Board selects Smyser
Experienced district leader hired as interim superintendent
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Steamboat Springs — Sandra Smyser is the Steamboat Springs School District's new superintendent.
The School Board voted unanimously Sept. 12 to appoint Smyser to the position, and School Board President Denise Connelly said Smyser accepted the contract offer during the weekend. She is expected to start on or before Oct. 1.
"She had a lot of very positive energy in her interview," said Connelly, who explained Smyser has nine years experience as a superintendent in California.
"She talked a lot about working together - getting more input from the teachers to the principals, from the principals to the superintendent, and so on."
Connelly also praised Smyser's curriculum-building experience.
Smyser led the Las Virgenes Unified School District in California for two years before resigning in June. She previously was superintendent of the Carpinteria Unified School District near Summerland, Calif.
According to the Las Virgenes Web site, the district includes 14 schools and 12,200 students.
School Board member Jerry Kozatch said Smyser's experience in large, diverse districts could help her bring together district stakeholder groups in Steamboat.
"We are not as diverse, but we have plenty of groups that can communicate better," he said. "She is a very engaging individual, and I also hope she gets together with our other new administrators quickly, especially our new curriculum director."
Steamboat's superintendent position was vacated Aug. 10 when the School Board voted to buy out the remaining two years of former superintendent Donna Howell's contract. The School Board paid Howell $270,000 for her immediate resignation.
The other two finalists included Steamboat resident William Kennedy, a former superintendent in Norwich and Potsdam, N.Y.; and Dr. William Harner, the regional superintendent for the school district of Philadelphia.
Dale Mellor, the district's director of finance, has been acting superintendent for the past five weeks.
Smyser's base salary will be $102,353, which is prorated for 174 days of a 238-day work year. For a full work year, Smyser would have been paid about $140,000 - similar to Howell's base salary. Smyser's contract ends June 30, 2008.
Also included in Smyser's employment agreement is $16,484 in total benefits, which includes $4,011 for health and dental insurance, $338 in life insurance and $180 in life insurance. The district also will contribute $11,955 toward her Colorado Employees' Retirement Association Fund and $150 a month for transportation expenses.
Smyser will not be entitled to any paid vacation time, but the district advanced her 10 paid annual leave days, which she must repay if she leaves the district before the end of her contract.
Smyser is considered the district's interim superintendent, and it's expected the School Board will conduct a search for a permanent superintendent sometime in the near future - likely after November's School Board elections.
Connelly said Smyser has found housing in Steamboat.
"(Housing) was one of the things we were really concerned about," she said. "It's a bigger problem for our teachers and support staff, as opposed to our administrators, but it's not easy in Steamboat."
Comments
CommonSense 5 years, 9 months ago
PS: Talk about "cherrypicking" . Yes, there have been some problems with leadership in the district, but it goes back a little further than from where you started. There was one person who should not have used district computers for personal communication. The subject matter was also not fit for publication. But we also had a former board who put their personal agendas above the democratic process and tied the district to an unheard of 4-year contract with a superintendent who had only 18 months of experience in our district and saddled a future board with a ridiculous full term buy out! There was also a recently resigned board member and a former president who handed confidential school documents to the paper for publication for their own political and personal vendettas, and a former official who cared more about her personal and financial goals than district image and reputation. SAD, SAD, SAD... Smyser says, it's about "respect" and "healing" and "communication".
Matthew7_1_5 5 years, 9 months ago
The Pilot had an article today about letting the healing being. Please EVERYONE, let the healing begin. If each of you are going to hang onto the past when will we truly move on? If the board changes like some of you want, will the healing begin or will we begin to tear more scabs open.
Whatever faith you are or are not, you know right from wrong. You know it is wrong to continually berate someone, anyone.
Are you really ready to allow our district and community to heal? If you know right from wrong, are you willing to choose "right," even against your personal feelings or what someone else did in the past? The present is right now! Can you put aside your own anger and hurt and forgive? It is now YOUR choice to let the healing begin or to continue your sad, personal struggle.
thecondoguy1 5 years, 9 months ago
Calabasas..............
