Trustees Fail to Pick Interim Schools Chief

Nearly two weeks after placing Supt. Tate Parker on administrative leave, school trustees have not yet picked a temporary replacement to guide their troubled district.

Trustees discussed the search for an interim superintendent for the Simi Valley Unified School District during a nearly three-hour closed session Monday, but did not reach a decision.

Since trustees placed Parker on leave for reasons they won’t dis cuss publicly, the district has relied on Assistant Supt. Susan Parks to run day-to-day operations. But Parks has already committed to a job as superintendent of the Baldwin Park school district, with plans to start in her new post July 1. Thursday will be her last day with the Simi district.

Despite Parks’ impending departure, board of trustees President Norm Walker said the district should not rush into selecting a replacement. With a committed staff of administrators in place, Walker said, the district could run for several weeks without an interim superintendent.

“We don’t want to do that,” he said. “Nor do we want to act so quickly that we don’t select the best interim superintendent.”

The board talked with one potential candidate Monday night, Walker said, and trustees are considering others. Walker said the board was not yet ready to identify any of the candidates.

Trustees took no action Monday night on deciding what to do about Parker’s contract. The employment agreement states that the district must pay Parker $162,000--about 18 months of his salary--if the board and the superintendent mutually agree to break the contract.

The district can also fire Parker, but must demonstrate “just cause” to do so.