32 Pueblo D60 leaders sign letter saying superintendent finalists not suited to lead district
Thirty-two leaders from the Pueblo Association of School Executives (PASE) recently signed a letter expressing concerns about the three finalists selected for the Pueblo School District 60 superintendent position.
Signatures on the letter include 18 current principals, eight district administrators and six assistant principals. A total of 18 Pueblo schools — including two high schools, four middle schools, 10 elementary schools and two magnet schools — were represented through the signatures.
The letter was written and presented to the Pueblo D60 Board of Education on April 18 — two days after finalists Shon Hocker, Barbara Kimzey, and Charles McNulty visited Pueblo to tour four schools in the district and field questions from community members.
"While the process allowed for stakeholder feedback, we do not feel that our voices were heard... Wholeheartedly, we do not feel any of the finalists are viable candidates and request that you reconsider your decision," the letter reads.
McNulty has since withdrawn from the superintendent search. Hocker and Kimzey remain finalists and will be interviewed by the Pueblo D60 board on April 24. No finalists were mentioned by name in the letter.
PASE President Ryan Masciotra told the Chieftain that the letter was addressed to the board of education to ensure transparency and ensure that stakeholder feedback from the district's Leadership Profile Report is being acknowledged.
"As a group that represents our School and District leaders, 32 of whom signed the letter, we want to ensure that the progress we have made as a district continues and the right person is chosen to lead that work," Masciotra told the Chieftain in an email.
The Leadership Profile Report is a 40-page document detailing community opinions about the district. The report was put together by the Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates search firm for the purpose of informing the superintendent search process.
It is stated in the Leadership Profile Report that the next Pueblo D60 superintendent should be a leader who is "a proven executive leader" and "a champion for equity" who has "Fiscal and Business Acumen" and "an Impeccable Reputation," among other characteristics.
"We do not feel that the three finalists emulate these characteristics, and we also do not feel that they are suited to lead our district," the letter reads.
Masciotra read the letter to the Pueblo D60 board during the public comment portion of an April 18 meeting. During her comment, Masciotra also noted that online feedback surveys were closed less than 48 hours following the finalists' tours of the district.
"Our community trusted that this search would take place using a process that was transparent and now that is in question," she said on April 18.
Feedback surveys for the two remaining finalists have since been reopened on the Pueblo D60 website.
Interviews of the finalists are scheduled to take place on April 24 at 5:45 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. inside the Pueblo D60 Administrative Services Center. The interviews will be live streamed at vimeo.com/event/4202203.
Roncalli STEM Academy: Roncalli STEM Academy is officially closing after this school year. Here's what comes next
Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Why Pueblo D60 principals are concerned about superintendent finalists
