The Ferndale School District has announced its top three candidates for superintendent: Karin “Kristi” Dominguez, John Parker and Dana Rosenbach.
The district interviewed the top six candidates for the position for fifty-minute interviews each on March 19, covering questions regarding leadership qualities, proven commitment to students and equity and breadth of experience.
Leadership qualities
The new superintendent will be responsible for managing the district’s nine schools and more than 600 staff, while balancing an $80 million budget.
When discussing leadership and working with others within the district, all three candidates touched on one topic: communication.
“You should hear from me before you hear from anyone else,” Rosenbach said about communicating with the board of directors.
Rosenbach said she values relationships with the board and with the community. She said she regularly meets with her current school board individually and is in constant collaboration with them.
Dominguez touched on the value of communication, specifically regarding its importance during the pandemic. She said they had to redesign what education looked like to be online while keeping the students, families and staff up to date.
Every decision made needs to be informed by the people it will impact, she said.
Parker said he believes in “strong, effective communication” and in listening to the community, especially in a tight knit one like Ferndale.
“There are incredible lines of communication already in Ferndale that keeps the community involved,” Parker said.
Parker also said he focuses on “distributive leadership” – a style that involves and empowers more voices to make decisions for an organization. He also said he knows the value of working as a team from his years in athletics.
Commitment to Students
Rosenbach discussed her value of student engagement at school while she spoke with the panel. She relishes the opportunity to meet with them.
“That’s what keeps me going to work every day,” Rosenbach said.
She said she continually checks in with students, community members, families and staff to evaluate where equity can be improved to ensure that what the district thinks it’s doing for the students is actually working.
As an example of doing this work, Rosenbach said the kids weren’t growing at her school district. But as superintendent, she has instituted new policies and opportunities, resulting in a rising graduation rate.
During the pandemic, she also helped institute “the first school-based health clinic in the region.” Her and North Mason’s goal is to serve the students, staff and community by meeting their health needs.
Dominguez said she always comes in with a teacher mindset – one that is inherently student focused. She believes equity begins with access.
“If we’re not willing to push on the edges of systems, we’re not really going change the outcome for students,” Dominguez said.
With her experience working in early learning education, Dominguez is currently working alongside the governor’s office to help implement Transitional K. The program provides early learning education to kids who otherwise would not have access.
Dominguez she would make sure to continually check in with students, community members, families and staff to evaluate where equity can be improved to ensure that what the district thinks it’s doing for the students is actually working.
Parker has interacted with many students and communities around the world and hopes to bring his experience to support students and the Ferndale community.
“My hope and my place is here in Ferndale,” Parker said, as he believes that Ferndale’s values line up with his own.
He wants to be visible to students and to listen to students and staff about issues of equity. He believes as an administrator it’s important to know what is happening within the schools.
Experience
All of the three remaining candidates have extensive experience as teachers and as administrators.
After graduating from Western Washington University in 1994 with a bachelor’s in education, Dominguez worked as an elementary school teacher in Bellingham Public Schools until 2011. She switched to an administrative role as the Director of Teaching and Learning for Early Childhood Education with the school district. Now, after holding the role Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, she believes she is ready to be the superintendent of Ferndale School District.
Dana Rosenbach worked as a teacher from 1989 to 1994 in the Central Kitsap School District after receiving a bachelor’s in education from Washington State University. She went on to become the Executive Director of Leadership and Learning in Longview Public Schools and then to the role of superintendent of North Mason School District in 2014.
John Parker said he’ll bring valued experience from working in various places within school districts. Parker received his bachelor’s degree in education from Washington State University in 1988 and taught in the Puyallup School District for 15 years. He worked as a dean and principal at the Shangahai Community International School before returning to Puyallup and working in various administrative roles until 2019. Since then, he’s worked at the Colegio Nueva Granada International School in Bogotá, Colombia.
Moving Forward
The school district will host public forums for each finalist in the coming week at Horizon Middle School, 2671 Thornton Road, Ferndale, at 6 p.m. on these dates: March 21 (Parker), March 23 (Rosenbach) and March 24 (Dominguez). A “virtual option” for viewing will be made available, the district said.
Three other remaining candidates under consideration were Daniel Chaplik, Heather Leighton and Paul Peterson.
The school board will announce the new superintendent at an open public meeting on March 25 at the Mountain View Learning Center.
