Superintendent Search
FGSD Announces Dr. Suzanne West As New Superintendent
Forest Grove, OR (May 1, 2024) – Today, the Forest Grove School District (FGSD) board of directors announced that Dr. Suzanne West will become the district’s next superintendent. West will officially start on July 1st. Over the next several weeks, she will begin working with current FGSD staff as she prepares to take over as superintendent. Current superintendent, Dave Parker, is retiring after more than 30 years in education and after six years of service with FGSD.
When asked about her response to being selected to this new position, West remarked, “Diversity in all its forms is an asset, a strength to celebrate and upon which to build. Forest Grove has a history of elevating multilingualism, inclusion, and equity, and it is a privilege to be selected to continue this work as the new superintendent.”
“Suzanne is a strong instructional leader with a focus on equity, a community-builder with a strong, empathetic communication style,” said FGSD School Board Vice-Chair Kristy Kottkey. “Her passion and understanding of the urgency we feel to provide a world-class education for all students and her commitment to knowing our community and working together is key to continuing the momentum we are building.”
Dr. West is an experienced educator with a rich background, including time as the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Director of Elementary Curriculum & Instruction in Salem-Keizer Public Schools. Additionally, she served as the Director of Technology and Innovation in the Sherwood School District. West has also spent time as a teacher, an assistant principal, and principal at the elementary and middle school levels. She earned her Doctorate of Education at University of Oregon, a Master of Arts, Teaching and a Bachelor of Arts, Management and Organizational Leadership from George Fox University.
“So much excites me about the Forest Grove School District. I applied for the role of superintendent because I believe that Forest Grove is a special community with a strong commitment to its schools,” remarked West when asked what she is looking forward to in her new role. “I am eager to visit classrooms, work with my new colleagues and the community to continue the good work already underway, and build on the strengths of the district.”
Selecting the next FGSD superintendent was an exhaustive process supported by the recruitment firm, Human Capital Enterprises. Multiple groups and audiences were involved in the thoughtful and intentional selection and interview process. There were a great deal of highly-qualified candidates, yet the interview team and Board came to a consensus about the selection of Dr. West. Current FGSD Superintendent Dave Parker plans to work closely with Dr. West for the seamless leadership transition over the next several weeks.
The FGSD board of directors plans to host several community-wide “Meet and Greet” opportunities in the near future. Additional information regarding these opportunities will be forthcoming.
May 1, 2024
You can also watch the meeting via the FGSD YouTube channel.
April 10, 2024
Dear FGSD Families,
The Forest Grove School District Board of Education met in executive session on April 4-5, 2024, with Human Capital Enterprises consultants, to interview semi-finalists for superintendent of schools. Five semifinalists had been selected for first-round interviews from the thirty applicants for the position. As previously announced, applicant names would not be disclosed publicly.
The Board advanced three finalists to interview with a representative confidential community and staff panel held on April 9, 2024. This confidential panel provided feedback to the Board regarding the finalists. The Board determined the composition of the panel, which was facilitated by our search consultants, Human Capital Enterprises. It included:
- Three parents selected by lottery, making sure to include Latinx parent voice
- A licensed staff member selected by FGEA
- A licensed staff member selected by lottery
- A classified employee selected by OSEA
- A classified or confidential employee by lottery
- One elementary and one secondary building administrator, selected by lottery
- Two cabinet members, appointed by the Board (CFO and Technology Manager)
- Student representative to the Board of Directors
The Board is scheduled to interview finalists in executive session on April 19-20, 2024. The FGSD Board of Education will receive a third-party conducted comprehensive background check on each finalist.
The Board anticipates acting on the sole finalist contract and appointment in an open Special Board Meeting to be scheduled by May 1. At that time, the district will make a public announcement naming the next Superintendent of Forest Grove School District.
Thank you,
Valyrie Ingram
School Board Chair
March 18, 2024
Dear FGSD Families,
The Forest Grove School District Board of Directors met in executive session on March 15, 2024, with Human Capital Enterprises consultants, to review thirty applications for superintendent of schools. As previously announced, applicant names will not be disclosed publicly.
The Board advanced five applicants for 1st round interviews scheduled on April 4-5, 2024. The Board will conduct those interviews in executive session. The Board expects to advance finalists upon the conclusion of those interviews.
