By Jennifer Langston
Herald Writer
The Snohomish School District has picked two finalists to be interviewed for its superintendent job.
The district this week is holding two community forums where parents, students and community members can meet and question the two finalists.
Larry Nyland, executive director of student learning for the Highline School District south of Seattle, will attend the public forum Wednesday.
Bill Mester, superintendent of the Mead School District in the suburbs of Spokane for 13 years will be available at the public forum Thursday.
Snohomish Superintendent Neal Powell announced last month that he will leave his job at the end of the school year to work for an organization in Olympia representing educational administrators.
With the help of an outside consultant, the Snohomish School Board interviewed hopeful superintendents Friday and narrowed the field to two.
The final candidates will meet with administrators, teachers, community leaders and the public this week in all-day interviews. In past years, community members have grilled candidates on everything from educational philosophy to opinions of individual books.
The school board hopes to choose a permanent replacement by May 22, although it could decide to appoint an interim superintendent for next year if the process feels too rushed, said J. Marie Merrifield, spokeswoman for the district.
"We want as much public input as possible," she said. "And seeing how the candidates interact with community members is really important."
Nyland was superintendent of the Pasco School District in Eastern Washington for 10 years before moving across the Cascades. He has been a high school teacher, a principal in Alaska and the director of a superintendent preparation program at Seattle Pacific University.
In his current job, he oversees student learning and instruction for the Highline School District, which serves about 18,000 students.
Nyland said Monday that in previous superintendent positions he’s developed capital construction programs to replace and repair school buildings, worked to stretch dollars without sacrificing educational quality and focused on curriculum improvements. In his current job, Nyland has overseen a push to improve reading in all grades.
Before moving to Mead, Mester was a superintendent in Bay City, Mich., for eight years. He has also worked as a teacher, a school psychologist and a principal.
Mester said he oversaw tremendous growth at Mead, including a major community debate that ended with a decision to build a second high school. The district also aligned its curriculum to match new state learning standards.
Mester on Monday said he’s interested in making a long-term commitment to Snohomish, which has had three superintendents leave in the last four years. Mester’s wife left Eastern Washington last year to become assistant superintendent of the neighboring Monroe School District.
You can call Herald Writer Jennifer Langston at 425-339-3452 or send e-mail to langston@heraldnet.com.
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