http://www.everett.k12.wa.us/everett/6-27-08

News Release

News Release

Everett Public Schools

June 24, 2008

For more information

Mary Waggoner, 425-385-4043

Superintendent Whitehead to retire, effective Sept. 1

Upon learning of Superintendent Carol Whitehead's decision to retire on Sept.

1, 2008, Everett Public Schools board members expressed sadness about her

departure and gratitude for the leadership and vision she brought to Everett

when she was hired as superintendent in 2000.

Board members thanked Dr. Whitehead for eight years of selfless dedication

to each student in the district and expressed regret that recent events have

caused her to seek retirement earlier than anticipated.

Carol Andrews

is in her first year as a board member and says, "Dr. Whitehead is one of the most strategic and critical

thinkers I have worked with. She has remarkable business insight and is meticulous in her actions. She leaves an indelible

mark in the district and a legacy that will drive and ensure that we continue to focus on academic achievement for each

student."

Sue Cooper

, who has been on the board longer than any other member, lauded Dr. Whitehead for having ... "managed to

coordinate, align and articulate systems to improve student learning. Dr. Whitehead has set high expectations and managed

available resources effectively to provide staff with the training, technology and tools necessary to continually improve student

learning. She has assembled an excellent leadership team focused on student achievement. Carol's passion for the

importance of public education has inspired all who work with her."

"Hiring Carol was the best decision I have been involved in during my nine years on the school board," declared

Kristie

Dutton

. "We wish we could have her for another nine years. The work of Carol and her team makes Everett Public Schools a

premier Washington state district, known for its student accomplishments, especially for learning improvements that occur

when an entire system focuses on ‘each' child."

Board President

Karen Madsen

notes, "Great leaders have strong ethics and integrity. In 2004, I wrote a nomination for Carol

as Superintendent of the Year for the state of Washington. I said then and say again now, ‘She is able to do the

right things

right

in leading this organization.' We are going to miss her and are so much better off for her having been here. Carol's

sensitivity, respect for others, and high expectations of all (herself included), helped instill a renewed sense of pride in the

people and the work of Everett Public Schools. Everett has an exceptional staff, well-focused on student achievement; we

have an unusually fine fleet of school buildings; we enjoy extraordinary support from our voters; we have a board committed to

working as a team; and we have truly superb leaders all across the district."

Whitehead has been the superintendent of Everett Public Schools for the last eight years.

However, she has worked for

the district for a full 18 years— nearly half of her 40-year career as an educator. Her first Everett position was in 1978 as a

reading specialist. In 1982, she became a district elementary principal. In 1984, she accepted the position as an Everett Public

Schools curriculum coordinator, and from 1986-88 she was the district's director of curriculum and instruction.

She was away from Everett from 1988 through 2000. During that time, she worked in Federal Way, Tacoma and Bremerton in

positions that advanced from elementary principal to assistant superintendent and ultimately Bremerton's superintendent.

Executive Director,

Jim McNally

, remembers that Dr. Whitehead was on the interview team when he was first hired in Everett

Public Schools for an elementary principal's position in 1985. He believes, "Carol is an excellent model, holding all of us to the

same high standard she demonstrates. Each decision she makes, and every action she takes is done with integrity. I have

been honored to work with her."

In making her retirement announcement, Whitehead reviewed with the board and audience members her career in education

and the

accomplishments she values most

from the last eight years by stating:

Forty years ago, I began working as a first-grade teacher

in Smith Station, Alabama. My path since

that time has taken many turns and has resulted in a very exciting career as a public school educator.

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On my first day of teaching, I would never have predicted that I would later be offered the position of

superintendent in the finest district in the state of Washington, Everett Public Schools.

I am proud to say that eighteen of my forty years in this worthy profession have been in Everett Public

Schools where I have worked as a reading specialist, a school principal, the director of curriculum and

instruction, and finally as superintendent.

As you know, about a year ago I informed you of my wish to retire in January 2009.

The recent threat

on my life

has caused my family to ask me to reconsider that time line.

Therefore, I now plan to retire

on Sept. 1, 2008.

I have been pleased to serve as your superintendent for the past eight years. I believe we, and all the

others in this excellent organization, have worked well together to accomplish much for this community

and its children. I would like to mention just

a few of those accomplishments

We now have

coordinated, articulated, and aligned curriculum

delivered consistently and

effectively across all schools and in all content areas, thus ensuring equitable learning

opportunities for all students.

We have brought to life the verbiage in

the district's strategic plan;

today it is alive in each

classroom in every school.

We have

focused on

each

student

, become data driven, and given each student and every

staff member access to high quality technology.

We have

improved communication to parents

by putting in place our Instructional

Management System and a telephone communication system that sends messages translated

in five languages to all parents with one click of a button.

For several years now, the students in Everett have consistently

scored above the state

average

in all grade levels and in every content area on the WASL.

In addition, between 2000 and 2007, our students have made significant achievement growth as

measured by the WASL. For example,

98.6 percent of the students on track to graduate

the long-awaited class of 2008 met standard on the reading and writing WASL, and 76.3 percent

met standard on the mathematics WASL. These scores are a 38.8 percent increase in reading,

66.9 percent increase in writing and 41.3 percent increase in mathematics from the WASL

scores for grade 10 students in 2000.

