Three finalists selected in Superintendent search

Three finalists have been named in the search for a new superintendent of Haxtun Schools. Following a closed-door, executive session last week, the Haxtun Board of Education released the names of three finalists who will now take part in a school visit, interview and community meet and greet, all slated to take place April 8 and 9.

John Weigel, Marsha Cody and Dustin Seger were among 24 applicants who applied for the position. Those 24 applicants were then narrowed down to seven by McPherson & Jacobson, LLC, the executive recruitment and development firm hired to aid in the search of a new superintendent by the Haxtun School District.

In the executive session last week, school board members combed through those seven applications, watched prepared video introductions from each candidate and ultimately picked their top candidates as finalists. Video introductions also included each candidate’s answers to several prepared questions from members of the Board of Education.

Each candidate is now scheduled for a 90-minute interview with the Board of Education, which will take place over a two-day period on April 8 and 9. Interviews will be at the local BOCES office to allow for social-distancing and will be live-streamed via the Haxtun School District YouTube channel for viewing by the public.

Seger will be interviewed on Thursday, April 8 from 3:30-5 p.m. Weigel will have his interview with the Board on the same day, from 5:30-7 p.m. Cody is scheduled for her interview on Friday, April 9 from 3-4:30 p.m.

Throughout those two days, each candidate will also have a two-hour schedule to meet with administration, staff and students at the school and for a school tour.

Meet and greet

A community meet and greet is slated for Friday, April 9 at the Haxtun Community Center from 5-7 p.m. During this time, each candidate will have time to provide an introduction and share some key points and there will be time for candidates to meet one-on-one or in small groups with community members.

About the candidates

Weigel attended Black Hills State University where he earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in elementary/special education. He later returned to Black Hills State University, earning his Master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. In 2010, Weigel earned his specialist degree in educational leadership/superintendent at Chadron State College.

Weigel is currently an Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources with Laramie County School District in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Cody attended Adams State University, earning her Bachelor’s of Arts in elementary education with an emphasis in science. She went on to attend Walden University where she earned her Master’s in elementary reading and mathematics. In 2011, Cody obtained her K-12 principal licensure from Adams State University. She also holds a specialty degree in educational leadership.

Cody currently works at the Alamosa School District where she is the Interim Superintendent.

Seger attended Northeastern Junior College where he obtained his Associates Degree in history/government before attending Adams State College where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in history/government. He later went on to earn his Master’s of Arts at the University of Northern Colorado in educational leadership.

He currently serves as the Superintendent of Peetz Plateau School District.

Included in each candidates’ application packet for the Superintendent positions is brief narrative as part of their cover letters. Below is a copy of each candidate’s self-written narrative, including backgrounds and interest in the open position at Haxtun.

John Weigel

I am a lifetime educator and leader including 10 years of teaching and coaching experience and 23 years of successful school and district administrative experience.

In my current position as Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources with LCSD #1, I oversee the daily operations of payroll, benefits, hiring, evaluations and ensures the district is following the negotiated agreements for all units. Hard work, organizational skills and the ability to build positive relationships with all staff has served me well in my current position. I am a great listener and strategic thinker, which has helped me find solutions to issues that have been present in the district for a long time. I have developed a positive reputation throughout the district with staff and stakeholders. I have been able to improve the effectiveness and efficiency within the human resources department with hard work and collaboration. This has happened because of my team approach and problem-solving strategies which allow all staff to have a say in the decision-making process.

In my past positions as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction and Accountability, I have been able to strategically implement instructional strategies and high leverage practices with proven results. With a team of very dedicated professionals within Albany County School District #1, we were able to put improvement plans together that increased the overall accountability score of a Title 1 school, Velma Linford Elementary, from a not meeting expectations school to an exceeding expectations school. During this same time frame I was able to work directly with another principal, Heather Moro, from Slade Elementary School, which was awarded the Blue-Ribbon status this year for outstanding achievement and growth scores in reading, math and science.