Finalists are scheduled to interview with a representative confidential community and staff panel on April 9, 2024.
Subsequently, the Board will interview finalists in executive session on April 18-19, 2024.
The Board anticipates acting on the sole finalist contract and appointment in an open Special Board Meeting to be scheduled by May 1. At that time, the district will make a public announcement naming the next Superintendent of Forest Grove School District.
Thank you,
Valyrie Ingram
School Board Chair
March 7, 2024
Dear FGSD Families and Staff,
On February 28th, a message was shared regarding the latest update for the Superintendent Search Process. Below you will find the information that was shared in that message regarding the Community Engagement Interview Panel.
As a reminder, if you are interested in participating on the panel in one of the lottery-selected positions, please complete this form before tomorrow (March 8, 2024) at 12:00 noon. You must be available to participate all day (8:00am to 5:00pm) in virtual interviews with candidates on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Those selected by lottery will be notified on Monday, March 11, 2024.
A group of 12 stakeholders, the Staff and Community Engagement Interview Panel, will interview the finalists on April 9, 2024. This confidential panel will provide feedback to the Board regarding the finalists. The Board has determined the composition of the panel, which will be facilitated by our search consultants, Human Capital Enterprises. It will include:
-
- Three parents selected by lottery, making sure to include Latinx parent voice
- A licensed staff member selected by FGEA
- A licensed staff member selected by lottery
- A classified employee selected by OSEA
- A classified or confidential employee by lottery
- One elementary and one secondary building administrator, selected by lottery
- Two cabinet members, appointed by the Board (CFO and Technology Manager)
- Student representative to the Board of Directors
Thank you!
Valyrie Ingram
Board Chair
February 28, 2024
Greetings, Forest Grove School District Community,
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to share a quick progress update on the search for our next Superintendent.
The recruitment window for applications will close on March 4, 2024. In the following weeks, the Board will review applications, references, and preliminary interview transcripts and will convene on March 15th in executive session to select semi-finalists. They will be invited to interview virtually with the board on April 4th and 5th. From those interviews, the Board will select finalists.
A group of 12 stakeholders, the Staff and Community Engagement Interview Panel, will interview the finalists on April 9, 2024. This confidential panel will provide feedback to the Board regarding the finalists. The Board has determined the composition of the panel, which will be facilitated by our search consultants, Human Capital Enterprises. It will include:
- Three parents selected by lottery, making sure to include Latinx parent voice
- A licensed staff member selected by FGEA
- A licensed staff member selected by lottery
- A classified employee selected by OSEA
- A classified or confidential employee by lottery
- One elementary and one secondary building administrator, selected by lottery
- Two cabinet members, appointed by the Board (CFO and Technology Manager)
- Student representative to the Board of Directors
If you are interested in participating on the panel in one of the lottery-selected positions, please complete this form no later than 12:00 noon, Friday, March 8, 2024. You must be available to participate all day (8:00am to 5:00pm) in virtual interviews with candidates on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Those selected by lottery will be notified on Monday, March 11, 2024. We hope that you’ll consider playing a role in this critical process for Forest Grove School District.
Thank you!
Valyrie Ingram
Board Chair
February 6, 2024
Dear FGSD Families,
The Forest Grove School District School Board acted on the Next Superintendent Ideal Profile: Qualifications and Criteria at a special board meeting on February 5, 2024. The Board met with Human Capital Enterprises (HCE) to review and revise the draft profile which had been prepared by HCE consultants after reviewing input from over 250 stakeholders- students, staff, parents, community leaders, and district patrons. The input was gathered through 1:1 interviews, focus groups, and an on-line community survey. Participants were asked about Forest Grove School District’s strengths, challenges, and personal and professional qualities, attributes, skills, and experiences desired in Forest Grove’s next superintendent of schools. Additional public input was solicited by the Board at its special board meeting prior to action.
The Forest Grove School District Next Superintendent Ideal Profile: Qualifications and Criteria serves to identify the specific criteria that the consultants will use in recruiting outstanding prospects for the position. It also is a key document the Board will use in its deliberations in the selection phase of the search.