We have

increased the percent of our students graduating on time

from 55 percent in the

spring of 2003 to nearly 80 percent in 2007, and although the state has not yet calculated the

percentage for 2008, we expect it to be every bit as good, if not better than 2007.

Perhaps even more important, we have increased the graduation rate and

decreased the drop-

out rate

, not just for all students, but for each racial, program and poverty group reported as

part of the No Child Left Behind legislation.

We have significantly increased the number of students in advanced placement classes or other

challenging options, thus exposing them to a much

more rigorous high school experience

Over 60 percent of students in our middle schools are now enrolled in Algebra I or a higher level

mathematics course, giving them ample time to take

rigorous mathematics classes

during

their four years in high school.

We have had National Merit

Scholars

, Washington

Scholars

, Gates Millennium

Scholars

, and

an increase in the percentage of students enrolling in college after leaving us.

We have watched

students participate and excel in athletics

and other student body

activities.

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Madsen, Cooper and Dutton

were on the board and among those to hire Whitehead as Everett's superintendent eight years

ago. "Carol stood out among candidates because of her outstanding intellect, her passion and her proven leadership

qualities," said Dutton. "Her previous experience in the district was also a draw as she had many connections with a number of

schools and staff. "

Cooper remembers

, "We were looking for someone who would focus resources on student learning. We were looking for

measurable improvement in student learning. Carol was the best choice then, and district data proves she has done

everything we expected and more."

We have

clean, attractive, safe facilities

, and we have emergency plans in place for each

district site.

We have

quadrupled the number of graduates from our alternative high

school programs.

We have remained

fiscally solvent

by implementing efficiencies all across the district.

We have

partnered

with other k-12 educational agencies, cities, counties, universities,

emergency first responders, for-profit and not -for-profit organizations.

We have

shared what we have learned

at state and national conferences, in meetings with

colleagues and through our State of the School Reviews.

We have passed one, two-year and two, four-year maintenance and operations levies and two

capital improvement bonds— all at a high percentage of "

YES" votes

With the approximately $273 million from the two bonds, we have opened a new school,

remodeled old schools to be as good as new

and have money in the bank, plans and a

published time line to fulfill our promise to remodel all of our remaining schools that are not yet

to our standard.

We have a financial plan to build a

new central administration facility

that will improve

effectiveness and efficiency and allow dollars that, in the past have been used for maintenance

of our old central facilities, to be used for programs for students.

We have searched for, purchased and successfully implemented

curriculum and technology

programs that meet the learning needs

of our students.

We have embedded the

Middle School Competency Project and the Culminating

Exhibition in

our day-to-day work.

We have improved

nutrition standards

for students.

We have hired more than

1,432 excellent new staff

members.

We have taught our students how to

give back to the community

that does so much for them.

We all work together

, help one another and remain focused on our goal of helping each

student learn to a high standard and graduate from high school.

We have learned

what can be accomplished by a team

We have accomplished all this together

while regulations have increased, discretionary funds have

decreased, and our student population has grown and become more diverse. For example: In 2000 we

served 960 students speaking 34 different languages in our English Language Learner Program while

today we are effectively serving 1,637 students speaking 52 different languages.

It has been an honor

to live and work in a community that supports its children, with families who value

education, and with students who work hard and respect others. It has also been my great pleasure to

have worked closely with seven dedicated members of your board of directors and with an exemplary

leadership team, excellent classified staff and many quality professional educators.

I would like to

thank you for having confidence in my ability

to lead this amazing district and for

giving me the opportunity to work in an organization that is made up of so many dedicated people who

work hard every day doing the world's most important work on behalf of each student. I wish you and

the entire school district community continuing success.

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Ed Petersen

, one of the board's newest members, noted, "The district has strong infrastructure and a passionate focus on

individual student achievement— a legacy of Dr. Whitehead's tenure and her visionary leadership which embraces the new

diversity in our district and progressive ideas for 21

century learning in a global context."

Board members' comments indicate that Whitehead's leadership achievements are on one hand, the basis for their sadness at

her departure, and on the other hand, a source of comfort and a

strong foundation for continued district success

. Cooper

summarized the dual feeling when she said, "The district is fiscally sound, has outstanding teachers and an excellent

administrative team focused on improving student learning. We have a strategic planning process in place that guides the

work of the district and ensures that we will always strive for continuous improvement."

As Everett's Superintendent, Whitehead was named the

Washington State Superintendent of the Year

in 2004. She was

the state president of the Washington Association of School Administrators in 2005 -06. In 2005, the Washington Association of

School Administrators honored her with a second Award of Merit for her work in Everett, the first one having been given to her

in spring 2000 for her work in Bremerton. On Monday, June 30, that same organization is honoring her again with a State

Leadership Award.

In 2001, just one year after she became Everett's Superintendent, the

Everett PTSA Council honored her

with an

Outstanding Educator Award. Three years later, in 2004, the Everett PTSA Council gave her the coveted Lifetime Membership

Award.

In 2006, the National School Public Relations Association honored her community-wide communications plan with the Golden

Achievement Award; that same year the Washington School Public Relations Association recognized her

outreach to

community members

with a Crystal Apple Award.

"I was pleased to have earned those awards and to have represented the district in leadership positions over the years.

However, I have always known each award was less about me and more about this community's support of education. That

support has enabled us to achieve so much for students."

The board will meet at a later time

to determine what steps to take next about the district's leadership position.

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