My experience in the human resource arena and leading, teaching and learning departments for nine years at the district level gives me the foundation to lead Haxtun County School District RE-2J in a positive and productive manner to improve student engagement, equity, collaboration and overall academic achievement K-12. I am ready for a new challenge and know my district level experience will be an asset to the students, staff and the community if given the opportunity to lead Haxtun County School District RE-2J. Thanks for your consideration of my application and I look forward to the possibility of sharing more about my experiences and leadership attributes with all of you and the Haxtun community members. I would be available to start on July 1.

The state of Wyoming consists of rural schools between long windy highways. I have 33 years of educational experience as a coach, teacher, building principal and district leader in the areas of instruction and human resources. Although I have spent most of my career in the Wyoming education system, I have a connection to Eastern Colorado also. I was born in Sterling and both of my grandparents owned farms in Crook. They both retired in Sterling and I still have aunts, uncles and cousins throughout this area. I am familiar with the agriculture surrounding Haxtun and would truly enjoy working in this rural environment. I enjoy watching and supporting student athletes and activity participants on the playing field or within any extra-curricular environment. I still feel that sense of pride when I hear students recite the FFA Creed. The highlight of my day if selected as your next Superintendent would be visiting classrooms and interacting with students at all levels. I would view the attendance at extra-curriculum events as a must but something I would enjoy very much. I think the connections that can be made reviewing a performance or game with a student is a nice gateway to a professional relationship with them. As a steward of state and local funds, I am very conservative financially and have been frugal reviewing and approving financial purchase orders and expenditures. The key is to spend funds wisely to ensure their biggest impact on student learning and overall success as an adult. I am a very quick learner and will study and do what is necessary to fully understand the Colorado education system to support school districts and students. I have worked with and alongside two outstanding principals who had the honor of becoming "Blue Ribbon Schools" for the State of Wyoming. I am a strong instructional leader with experience implementing high leverage practices so students can be successful using the Professional Learning Communities framework to collaborate and problem solve instructional strategies so all students can learn at high levels. I am a great listener and love the challenge of leading adults toward a common goal and vision. I treat everyone with dignity and respect from our classified staff up to our superintendent. Everyone has an important role within a school system and everyone is responsible for student success. I have a unique skill set that I enjoy putting together step by step plans collaboratively with others to meet or exceed expected outcomes within a strategic plan or goals from the school board. I have a positive personality and great work ethic that has served me well in my past leadership experiences. My diverse background of education and experiences gives me the knowledge and skills to relate to all staff members from the elementary grades up into the secondary content areas. I also have a deep understanding of special education laws and requirements. My biggest attribute is caring for others and the ability to develop and maintain positive, professional relationships with students, staff and stakeholders. I am very competitive and a seasoned professional who will build positive relationships first then collaboratively put improvement plans in place while valuing local traditions and previous work.

Marsha Cody

Haxtun is an ideal place to live and work. As a young child, I lived on a small farm in southeastern Kansas. When I was 10 years old, my family moved to rural Colorado where I have lived since. Although I spent every summer from age 10 to 16 in Paxton, Neb. where my sister and her family farmed. Currently, my parents, sister and her family live about an hour from Haxtun in Ogallala, Neb.

Over the past year, I have successfully led Alamosa School District as interim superintendent through one of its most difficult times in history both because of the pandemic and because of personnel changes.

Since 2013, I have worked in a leadership role in education in districts throughout the United States as a consultant for WestEd. Prior to becoming the Interim Superintendent, I served as the assistant superintendent since December 2018.

During this school year, I have worked to correct our district’s financial system and conducted a personal audit of our district’s policies and recommended changes in policies and practices to align to current legal requirements. Throughout the past two and half years, I have worked to reform special education practices and requirements, English language learner strategies, graduation requirements, developed and led a social emotional and trauma-informed focus, collaborated on a technology master plan and helped to lead the district to becoming a one-to-one device district and supported and led the adoption of curriculum resources and assessments aligned to the Colorado Academic Standards.

Throughout my career I have exhibited the importance of collaboration, communication, innovation and research. My focus is on meeting the needs of all students and showing value to all stakeholders.

