Simi Schools Hope to Have a New Chief Soon

Trustees of the county’s largest school district are winding up their latest search for a superintendent and hoping to fill the job before classes begin in the fall.

Simi Valley Unified School District officials said they have received 23 applications, most from California candidates with strong backgrounds in school administration. Others from the East Coast, Midwest and other western states have also applied.

“It’s definitely encouraging to have this many applicants,” school board President Janice DiFatta said.

High turnover among Simi Valley superintendents in recent years has made it more difficult for recruiters to fill the position this time, said Marge Peterson, director of executive searches for the California School Boards Assn., which is helping the district in its search.

“We’ve been working very hard, and this hasn’t been the easiest search,” she said. “I’m sure the past has been a factor, and superintendents are going to look at that before making a decision,” Peterson said.

“But that’s certainly not the only factor. . . . There are a lot of different things potential candidates look at before deciding to apply.”

The district’s search kicked into high gear after the application deadline last week.

On Monday, a screening committee recommended a handful of candidates to the board, and trustees will spend the next two weeks reviewing the applications of all 23 candidates before inviting finalists in for interviews. A decision is likely by mid-July.

Officials say they are looking for a superintendent who has the necessary professionalism and experience to lead a district with more than 19,000 students in 20 elementary, three middle and two senior high schools, along with one magnet school and one continuation school.

They also want a schools chief who will bring stability to a district that has been led by eight people--including three interim superintendents--in as many years. The current interim chief is Pepperdine University professor Kenneth Moffett.

The district has been without a permanent superintendent since the school board forced Dan Flynn to resign in February after he was on the job for only three months.

DiFatta said she believes turnover hasn’t hampered the district’s ability to attract candidates, but it will be a key factor in choosing a replacement for Flynn, she said.

She hopes the finalist would view Simi Valley as a place to stay, rather than a springboard to advance a career.

“My sense is that the board wants someone who will be here awhile and can bring us the kind of stability we’ve lacked in the past,” she said. “It’s hard to move forward when you’re always having to bring someone up to speed.”

Though she added that the tumult in the district’s top job hasn’t kept the district from meeting the area’s educational needs, DiFatta said it has created a rift between the district and school administrators.

The board also wants someone with a demonstrated capacity to lead and an understanding of technology’s increasing importance in the classroom.

In addition, the individual must be able to build trust between the district and community and have a healthy sense of humor.

“That seemed to be important for everybody,” DiFatta said.