Position Title: Superintendent

Salary: Competitive and negotiable

Closing Date: October 3, 2008

Downloads:

• Job Application
• Job Brochure

The Position

The Board of Trustees of the Pleasant Ridge Union School District invites qualified, successful leaders to apply for the position of district superintendent.

The ideal candidate will be someone who is a strong leader with excellent communications and interpersonal skills.

The superintendent must be a “generalist” with experience in instruction, finance, budget, personnel, special education, and addressing issues associated with declining enrollment.

The successful candidate will also be someone committed to becoming part of the Pleasant Ridge community and being highly visible and involved in the Pleasant Ridge community and schools.

The Community

The Pleasant Ridge Union School District is located in the oak filled Sierra Nevada foothills in Southern Nevada County along Highway 49, equal distance from Grass Valley and Auburn.

Nevada County is a land of rivers, rolling valleys, magnificent mountains, spectacular changing seasons, historic towns, unlimited recreational opportunities and a vibrant theater, art and music scene.

The region’s development roots trace back to the California Gold Rush. The historic towns and historic mining sites provide much of the character of the region.

The district is rural, but contains two community developments: Lake of the Pines and Alta Sierra. Both developments are comprised of several thousand custom homes built around golf courses and lakes. Residents are offered employment in a growing high tech industry, government service, construction trades and tourist oriented businesses. A number of residents commute to jobs in Placer and Sacramento counties. An increasing number of parents telecommute to jobs in the Bay Area and around the nation or have created a home-based business.

The community is located 45 minutes from Roseville, 60 minutes from Sacramento and one and a half hours from Lake Tahoe.

California State University, Sacramento and the University of California, Davis are the regional universities.

The region’s climate, natural beauty and small town feeling make it an ideal place to live, work and raise a family.

The District

The Pleasant Ridge Union School District provides 1,675 K-8 students in four schools an outstanding educational experience. The district strives to provide a private school education in a public school setting. The district’s students, faculty and programs have been recognized throughout the state, nation and internationally.

There are four district school sites, including three elementary schools and a 6-8 grade middle school. District students attend Bear River High School, operated by the Nevada Joint Union High School District, located adjacent to the district’s middle school. The ethnicity of the student body consists of 93 percent Caucasian, 4 percent Hispanic, 1 percent Asian, 1 percent African American and 1 percent American Indian.

The district’s annual general fund budget is approximately $13 million with strong reserves. Comprehensive special education programs are an essential part of each school and severely handicap program are available from a county consortium. The district contracts for transportation services and is a member of a countywide Central Kitchen. The highly qualified staff includes 111 certificated and 74 classified employees. The district has a positive and cooperative relationship with employee organizations.

All four district schools have been recognized as California Distinguished Schools and each of the three elementary schools have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools. The district’s API for 2007 is 847, among the highest in the region. The district is known for its educational leadership, innovative instructional practices and student success in academic and athletic competitions. The district’s GATE students have won numerous international problem solving competitions. The district’s use of technology in instruction serves as a model throughout the country. The academic programs include elementary music and art. The district is committed to the highest quality instructional program, which is demanded by the community. There is also a strong commitment to professional development and identification of the best educational practices.

To learn more about the district, please visit our Web site at www.prsd.k12.ca.us.

Selection Criteria

The following criteria represent standards to be used in the evaluation of applications and in the selection of the superintendent.

Professional Experience and Preparation

• Master’s degree and administrative credential required
• Principal experience required
• Classroom teaching experience required
• District level experience desirable
• Superintendent or assistant superintendent experience preferred

Personal Characteristics

• Has high integrity and is honest, fair, and trustworthy
• Has excellent communications and listening skills and relates to people at all levels
• Is accessible and easily approachable by students, staff, and community members and has an “open door” policy
• Is a “people person” with strong public and human relations skills and a sense of humor
• Is a decisive leader who makes sound, difficult decisions and takes responsibility for those decisions
• Is highly visible and active in the community, schools and worksites and is committed to becoming part of the community the school district serves
• Is an enthusiastic and energetic team builder who recognizes the abilities and contributions of all district staff
• Is a proactive, creative and innovative problem solver who has the courage to deal with difficult issues and remain focused and positive in stressful situations
• Has a high level of energy, enthusiasm and motivation, with a strong work ethic and highly professional demeanor

Professional Skills and Abilities

• Is a strong leader with a vision of where the district might go and what the district might become; can articulate that vision, incorporate other points of view, and decisively lead the district
• Has a commitment to academic excellence and a clear vision for education that maintains a focus on improving student performance
• Has the ability to work effectively with the board and provide the board with relevant, timely and accurate information, alternatives and recommendations to make informed decisions
  in a timely manner
• Has excellent knowledge of curriculum and understands current education theory, instructional techniques, curricular expectations and laws and regulations at the state and federal levels
• Understands and supports a balanced curriculum, with interest in maintaining high quality music, art, drama and advanced studies programs
• Has demonstrated ability to manage the district’s finances, facilities and resources in a responsible manner, as well as the ability to seek and find new funding sources
• Has knowledge and expertise in special education laws, regulations and programs
• Supports the increased use of technology in instruction and in district and school site management
• Has the ability to create a district climate of cooperation and collaboration
• Has a successful background in working with all of the problems associated with declining enrollment
• Knowledge and experience in collective bargaining and the ability to create a positive climate in employer/employee relations

Application Procedure

All applications will be held strictly confidential. Each applicant is requested to follow the procedures listed below. Those applicants wishing additional information should contact the CSBA adviser at (916) 669-3297. For duplication purposes, please do not bind application materials.

Applications are to be sent to:
Pleasant Ridge Union School District
c/o Dr. Wendell Chun, Adviser
California School Boards Association
Executive Search Services
3100 Beacon Blvd., Suite Pleasant Ridge
West Sacramento, CA 95691

All applicants must provide the following items by the closing date, October 3, 2008 (5:00 p.m.), to be considered:

• A completed Application Information Form. (Please complete as instructed; do not complete by stating “see attached résumé”.) The Application Information Form and brochure may be downloaded via CSBA’s Web page at www.csba.org/es.aspx
• A personal letter of application stating reasons for interest in the Pleasant Ridge Union School District superintendent position
• A résumé providing biographical background information about educational preparation, experience and achievements
• A placement file and/or five (5) current letters of professional references describing the applicant’s performance in previously held positions

It is the applicant’s responsibility to arrange to have placement papers or reference letters forwarded in time to meet the October 3, 2008 (5:00 p.m.) deadline. Additional brochures may be requested by calling the CSBA 24-hour brochure request line at (916) 669-3296.

Selection Procedure

A professional screening committee will evaluate the qualifications of each applicant. The board and the screening committee will use the described criteria during the screening, interviewing and final decision-making process. After receiving and studying the report of the screening committee, the board will select and interview the top candidates.

The board will select candidates for the final interviews, conduct the interviews and select the superintendent. Any applicant who contacts a board member with the intent of influencing the board’s decision will be disqualified.

Travel expenses for those candidates selected for the initial interview will be the responsibility of the candidate.

Interviews

Interviews are tentatively scheduled for October 31 and November 1 and 2, 2008.

Salary and Contract Terms

The Pleasant Ridge Union School District Board of Trustees will offer a competitive and negotiable salary, plus fringe benefits to the successful candidate, based on that individual’s experience and qualifications. The board intends to offer a multi-year contract.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to provide the district with employment eligibility and verification of citizenship in compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act.

Board of Education