I am a transparent leader and excellent communicator and I look forward to the opportunity to continue the work we started this school year.

Haxtun School District deserves an excellent leader, visionary, strong communicator, with a deep knowledge of education. I believe I embody all of those characteristics. As a leader, I am not afraid to have courageous conversations and make difficult decisions. I value different perspectives and remain in a stance of humility and inquiry. My desire is to be a person of the highest integrity, ethics and honesty. I believe in and implement distributed and shared leadership and develop other leaders. My greatest desire is to make the Haxtun community one that works well together, continuously pursues excellence and values all. I want to build on the great things that are currently in place.

Throughout the past year, I have engaged in deep learning and experience with Colorado school finance and law. I have revised the district’s budget, met with directors to review and revise department budgets and aligned policies and practices to federal and state fiscal requirements. In addition, I have addressed a variety of legal concerns and am well versed in requirements for the Office of Civil Rights, Title IX, equal employment opportunities, Title VII, school attendance law, school discipline, hiring and termination, evaluations, school safety and finance.

Although I have been told multiple times that communication is a strength, improving in my ability to communicate and to develop a culturally responsive bilateral communication system is a key goal of mine. I am extremely open to feedback, varied perspectives and invite the voice of students, staff, families and the community. I am a bridge builder and look to find solutions to working together and address concerns. Another goal I have is to be very visible to students, staff, families and the community. Although it has been more difficult to be in schools and attend activities this year, I continue to be in schools and present at meetings and activities. I love being involved, hands-on and engaged with our students, staff and community.

I am solution-oriented, innovative and have a vision for the future. I believe in action research, which includes working with stakeholders to develop a plan aligned to evidence-based practices and requirements, supporting the implementation of the plan including building capacity, managing change, reseassing by getting the voice of staff, students, families and the community, refining with stakeholders and implementing changes based on evidence and lessons learned. As assistant superintendent I led a team of staff and community leaders in the development of a Social Emotional Learning Trauma-Informed Care Master Plan which includes PBIS. Over the past two years we have implemented PBIS in all schools and have provided staff with training from the University of Alabama.

Currently, I hold a K-12 principal license and have passed my superintendent’s exam. I will have my superintendent’s license by the start of the 2021-2022 school year. Throughout the past 10 years, I have worked with superintendents, assistant superintendents, CEOs, principals, assistant principals, directors and teachers throughout the country to implement and manage systems change. I am extremely tech savvy and continue to learn the latest technology. Connected to my deep knowledge of leadership, school systems, latest educational research, federal and state requirements is a vast knowledge of curriculum, instruction and assessment. I have worked with various districts to write curriculum, develop assessment systems and improve instruction.

As a superintendent my goal will be to continuously learn with the school Board and provide ways to continuously improve the effectiveness of our governance system. I want to develop trust and transparency between our governing board, our staff and our community. Together we can do great things!

Dustin Seger

I am currently serving as the Superintendent at Peetz Plateau School District RE5. Through my administration experience and college education, I have learned the necessary skills to be a successful superintendent and educational leader.

The opportunity to lead and inspire students, staff and community within your institution is an exciting prospect that I feel qualified for and fully able to undertake. Providing quality academic leadership is a priority in education. In my career, I have demonstrated the ability to bring a partnership with the school and community to provide a well-rounded educational experience for all children. This is an important part of the educational process when producing not only good students but successful and productive citizens for the future.

My goal is to combine my range of experience with my ability to be a compassionate, enthusiastic, fair superintendent, all while being part of a successful growing and inspirational learning environment for all students. I am seeking a career that will allow me to continue working with people in many different ways and will make a positive contribution to your school.

As a long-time member of this community I know and understand the pride that is Haxtun and I would continue the great legacy that has been embedded in this wonderful, supportive, caring community. It would be my great pleasure to build strong partnerships between the school and the communities it encompasses. I understand that living in and participating in the community is the best way to build support and I feel I would be a huge asset in that position.

