Pullman School District Seeks New Assistant Superintendent Amid Budget Concerns
Photo from Pullman High School website home page
Written by Maggie Rasch
PULLMAN, WA - The Pullman School District is in the process of hiring a new assistant superintendent after the retirement of the former Assistant Superintendent Roberta Kramer who filled the job since 2016, but parents question the need for the role due to hiring costs.
“I do not believe there should be an assistant superintendent for our small school district,” said Teena Edwards, a previous Pullman School District educator and parent to four children who completed schooling in the district. “Our district is full of great educators who are being micromanaged by administration.”
The job listing for the assistant superintendent from the school district involves a salary range from $167,462 to $182,990 a year. This is the second largest paying employee in the city of Pullman under the Pullman School District Superintendent Robert Maxwell, who was paid $182,982 in 2022.
The Pullman School District certificated salary schedule states teacher salaries from $52,835 to $95,352 based on years of experience and degree acquired.
“I believe the administration is too top heavy. They should be allocating funds a different way… in order to pay for our students and teachers,” said Edwards.
Teachers voted no confidence with allegations against both Kramer and Maxwell in 2018 to the Pullman School Board after the loss of two elementary school principals due to unknown circumstances. Claims included that the pair did not have procedural input from hiring committees but have taken charge of hiring themselves according to an article by Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
“Many parents have not been able to come back from that,” said Edwards about the 2018 event. “Nothing has changed in the school district, and that’s why I left in 2019 after seven years of serving.”
The interview process for the assistant superintendent is hosted by the Pullman District School Board and three parent or guardian volunteers to represent each school level on a selection committee. The volunteers are required to attend a mandatory interview training session on Tuesday, Apr. 2nd at the district office before the interviews are conducted Thursday, Apr. 4th during a community forum.
The Pullman School Board refused to reveal the interview process due to “laws around personal privacy and other concerns like union relations and hiring competition with other districts,” said Lisa Waananen Jones, Director District No. 2 on the Pullman School Board.
The Pullman School District assistant superintendent job listing includes a list of required and preferred qualifications.
A doctoral degree
Master’s Degree in school administration or related field from an approved program of higher education
Pre-K through 12th grade teaching experience and administration experience
Possess or be eligible for both a Washington State Teacher Certificate and an Administrator Certificate with a Superintendent endorsement
Willing to reside within the Pullman School District boundaries
Responsibilities of the assistant superintendent are also listed on the job listing.
Assisting the Superintendent substantially and effectively in the task of providing leadership in developing, achieving, and maintaining the highest quality education programs and services
They should serve as acting superintendent in their absence
Responsible for district-wide instruction, curriculum development, and curriculum adoptions
The Pullman School District serves more than 2,500 students and employs over 300 staff including less than 200 teachers across the six campuses. The district is ranked No. 93 in district size in the state of Washington. However, the district proved to excel in state assessments despite the small enrollment size.
In the district, 72% of elementary students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 64% tested at or above the proficient level for reading. The testing scores are very similar for middle schoolers as well. In addition, 76% of high school students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 43% tested at or above that level for math. The graduation rate is 93% in the district as a result. The Washington state graduation rate is 83.6% for comparison.
The average student to teacher ratio in the district is equivalent to the state average at 17:1 with 100% of teachers certified. 86.7% of teachers have more than three years of experience, which is the average for classroom teachers in Washington.
The most recent newsletter sent by the superintendent to parents involved a listing for ten open positions within the school district including a message pleading for more substitute teachers for the 2023-24 school year.
“There are plenty of amazing teachers in the district, but they aren’t the problem,” said Edwards.
The School District is hosting a community forum on Thursday, Apr. 4th at Lincoln Middle School at 5 p.m. for the public to meet the candidates, Bryan Jones, Assistant Superintendent at Burlington-Edison School District, and Guinevere Joyce, Principal and Superintendent Intern at Dayton School District.