may warrant assistance in a bad economy, be careful about giving away scarce revenues to businesses or others for doing something they were going to do anyway.
• Remember that research shows that corporate tax cuts have lower multiplier effects than expenditures that support lower-income families and unemployed workers.
• Look for areas to can gain efficiency without hurting services. Outdated or underperforming programs should be changed or cut entirely.

Take full advantage of the federal economic stimulus funds

Make sure that programs such as Medicaid and unemployment insurance are structured in such a way that they take full advantage of the federal funds available. Let’s not leave any money on the table.

Use the federal stimulus money strategically by making investments that stimulate the economy in the short term and support public structures that underpin our long-term economic growth. For example:

• Repairing or replacing bridges and highways that are in the worst condition stimulates the economy immediately, improves road safety and bolsters our ability to ship goods and products efficiently.
• Expanding broadband technology in underserved areas throughout the state creates immediate economic activity and enhances economic development opportunities in these areas over the long run.
• Modernizing our electric grid, investing in mass transit and training workers for jobs in the renewable energy industry provides short-term stimulus but lays the foundation for more efficient and environmentally sustainable energy use.

Let’s not do this again – let’s learn from our mistakes

The revenue shortfall is hard enough to deal with in its own right. In Colorado we have made matters worse with the many and often contradictory constitutional and statutory provisions that govern how we write budgets. Let’s not wait until the next crisis to fix them. Specifically:

• Colorado needs a realistic rainy day fund. Such a fund would not have prevented these cuts, but the cuts certainly would have been less severe.
• Let’s change or eliminate the so-called Arveschoug-Bird limit on General Fund expenditures. Eventually there will be a recovery. But Colorado’s General Fund (and the public structures it supports) will not be able to rebound with the economy because of Arveschoug-Bird. Current projections show the ratchet in this limit will make permanent at least $1 billion in cuts to the General Fund.

Wade Buchanan and Rich Jones are affiliated with the Bell Policy Center

We extend a special thank you to the campaign committee for their amazing efforts in promoting the issues that face our schools. As many community members have said, “You could not have done a better job.”

Although as a community we did not pass all four of our ballot issues we see success in the awareness that was created and an increased understanding of the issues our district faces and the opportunities we are missing.

Education is becoming a higher priority in this community and we will continue working with the community to discuss solutions and future proposals. It has been a worthwhile endeavor.

Our needs do not go away. We believe the ballot issues addressed the needs and concerns of the district as well as the educational tools, including 21st Century skills, which the community outlined as basic education.

The Salida School Board will discuss next steps, including the possibility of ballot issues for November 2009, at our next meeting on December 9 at 6:00 p.m. at the Central Administration Office. We will continue to provide the best opportunities for our students with the funding we have. We are realistic that we cannot continue to provide the same level of service in all areas and will carefully consider our plans for 2009-2010 budget cuts. The ultimate objective is providing a quality education for our students.