I am a Haxtun native and education in rural Colorado has been my career’s passion. I understand the central nature of a school in a small town and I value how small communities support education. As an administrator and educator, I have found that building relationships with students and parents is the best way to forge the amazing partnerships required to pursue continuous improvement.

I choose small schools because they provide the best opportunities not only for me but my family as well. I want to live in a small, thriving community. As superintendent, I work tirelessly to create and promote the small-town values that make us productive members of the larger society. I believe in humanity, and that there may be no greater honor than to help future generations become the leaders and influencers of tomorrow.

As with any life choice, there are challenges that we must face head-on. The needs in a small school are different than that of larger districts. I understand constrained budgets and the budgeting process. I have successfully maintained healthy reserves by both suggestings and being open to creative suggestions for stretching funds. I’ve made and owned the most difficult decisions when it was necessary to do so, taking into account the entire community, including staff and students.

Communication isn’t a buzzword, it’s the way that we let each other know about our needs. Through collaboration, we can find the best ways to meet the growing needs of our students, in an ever-changing world. The community is a fantastic source of ideas and it’s important to resist being rigid when listening to the ideas of others. I have always allowed myself to maintain flexibility, so that I could adapt as needed when a better path is presented. And, I believe in transparency. When I make a decision, I am very open with staff, the board, and the communities I serve.

Producing graduates that are prepared to attend college, enter the workforce or begin their own entrepreneurial adventure is something that brings me great joy. I appreciate the challenge of deciphering data, using it to determine where students are, and identifying areas where we need to improve. Making a student's academic journey both potent and positive is what I’m most passionate about. I am a firm believer in the process of educating the whole student and I recognize that success for each individual is defined in a very personal way. Not every student needs to attend college, or a trade school. And yet, every student needs to be successful. Finding opportunities to visit, apprentice and learn about a career is a noble thing to do and educators must support students as they move toward that chapter in their lives. We must always adapt in order to find new ways to challenge students to be their best and then to equip them with the necessary tools to be successful. As a parent and an educator, I understand the honor that parents have given us in educating their child, who is collectively our greatest asset.

As an educational leader, I am an active member of the community and district. I work hard to understand the pulse of the students, staff and community. I believe in hard work and working with others to solve problems. When making decisions, I believe in including the right people. If we are addressing the dress code, we should include a student focus group. If we are exploring a new curriculum, we should include staff groups. And if we are working through community issues, we should include community groups. I have always been an administrator with an open door policy, the only way to be successful is to be available to those I serve.

I find that attending curricular and extracurricular events is one of the best ways to help students know you care about them and want to share in their successes and defeats. I work hard to positively influence every school I have been a part of. This is only possible when all aspects of the school are prioritized, both academic and nonacademic. I love visiting classrooms so that I can collaborate with staff and students in their element. This allows me to witness success, and understand needs first hand.

We cannot be stagnant in education. I enjoy being a part of strategic planning with staff, BOE and the community to assure the success of the district. This is specifically true as we deal with recovering from this pandemic. While this has always been a focus for me, I feel we will need to pay particular attention to the social-emotional needs of the staff and students. Caring for the whole student or staff member is very important, everyone deserves to feel safe and secure. Everyone deserves to feel like they belong. A person’s overall health has huge ramifications on how successful they will be and each person’s overall health is affected by an ever-changing, chaotic world. As such, we must never be rigid in how we help people succeed. I am an established recruiter, and I understand the challenges with obtaining and retaining education talent. It is particularly challenging to find talent that shares small-town values. An open dialogue with a promising teacher can go a long way, especially when you are confident that you represent something special. And, I think Haxtun is a pretty special place to be.

I know that we are most successful when we focus on a strong hiring process. I am rigorous when evaluating talent and I try to hire people who are truly the best. Students deserve nothing but the best.

I love being a part of the NE BOCES and the true friendships I have been so fortunate to forge there. Collaborating with other administrators and the BOCES staff has challenged me, and made me stronger. I have especially appreciated participating in the multi-district coops, which have made it fiscally possible to provide students with valuable resources that would otherwise have been unavailable.