Matthew Stoddard 5 years, 9 months ago
LOL! Thanks for the great laugh this morning. I needed that!
beagle 5 years, 9 months ago
Really, principallysent, take a vacation or something. And speak for yourself - spare me the "we as a community." You definitely don't speak for me.
sportzmama 5 years, 9 months ago
I can honestly say that I'm totally shocked they hired a woman. I wish her the best of luck. She must have an amazing track record.
Also, I'm just so happy with the salary she's making that she was able to find housing............... I wonder if she has to have roommates like a lot of the teacher's and support staff do in order to survive in this housing market. I'm sure not.
steamboatskier 5 years, 9 months ago
I agree sportz, with a salary of over $100K, it seems to me housing wouldn't be an issue.
Additionally, the woman thing baffles me. I wish her the best of luck, and hope she can make a difference and restore my faith in the school district.
As it stands now, I won't be voting in favor of any educational ballot issues.
Dukebets 5 years, 9 months ago
To sportzmama and steamboatskier -- If you're envious of another's salary, maybe you should take the time to improve your own worthiness in the job market.
Sawatch 5 years, 9 months ago
As Mrs. Smyser's previous school board bought out the final year of her contract for $175k, I doubt housing will be an issue.
steamboatskier 5 years, 9 months ago
I make a very good salary, and have no complaints.
The comment made by Connelly proves their priorities aren't in the right place. They were concerned about housing for someone making her salary, yet the bigger issue should be hiring someone who will make a difference and steer the school board back on the right track.
I have seen the housing costs rise to alarming rates, and it is unbelievable we have had to start concerning ourselves with salaries of more than $100K and not having housing available.
Matthew Stoddard 5 years, 9 months ago
And Mrs. Smyser's previous board Pres had this to say about her in March 2007, when she was in the running for Boulder's Superintendent position:
"In Sandra we see a superb leader," said Las Virgenes School Board President Terilyn Finders. "Excellent leadership is recognized, so it doesn't surprise us that she's being sought after." Finders said Smyser was thoughtful, caring and smart, and brought a "quiet strength" to the district."
and
"Sandra has worked with this board and shaped the organization's values and dynamics, chief among them the notion that all programs and services should help all students realize their potential," Finders said."
http://www.theacorn.com/news/2007/0308/Front_Page/004.html
Sounds like her past board had faith in her abilities. We'll see what happens. As for the "woman" thing...some people need to step back and take a look at their own thoughts on how they perceive people instead of pointing to other people's "hatred" of women, as some have called it in the past.
steamboatskier 5 years, 9 months ago
I need to rephrase my woman comment. I was not trying to put women down, I am one.
I was surprised the board hired a female with the history it has had. Regardless of who is to blame, I found it interesting.
More woman need to be leaders and have the strength to believe in themselves.
sportzmama 5 years, 9 months ago
Dukebets: I also make a very good wage here and I personally don't need to have roommates to survive, although it isn't as easy as life on the front range, but I'm here because I want to be, so I'll manage. It's very sad that I make way more than someone who's been to college and continues to take classes etc and who's responsible for shaping our town's future by teaching our kids. I agree with Steamboatskier on a couple of points: 1) Connelly's comment about housing - their priorities still aren't in the right place and 2) I'm a woman and I too am very surprised they hired a woman based on history (Dr. D). That's all. I wish her the best. I hope this is the person that can start to heal the community and to put the focus back on the kids. That's all.
Dukebets: Keep your comments to the issue, not blasting others. Thank you.
Matthew Stoddard 5 years, 9 months ago
Then, steamboatskier, you might want to rephrase your comment about Connelly being worried that someone with a $100,000 salary not finding housing.
Smyser doesn't get that $100,000 in a lump sum, regardless of whatever money she's already got in savings. (That's none of our business) Plus, it's a one year contract only, at this point. Your statement saying,
"I have seen the housing costs rise to alarming rates, and it is unbelievable we have had to start concerning ourselves with salaries of more than $100K and not having housing available."
... says it all: it doesn't matter your salary- if you aren't already a millionaire and don't actually NEED to work, you just might have a problem finding housing at a rate you can afford. I know a few people in Steamboat that make that much and still can't buy anything more than an overpriced Walton Village unit.
