Anaheim school superintendent to head Seattle Public Schools
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SEATTLE -- The Seattle School Board has offered its superintendent job to Jose Banda, school officials announced Monday.
Banda currently is the superintendent at the Anaheim School District in California.
The board made their decision Sunday night during an executive session, said Seattle Public Schools spokeswoman Teresa Wipple. Banda was offered the job that night and he accepted.
Wipple said the next step will be for the board to make an official approval vote during Wednesday's school board meeting.
The the board "will negotiate a contract with him and they will take a vote on his contract at the May 16 meeting," Wipple said.
His selection comes as the other two finalists, Steven Enoch and Sandra Husk, withdrew their names from consideration. However, Wipple says Husk's withdrawal notification didn't come until Monday morning.
"That was after the offer had been made to Mr. Banda," she said.
While visiting last week, each candidate talked about the shortcomings and challenges of this district.
"It's really important that when you consider becoming a superintendent of a district, you think about it as being a good match," Husk said.
After bowing out of the race, Husk released a statement saying, "... it became apparent that there are competing approaches as to where the district should go and how it should get there. I do not feel like I am a good match for that situation."
Despite having two of the three candidates drop out, Seattle School Board member Sharon Peaslee said the district got the right person for the job.
"The candidates who pulled out had their own reasons for doing that," she said. "They were checking us out, we were checking them out."
Banda says his Anaheim district had 60 percent of the students learn English as a second language and his experience would help him in the multilingual Seattle district.
"A lot of the approaches, a lot of the strategies and outreach to the communities are very similar with any language," he said during an earlier interview.
Banda will replace interim superintendent Susan Enfield, who is leaving to take the superintendent job in the Highline School District.
Banda currently is the superintendent at the Anaheim School District in California.
The board made their decision Sunday night during an executive session, said Seattle Public Schools spokeswoman Teresa Wipple. Banda was offered the job that night and he accepted.
Wipple said the next step will be for the board to make an official approval vote during Wednesday's school board meeting.
The the board "will negotiate a contract with him and they will take a vote on his contract at the May 16 meeting," Wipple said.
His selection comes as the other two finalists, Steven Enoch and Sandra Husk, withdrew their names from consideration. However, Wipple says Husk's withdrawal notification didn't come until Monday morning.
"That was after the offer had been made to Mr. Banda," she said.
While visiting last week, each candidate talked about the shortcomings and challenges of this district.
"It's really important that when you consider becoming a superintendent of a district, you think about it as being a good match," Husk said.
After bowing out of the race, Husk released a statement saying, "... it became apparent that there are competing approaches as to where the district should go and how it should get there. I do not feel like I am a good match for that situation."
Despite having two of the three candidates drop out, Seattle School Board member Sharon Peaslee said the district got the right person for the job.
"The candidates who pulled out had their own reasons for doing that," she said. "They were checking us out, we were checking them out."
Banda says his Anaheim district had 60 percent of the students learn English as a second language and his experience would help him in the multilingual Seattle district.
"A lot of the approaches, a lot of the strategies and outreach to the communities are very similar with any language," he said during an earlier interview.
Banda will replace interim superintendent Susan Enfield, who is leaving to take the superintendent job in the Highline School District.
