School search down to three

Amid lengthly and sometimes spirited discussions on Saturday evening, March 24, the committee charged with finding a new school superintendent for Sisters narrowed the field to three final candidates.

"It has been a very positive process with a high level of commitment by both the board and the search committee members who stayed with it all the way through the first round of interviews, and the result is an excellent group of finalists," said Betsy Miller-Jones, the Oregon School Boards Association consultant who was hired by the Sisters school board to oversee the search.

All three candidates hail from either Oregon or Washington and are familiar with the Pacific Northwest culture and concerns. After discussions were completed and a consensus was gained, the three finalists emerged. Miller-Jones believes that all are superbly qualified for the position in Sisters. "I think that the potential is there for a really excellent fit," said Miller-Jones.

The only woman to make the final list is Elaine Drakulich, the assistant superintendent for the North Clackamas School District in Milwaukie. She holds a Doctorate in Education and brings a broad spectrum of experience to the table that ranges from teaching through various administrative positions in the educational system.

Also from Oregon is Andy Sommer, who is currently the principal of Wilsonville High School in Wilsonville. He has a Masters Degree in Education and Language Arts and has experience in teaching and administration and, additionally, has experience as a program director in the educational private sector.

Dennis Friedrich is the lone candidate from outside of Oregon. He is currently the superintendent of the Rainier School District in Rainier, Washington. He has a Doctorate in Education and experience in both teaching and administration.

The next step in the evaluation process is site visits where representatives from the Sisters School District travel to the city and school district where each candidate presently works. These visits will hopefully provide a broader view of the three individuals in their home environments and perhaps some insights as to how each might relate to the educational system that would surround them in Sisters.

The site visits are being organized by board member and logistics coordinator Glen Lasken and should be conducted during the next two weeks. The representatives of the Sisters School District who will be conducting the visits are school board members Lasken and Jeff Smith. They will be accompanied by Don Hedrick, a retiree from Sisters who has served as a member of the screening committee. Hedrick is a veteran educator who served as a school principal for many years.

After the site visits, the three candidates will visit Sisters schools, meet the public, undergo a final interview and be entertained by board members. The tentative dates for this event are April 10 or 11.

Board members will provide a format for the public to submit input about each candidate, as it is the board's intent to lean heavily on community opinion in forming its final decision.

The board can offer a contract to one candidate without telling the other two that they are "on hold" until the person makes a decision. The name of the district's new superintendent will not be made public until a contract is signed.