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AUSD announces new positions
and new supe search
By Susan Hogoboom
The Alpine Sun
ALPINE — Long-time Alpine Union School
District Superintendent Greg Ryan announced at the Jan. 13 board
meeting, that he will be retiring from the district at the end
of this school year. His contract was to expire in June 2011 but
was not renewed by the board.
Tom Bishop, an independent superintendent search
consultant, has been assigned to guide the school district in
the search for Ryan’s successor. The board held a workshop on
Jan. 20, and a 3-0 vote by the three present members, Eric Wray,
Gina Henke, and Ann Pierce, confirmed that Bishop will lead the
way in the search for a new superintendent. The district’s legal
representatives will write and negotiate the final contract with
Bishop.
According to Ryan, the decision to utilize Bishop’s
services is cost effective. He resides locally, resulting in no
travel costs associated with his services. Ryan said that Bishop
is working with the district’s human resources department, which
eliminates clerical and other service fees that a company would
normally charge.
Bishop took the podium at the Jan. 13 meeting,
commending Ryan on the work he has done for the district.
“I would like to extend my personal congratulations and
thanks to Greg Ryan, who is going to be completing a
distinguished career of leadership of public education here in
San Diego County,” he told the board members and audience.
Bishop explained that Ryan contacted him the week
prior, asking him if he would be interested in working with the
school district to market an “outstanding, new superintendent.”
“I’m here tonight to say, ‘We can do it,’” Bishop said.
He explained the advantages of working for the AUSD,
which would likely bring the well-qualified individual district
officials are seeking.
“This is an excellent district which has represented
excellence on many, many levels. You’re an attractive place for
someone to work to continue your outstanding tradition of
excellence and of leadership,” Bishop told the members.
Bishop explained that the hunt for the new
superintendent would be achieved through what he called “a
traditional superintendent marketing program.”
Bishop said that this process would begin with the Jan.
20 workshop, allowing board members to brainstorm, compiling a
list of qualities they would like the future new superintendent
to process.
Member Mark Price wanted to be assured of Bishop’s commitment to
the school district. His concerns arose from the last experience
the district had with filling such a vacancy.
“When we last went through this process, we hired a
consultant, and about one-third of the way through the process,
he quit and left us sort of hanging there,” Price said.
Bishop confirmed his commitment to his job and to the
school district, telling the board he would not undertake such a
responsibility if his intentions were to quit. “I’ve never
quit,” he emphasized to the board.
Bishop outlined the application, interviewing, and
hiring process to the board.
The application deadline will likely be in late March,
and reference checks, paper screening, and the narrowing down of
candidates and selection of interviewees is likely to occur in
late March and April. The interview date is scheduled for April
17.
According to Wray, input from teachers and staff
members will likely be sought.
Each board member thanked Ryan for his contributions as
superintendent.
“Thank you for your efforts,” said Price who was the
only current member on the board when Ryan began his seven-year
tenure. Price also commended Ryan on how well he has dealt with
the budget crisis. “You handled it incredibly,” he said.
The board’s newest member, Christopher Newcomb, thanked
Ryan for helping him “learn the ropes.”
Ryan has a long history in schools. He has been
involved with education for 37 years. He taught in a Los Angeles
school for two years before moving to San Diego County and
teaching elementary grades in Encinitas for eight years. He also
served as principal and then assistant superintendent. Ryan
served as superintendent in Northern California for four years
before moving accepting a position as superintendent with the
Mountain Empire Unified School District for five years.
Ryan’s retirement coincides with the district’s budget
woes, and some rumor that the budget crisis tormenting the
schools was a factor in his decision to retire. Ryan denies the
rumor, telling The Alpine Sun via e-mail, “It is not related to
the budget crisis.” Ryan does admit, however, that the crisis
has been his toughest challenge and that the he is concerned
about the destruction the budget shortfalls are causing
California students.
“The bad economy, resulting in the state cutting the
education budget, is doing serious damage to public education in
California. Balancing budget cuts with the real impact lay-offs
have on services to students and the lives of employees is
challenging and causes great concern,” Ryan said.
When asked how he wants to be remembered, Ryan said, “I
hope people will remember that I made decisions based upon what
I believed would ultimately best serve the mission of the Alpine
schools, providing a high quality education in a safe
environment for all of our students.”
Ryan plans to stay on board until the school year’s
end. In fact, he told The Alpine Sun that he will make himself
available to, in a sense, mentor his successor to ease the
transition.
“I will be here until the end of June and will be
available to share whatever information is necessary with my
successor,” he said.
Bishop currently works with the San Diego County Office
of Education, providing help to new superintendents in small
school districts, so there is a possibility he may be involved
in the mentoring process as well.
After his retirement, Ryan plans on traveling,
performing community service, and enjoying his free time.
New board positions
The AUSD board’s make-up has been in transformation.
Like most, if not all school districts, AUSD Board had its
yearly organizational meeting. At such meetings, elections take
place for board seats.
Three positions were up for grabs. Price made a motion,
seconded by Henke to nominate Wray as president. This was the
sole nomination for the position, so he was unanimously elected,
replacing Price, who remains on the board.
Price, who has been on the board for 10 years, is the
immediate past board president serving in that position for
several years.
There was a motion on the part of Pierce and seconded
by Newcomb to nominate Henke as Vice President, a position
formally held by Wray. Again, there were no other nominations,
and Henke was unanimously elected Vice President of the board.
Henke made a motion, seconded by Pierce, to nominate
Newcomb as clerk of the board. Once again, there were no other
nominations, and Newcomb, like the others, was unanimously
elected clerk of the board and says he is eager to take on more
responsibility.
New board President Wray told The Alpine Sun that he
commends Price on a job well done during his time leading the
board, dealing with a district so plagued with budget woes.
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