East Valley selects interim leader
The East Valley School District Board of Directors selected an interim superintendent Tuesday with 32 years of experience as an educator in Western Washington.
Christine Burgess was offered a one-year contract with the district to fill the position left vacant by Michael Jones, who accepted a superintendent post in Michigan last month.
Burgess, 54, is the assistant superintendent for teaching and learning in the Lake Stevens School District in Snohomish County.
“I love working for public schools. That’s where my heart is,” Burgess said Wednesday. “I’m truly looking forward to working with staff and building administrators and helping them make those tough decisions.”
The school board hired Northwest Leadership Associates in Liberty Lake to conduct the search for an interim superintendent until a permanent hire is made. The search for a permanent leader will begin in August, board member Sue Wentz said.
Burgess was selected from a field of nine candidates, both within and outside the district, for the temporary position.
“I think that she is very well-qualified,” Wentz said. “I think that she will be able to step into the position very seamlessly and take over the tasks.”
Burgess was a special-education teacher in the Riverview School District in Carnation, Wash., for a few years. She then moved to the Marysville (Wash.) School District, where she held various positions including teacher, assistant principal and principal for 21 years. She has been with the 7,000-student Lake Stevens School District for six years.
Burgess said her role for the next year will be to “steady the course” for the 4,000-student East Valley district.
“I’ll keep assisting the school board on some of the positive things they have accomplished,” Burgess said.
She said she hopes to make Spokane her permanent home and possibly stay on as superintendent at East Valley.
Burgess’ husband accepted a job here a year ago with an asset management company, and their only son is a freshman at Eastern Washington University.
Her contract will run from July 1 until June 30, 2006, with a base salary of $110,000.