School District Head Announces Changes, Delivers Pep Talk

Public schools must adopt the business philosophy of customer service to survive in a more competitive environment, Spokane Superintendent Gary Livingston told administrators in a back-to-school pep talk.

Livingston said the district faces difficult issues this school year, including accountability, diversity, inclusion of special education students in regular classrooms and dealing with critics of change.

About 170 administrators met Thursday at Cavanaugh’s Inn at the Park. School starts Sept. 1.

Livingston exhorted them to make schools “more inviting” so they “feel like community schools.”

But customer service doesn’t mean the customer is always right, he cautioned.

“Sometimes we will have to say no to a service because we don’t have the resources to provide it.”

He told educators to feel proud.

“We have hung our heads for too long and listened to the critics,” he said, his voice rising. Public schools educate all children whether “the son or daughter of a prostitute or a business leader. We will not sort or select.”

A three-year strategic plan will be presented to the school board in September. The board sought community guidance in meetings, focus groups and a survey last school year, which helped form the plan.

Livingston announced some changes:

The school board may allow schools to seek variances from district policy and employee contracts. A school would have to have a decision-making system that included staff and the public to qualify and the variance must help improve student achievement. The board will begin discussing the idea at a meeting Aug. 24.

Public support would be crucial, Livingston emphasized. Turning to Ferris High Principal Jon Bentz, he joked, “Jon, I don’t know if you decide to quit playing basketball if you’d still be principal and I’d still be superintendent.”

The district may help form a non-profit foundation to raise money for projects the school district can’t afford.

Several district functions have been united in a new department of planning, communication and community outreach. Ned Hammond, formerly planning director, heads the department with the title of assistant to the superintendent.