Kent School District Names Three Finalists For Superintendent (Photo) -04/01/22
(Kent, WA) — Today, Kent School District (KSD) announced three finalists for the superintendent position, and the schedule of interviews is taking place on April 4, 5, and 7.
Finalists for the next superintendent of the fifth-largest school district in Washington are:
- Dr. Keisha Scarlett. Dr. Scarlett is Assistant Superintendent of Academics for Seattle Public Schools and formerly served as Chief of Equity, Partnerships, and Engagement. In 2014, Keisha Scarlett was named the Washington State Middle-Level Principal of the Year.
- Mr. Israel Vela. Mr. Vela began serving as the Interim Superintendent of Kent School District on August 2. Mr. Vela has held various leadership roles in KSD since 1999, except for the three years that he served as Executive Director of Schools in Seattle Public Schools.
- Dr. Mary Templeton. Dr. Mary Templeton is the Superintendent of the Washougal School District. Mary began her career as a teacher in California’s diverse Central Valley and served for 18 years in Spokane Public Schools.
“We are delighted to present this caliber of candidates who have emerged as our finalists from a pool of twenty-four applicants to our students, families, and staff. Our board is now counting on our community to engage in this final step of the process and give us their feedback through the search firm feedback forms,” said School Board President Leslie Hamada. “We, the board, are listening, and we are excited to move forward together as a community as we select our next superintendent.”
On Friday, April 1, 2022, the board announced opportunities via the school and district websites, district newsletters, and various district communication platforms, including the full schedule for the three finalists to be interviewed on April 4, 5, and 7, biographical information, pre-recorded public interviews, and feedback forms.
The Kent School Board selected McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C as the executive search firm to conduct the national search for the next superintendent in December 2021.
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