SteamboatJoe 5 years, 9 months ago
Good Luck to the new interim super. Hopefully you can get a few things done for our district before the new search begins.
addlip2U 5 years, 9 months ago
It does (should not) NOT matter what gender you are, the position should go to the best candidate!
On the other hand, it is my believe that the Board felt they HAD to hire a women to dismiss the perception (although proven otherwise) that dr.d can get along with a women to be his superior.
gwendolyn 5 years, 9 months ago
LOL!
What a very, very small world it is....
Carpinteria has a very "quaint" school district with very, very small town views...a school district I was oh so familiar with not that long ago when I worked in the county and my kids were enrolled there...
I'm quite certain finding housing was easy and much "cheaper" for Sandra here than anywhere in the Santa Barbara region or the Valley. Girl, you are going to miss the beach!
Good luck. You'll need it. Steamboat is definitely NOT the Valley, beach, or a climate-controlled picnic. By any means.
gwendolyn 5 years, 9 months ago
Oh, and about that $175,000 buyout of Sandra's 3rd year of her contract....doesn't anyone have concerns about it? Further, didn't the guy she replaced 2 years ago (Zimring had been acting superintendent for the entire year before she was hired there) get re-hired to replace her with this buyout?
sigh.
The sand must be really, really deep in the Steamboat School District.
Matthew Stoddard 5 years, 9 months ago
From what I understood, the buyout was because she and her husband were looking to move to Colorado due to his business opportunities and their son attending CU.
http://www.theacorn.com/news/2007/0308/Front_Page/004.html
She was looking for the Boulder Supe job. She got this, instead. Can you provide the "smoking emails" on Smyser? What conspiracy can you shed light on? Please...go on.
Sunspot 5 years, 9 months ago
I agree with beagle. PS needs a vacation and therapy, CommonSense has a good point on cherrypicking.
I want to hear the old board apologize to the people of Steamboat for granting the latest superintendent a contract that had provisions in it that made it impossible to fire her. That is what created this whole mess. Anytime you have an employee that cannot be fired, you have a problem. You created a Rouge employee. Those actions have caused great turmoil in the district. It cost us $270.000.00.
Also, I want to hear the old board apologize to the people of Steamboat, for leaking confidential school information to the newspaper, trashing the name of a longtime fellow Springs resident, pursuing a recall campaign that was based of personal smear tactics, dividing our town into enemies who were previously friends, and for trying to control the School District from the sidelines.
You should be ashamed of yourselves and all of you need to apologize for your behavior.
Matthew Stoddard 5 years, 9 months ago
Sunspot- While I agree the old board made mistakes that helped lead to our current state, it wasn't Howell's fault completely. The investigation by the Board did exonerate her from any illegal wrongdoing. It wasn't all that ethical, depending on your viewpoint, but it was within her right as Superintendent. Seeing as she didn't come clean with these emails to the present Board, I can understand getting rid of her based on trust issues and I understand that firing her depite the contract she had was the best thing to help move on. It also sucks that somehow, Gleason ended up with these emails when Howell said she only gave them to Stephenson, and those 2 haven't come clean on this matter.
Having said that, the initial cause of the current predicament is still Dr. D's emails. He wrote them, he admitted writing them. While I personally don't care what he said about Simms, he was stupid enough to do it from his work computer. Releasing those emails in the way it happened was wrong, but there is no denying he wrote those things, whether you agree with their content or not. Dr. D was the one who trashed his own name by admitting in those emails that he lied about Simms to get Mercer County to hire her. That's his fault alone.
Howell, Simms, and Dr. D (including the rest of the old & new BOE's) have done wonderful things for our schools and kids. They've all also done things that someone is bound to hate. We have a new Superintendent that comes with good credentials, and a good feeling from our current Board shows that this one might just work well. Let's give it a chance to happen.
thecondoguy1 5 years, 9 months ago
housing is cheap in Steamboat, as compared to Westlake Village, Agoura Hills and, Calabases, get on Realtor.com and compare for yourself. people are so hung up on housing cost in Steamboat, housing is costly anywhere it's worth living, stop whining......
bikegirl 5 years, 9 months ago
principallysent-I agree.If Dr.Smyser is to achieve any success in moving our distict forward,the BOE needs to change,We need a new board made up of individuals who are working for our community and not thier own personal agendas.I wish her the best of luck.
