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Archive for the ‘Administration’ Category

Four finalists vie for Superintendent gig

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , , , on March 27, 2024| Leave a Comment »

It’s final four time.

While the NCAA basketball tourney still has a way to go to chop its teams down, the Coupeville School Board has cut candidates for superintendent to that magic number.

The decision was announced Wednesday morning and comes on the heels of interviews the day before.

The finalists to replace the departing Steve King are Dr. Jim Shank, Shannon Leatherwood, Scott Peacock, and Tim LaGrange.

Shank previously worked as Coupeville Superintendent from 2013-2018, while the other three would be newcomers to Cow Town.

The fab four will have a final round of interviews April 8-9, with each candidate participating in a “full day of focus group discussions, school tours, a board interview, and a community forum.”

Information on the forums will be announced soon, said School Board President Morgan White.

 

To read bios on the finalists, pop over to:

https://www.coupeville.k12.wa.us/Page/334

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Six remain in play for superintendent gig

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , on March 22, 2024| Leave a Comment »

And then there were six.

The Coupeville School Board narrowed its list of candidates to replace departing Superintendent Steve King after holding an executive session Thursday night.

Who are those six? That part is hush-hush, for a logical reason.

With many of the candidates currently working in other districts, the search consultant firm being used by the school board recommended keeping names private through the early rounds.

It is believed that helped to increase the applicant pool, School Board president Morgan White said in a statement.

The six candidates still in play will be interviewed during another private meeting Tuesday, Mar. 26, with the three finalists publicly announced by Mar. 29.

The final trio will tour the Coupeville School District and meet with staff and community between Apr. 8-10.

A detailed schedule of stakeholder meetings will be released next week, with opportunities to meet candidates and provide feedback.

The current plan is to hire a new superintendent in April, with that person starting the job in July.

Whichever of the six candidates wins the top spot, school board members are looking forward to the positives they will bring to the job.

“We are hopeful about the future of our district,” White said. “And we are grateful for wonderful candidates who are eager to serve Coupeville Schools.”

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Break the bank for Shank!!

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , , on February 23, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Dr. Jim Shank, enjoying a moment of Zen in the CHS gym while sitting beneath his beloved “Sad Coyote” painting. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The biggest potential free agent on the market is still out there, Cow Town. Get this thing done!

As the Coupeville School District conducts a superintendent search, no name delivers the same pizazz as Dr. Jim Shank.

And now, with the Longview School District choosing a different candidate Friday to fill its own open position, the dapper doctor could be back in play for a return to Whidbey Island.

Dr. Karen Cloninger, who is coming from Spokane, was chosen over two other finalists who both graduated from Longview-area schools — Shank and John Hannah.

So now the buzz gets going again.

Does Dr. Shank remain with the North Beach School District in Grays Harbor County?

Or will he consider bouncing back to reclaim the top seat in a Coupeville School District he led to great success from 2013-2018?

Will the lure of “The Sad Coyote” bring him back to Cow Town??

I’m asking you, for I do not know the answer.

School board members are notoriously tight-lipped and ultra-professional about stuff like this, and I haven’t been able to electronically bug all the district offices … yet.

But I know what I want, and that’s to see the man who gave us a new stadium, a new track oval, and both new bleachers and the Wall of Fame in the gym, come ambling back down Main Street.

Only time will tell how this story plays out, but I got a crisp fiver here to help sweeten the pot.

Don’t go for a single or try to leg out a double, Coupeville. Swing for the fences on this one.

Break the bank (if need be) for Shank!

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South Whidbey AD retiring

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , , on January 28, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Robby Sullivan elevates for a shot between Coupeville defenders Nick Guay (4) and William Davidson. The Wolves won handily in the final time South Whidbey AD Paul Lagerstedt will be involved in the rivalry. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

After a decade on the job, Paul Lagerstedt is retiring as South Whidbey High School Athletic Director.

The change was listed on the consent agenda for Wednesday’s school board meeting and his last day of employment will be June 30.

Lagerstedt, who is also an assistant vice principal, arrived at SWHS in 2015, after putting in 17 years at Thomas Jefferson High School in Auburn.

Along with being an AD, he has also worked as an English teacher and basketball coach.

That included a 10-year stint working with Mercer Island’s Ed Pepple, the winningest high school hoops coach in Washington state history.

During his time at South Whidbey, Lagerstedt worked closely with Coupeville AD Willie Smith, who said the friendly Falcon will be greatly missed.

“Paul has become one of my closest circle of AD’s, and more importantly, a good friend,” Smith said.

“Such a high caliber of a person: ethical, high character, even-keeled, knowledgeable, and passionate about his school and students.

“South Whidbey will certainly have a tough time replacing him,” he added.

“Though, if I know Paul, he has someone that he has mentored and will continue building up what he has started and maintain the same level of professionalism and character driven programs that he has developed.

“Definitely one of the highlights of my 30 years of education is getting to work alongside, with, and befriending Paul.”

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Response to drug incident highlights CHS staff professionalism

Posted in Administration, tagged , , , on January 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The quick response of school nurse Jennifer Morrell and first responders kept a drug-related incident from becoming worse Thursday at Coupeville High School.

CHS/CMS Principal Geoff Kappes sent a message to school staff afterwards and later agreed to allow the email to be published while expressing understandable concerns about generating more online attention.

My decision to publish this email is meant to help with two things.

One, to quell social media chatter.

And more importantly, to highlight the school’s ability to quickly, efficiently, and safely respond to emergency situations.

 

Good afternoon CMHS Staff,

I wanted to provide an update and express my gratitude for the effective and professional response to an incident that occurred earlier today involving a student who arrived at school under the influence.

At approximately 8:05 this morning, I was notified of a student who had concerning behaviors at the Prairie Center.

Upon observing the concerning behavior, I notified Nurse Jenn and she led the student to the health room. 

While there the student, expressing fear that the THC they had consumed might be laced with something, took the precautionary measure of requesting to self-administer Narcan.

9-1-1 was called and first responders arrived quickly, and the student was taken to the emergency room.

The latest update has informed us at this time the student is okay.

I was very impressed with the collaborative approach of our office team.

The student was cared for appropriately all while maintaining normal operations of the office and the school.

I want to address any potential concerns that may arise due to the administration of Narcan, commonly used to counter the effects of fentanyl.

This was a student request and self-administration out of an abundance of caution. 

We have no reason to believe that fentanyl was involved in this incident.

Moving forward, let’s continue to prioritize the safety and welfare of our students.

If you notice concerning behavior, please intervene and contact the office.

Thank you for your continued dedication and professionalism.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me.

 

Geoff Kappes
CHS/CMS Principal

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