Superintendent Search

Zoom Link for all three candidates below

Topic: Staff/Community Forum-All 3 candidates

Time: Jan 29, 2025 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Every day, until Jan 31, 2025, 3 occurrence(s)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://northmasonschools.zoom.us/j/82957228536?pwd=2e3FP59bPwwB3aEP62bWqW4a8CrWjb.1

Meeting ID: 829 5722 8536

Passcode: ZOOM

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+12532050468,,82957228536#,,,,*846510# US

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NMSD has been under the leadership of Dana Rosenbach for over 10 years and with her retirement in June of 2025, we’ll be conducting a search for a new superintendent to be in place for the 2025–2026 school year. To facilitate this search, the NMSD Governing Board has contracted with the recruitment firm Ray & Associates.

Press Release

Job Posting Flyer

Meet the Candidates

Dr. Benjamin Gauyan has more than 30 years of experience in education, starting as a paraprofessional at San Diego Unified School District in 1993. Gauyan obtained his Master’s Degree in Education from Seattle Pacific University in 2001 and then worked for 15 years in Highline Public Schools, as an English Language Learner teacher, Dean of Students and then Principal. In 2009, he completed his Doctorate Degree in Education from the University of Washington. From 2010-2015, he worked at Tacoma Public Schools as a Director of Elementary Education and later Director of Secondary Education before returning to Highline Public Schools as Executive Director of Instructional Leadership. Since 2022 he has served as the Assistant Superintendent at Stanwood-Camano Island School District. Dr. Gauyan’s professional experience includes redefining and opening access to the Highly Capable Program at Stanwood-Camano Island School District, rolling out Title I preschools and summer school programs at Tacoma Public Schools and launching Highline Virtual Academy and Maritime High School at Highline Public Schools.

Dr. Jeff Hardesty has worked in public schools since 1997, when he started his teaching career at Moses Lake School District, co-developing and teaching at Midway Middle School. Hardesty completed his Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Eastern Washington University in 1999. He continued to work at Moses Lake School District, as a Vice Principal and later a Principal. He then worked for 13 years as a Principal in Tonasket School District. In 2018, he obtained his Doctorate Degree in Education from Washington State University and has served as Superintendent of Oroville School District for the past nine years. Dr. Hardesty’s professional experience includes closing achievement gaps within his first three years of leadership at Oroville School District, which saw three of its schools achieve School of Distinction status during his tenure. He has experience successfully passing operational levies, implementing strategic plans and actively re-engaging families back into schools, re-enrolling 60 students and their families back in Oroville Schools that had previously left the District.

Dr. Kristine Michael has 30-plus years’ experience in education, starting with teaching third grade at the International School of Luxembourg. She has 15 years of experience as a teacher in Granville, Ohio, primarily teaching fourth grade. During that time, she graduated from The Ohio State University with a Master’s Degree in Education Theory & Practice and continued to work in the Granville Exempted Village School District, including as a Curriculum Coordinator for nearly four years. She then served as Curriculum Director at the International School of Dakar, Senegal. For the past 10 years, she has worked at various Ohio school districts as a Director of Curriculum & Student Services, Assistant Superintendent and then Superintendent, a role she has served in since 2023 at Northridge School District. She obtained her Doctorate of Education from Miami University in Ohio in 2020. Dr. Michael’s professional achievements as Superintendent include closing achievement gaps via literacy scores, facilitating a public-private partnership that led to raising $1.75 million for a $7.9 million athletic stadium project and creating a K-5 STEM program.

Our goal is to ensure that NMSD continues to have a leader that exemplifies the mission of North Mason School District, "Together with our community, is to educate, empower, inspire and prepare all students to graduate confident in their abilities to meet life’s challenges and opportunities". Feedback from students, staff, parents, and community stakeholders is an essential part of the search process. While elected school board members ultimately select a final candidate, your input is shared with board members and utilized to help find the candidate that best meets the needs of NMSD. This process will provide opportunities for all stakeholders to provide input into their next leader. Stakeholders include staff, students, families, and community members.

These final candidates will be individually touring the District and will participate in a series of meetings with district staff and final interviews with the board January 29-31. Additionally, the public is invited to meet the candidates at community forums that will take place each evening, from 6:45 to 8 p.m. at the North Mason High School Auditorium (one candidate per evening), 150 E. North Mason School Road, in Belfair. During this event the candidate will give an overview of their background, present a 90-day district plan and have question and answer session. As part of the question period, we invite the public to submit questions they may have for the candidates that may be included in the Q&A session. The timeframe to submit questions will be the 28th of January. At the end of the forum there will be a candidate impression survey that will share input to the board that will assist the board in its selection. These forums will also be available to view via ZOOM. Please contact Jackie Young to submit questions and for the zoom link - jyoung@northmasonschools.org.

Timeline

What qualities do you want to see in the next NMSD Superintendent? Make your voice heard by participating in the 31 Qualities Survey:

31 Qualities Survey (English) (Spanish) Survey closed November 22, 2024

Timeline

Note: Planning is still underway and dates are subject to change.

October 28: NMSD Board of Education chose Ray & Associates to lead superintendent search efforts

November 6: NMSD Board of Education and Consultant Planning Meeting

November 7: Online survey available on district website (deadline November 22)

November 8: District to begin working on key constituent/stakeholder groups for input meetings on November 18 & 19, 2024

November 18/19: Meetings with key constituent and stakeholder group representatives as scheduled

November 25 : Board of Education to finalize superintendent profile and approve job description/application process

November 26: Application open

January 5: Deadline for application materials

Week of January 20: Candidate first-round interviews

Week of January 27: Final interviews

North Mason School District

EP&O Replacement Levy