Matthew Stoddard 5 years, 9 months ago
PS- You own post shows YOUR duplicity. You go on to tell Sunspot:
"You shouldn't be so defensive and negative towards people that don't express the same opinion as yours. You might try taking the mature adult approach than attacking people that you don't know simply because they don't share the same opinion as you."
You then go on to tell Sunspot that his/her priorities are twisted...for expressing an opinion different from your opinion. You then go on to focus on just D's emails, when again, not all of this was his fault, either.
Both sides are "cherry-picking" what they feel is the cause instead of seeing how this is more than one side doing wrong. You accuse Sunspot or Beagle of deflecting the issue, but this is a multiple issue incident.
1- D's emails from work. Wrong to do it, let alone unscrupulous to lie to Mercer County about Simms, let alone do it from a work computer. The "lie" was never explained that I recall, but it also may have been what he considered to be a lie. If he said "Simms is a great worker and was wonderful in Steamboat," maybe he considers that the lie he told. Would you then consider it a lie? It's opinion. Her performance reviews would tell whatever tale Mercer would be really looking at.
2- Past BOE giving a 4yr no-cut contract without full contractual reimbursement without better qualifiers. That was just not smart in the first place, but it's within their right. (The same could be said that this current BOE didn't HAVE to hire an interim-only Superintendent. They could have done the exact same thing- hired someone THEY like and stick the next BOE with a Super THEY might not like with the same type of contract. They didn't.)
3- A past Board Pres receiving the emails from the Superintendent, and keeping them after leaving office or possibly giving them to another sitting Board member (non-Pres) without passing them to the next Board Pres. That would have made Gleason the equivalent to an old Board insider. Not very trustworthy in that respect.
4- Howell, for not trying to retrieve those emails after the Arapahoe County court decision saying emails of a personal nature from a work computer are not automatically open to public. Also, Howell for giving multiple reasons to check D's computer that she acknowledged knowing that she could get that info elsewhere and tech staff attesting to keeping said info elsewhere. (Technically, because of this, Dr. D could have a legal case, if so inclined. Hopefully, not. More money to waste.)
5- Furthering #4 above, by Gleason resigning from the Board, then releasing those emails in a manner that is no longer necessarily legal due to the Arapahoe County decision.
beagle 5 years, 9 months ago
PS - What a bad case of deja vu. Your true colors finally came through. You're just like a moth to the flame.
localroots 5 years, 9 months ago
Bike girl don't you think that Robin, Laura and Lisa , who are running for the BOE have their OWN agendas, They have clearly been set up to run by the old SOS group and their money. It is sad that they need to run as a coalition of 3. This community does not need a tight group like that who will probably vote as a block. They are all spouting the same talk. I really wish we could have a choice in BOE candidates this November. People that really have the students needs in mind and that would help with the healing of old wounds instead of helping support the SOS and their angry vendetta that is so often exemplified in these blogs.
Matthew Stoddard 5 years, 9 months ago
Anyone running for anything is doing so to further their own agenda, plain and simple. When someone says they are "doing it for the kids" or "doing it for the community," they are doing it for their own vision of what they think is best for the kids or community. Did they actually ask the kids what they think?
Are they asking the community what they want or are they talking to 3 or 4 neighbors, or "polling" people at the water cooler at work? Are they holding open meetings to ask what's important? Usually not. Usually, they let the constiuents ask the questions and give them their vision for an answer.
It's the exact same thing as when SOS proponents said Dr. D ran for the BOE to further his agenda. Gee, really? How many people have you ever seen saying they were running for an office to further their opponents agenda?
They only ones who will dispute this statement are the ones who agree with what someone running tells them. That doesn't mean it IS best for the kids or community...it's just how they perceive it's best. Doesn't mean it works out that way.
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