The search now enters the recruitment phase. The vacancy is posted at Human Capital Enterprises and on Forest Grove Superintendent Search landing page. Additionally, the job posting will be advertised through the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators (COSA), Washington Association of School Administrators, and released nationally through HCE’s 40,000 listserv subscriber network. The application closes on March 4.
For more information on the search process, please visit the district website.
Thank you,
Valyrie Ingram
School Board Chair
January 18, 2024
Dear FGSD Families/Staff,
We know you’ve been receiving a lot of weather related notifications from the district these past few days. So we apologize for yet another notification. However, this message is not related to the snow/ice/slush outside.
The School Board is continuing the search process for the next superintendent who will lead our district. We need your input as we strive to compile the attributes that best represent what our district and community want to see in our next leader.
Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing this short five question survey. We need your input. Your voices are important to us and will play an integral role in the selection of our next superintendent.
If you are looking to get out of the house after the weather event we just went through, there is an opportunity to talk with one of the facilitators in person on Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 9:00 & 10:30 am at Cornelius Elementary School or 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm at Joseph Gale Elementary School. These sessions will be in Spanish and English and light snacks will be provided. The famous Forest Grove High School Mariachi Band will be performing at Cornelius Elementary School at 10:00 am and the AmeriCorps Team will be conducting a MLK event for kids from 9:00 to noon.
Be safe out there.
Sincerely,
Valyrie Ingram
School Board Chair
January 8, 2024
Dear FGSD Families,
Forest Grove School District is excited to begin its search for our next superintendent. The Forest Grove School Board has partnered with Human Capital Enterprises to lead the search. Over the coming weeks, we invite you to be part of the process! Over the next several weeks, FGSD will be inviting stakeholder input through an online survey. The survey is published in English and Spanish and should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. The survey will close on January 22, 2024.
Forest Grove School District Superintendent Search Community/Staff Survey
Your voices are important to us and will play an integral role in the selection of our next superintendent. We look forward to continuing this work with you.
Sincerely,
Valyrie Ingram
School Board Chair
January 2, 2024
Dear FGSD Families,
Earlier this school year, Superintendent Parker announced that he will be retiring at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Since his announcement we, the school board, have established a process to select the new leader for our district. This decision is extremely important and we take it very seriously. We care deeply about our district and we are committed to finding the right person to become the next leader serving our students, families, staff, and community.
We are also committed to a transparent process to increase awareness and encourage community participation in the superintendent search. This message is an update on what has been put in place so far and what the next steps will be in the process.
The search process is outlined below:
- Planning Phase COMPLETED: Selecting a search firm, finalizing a search timeline, and acting on a recommended search process. The Board finalized the Forest Grove School District Superintendent Search Timeline and Activities at a December 14, 2023, special Board meeting. Additionally, the Board has also committed to regular communication updates regarding the search process.
- Stakeholder Engagement Phase JANUARY 8- JANUARY 22, 2024: Community engagement and feedback activities will gather input to create an ideal leadership profile. This will be finalized by the Board and once acted upon, will serve as our Next Superintendent Criteria. If you are interested in participating in one of these with our HCE consultants, please complete this staff application form or this parent application form no later than January 9th. Participants will be selected through a random lottery, with care to ensure representation across buildings and programs. Additionally, an on-line survey will be launched on January 8th. A separate search update scheduled to be released next week will invite stakeholders to complete this survey.
- Recruiting Phase FEBRUARY 6- MARCH 4, 2024: Human Capital Enterprises will advertise and recruit nationally for candidates that match the approved Next Superintendent Qualifications and Criteria.
- Selection Phase MARCH 15- MAY 1, 2024: This includes interviews with candidates and an extensive review process. In addition to multiple rounds of interviews with the Board, finalist candidates will also be interviewed by a Stakeholder Panel consisting of students, district employees, parents and community leaders. The feedback received from this panel will be reviewed by the Board.
- Transition Phase MAY 2, 2024-JUNE 30, 2024: Introducing the new Superintendent to all areas of our school community. Although the new Superintendent does not officially assume duties until July 1, 2024, we envision on-boarding activities to begin shortly thereafter, including community-wide “meet-and-greet” opportunities.
Visit Forest Grove School District Next Superintendent Search webpage to learn more about the search process details. You can also access this information in multiple languages by accessing translate at the top right hand side the top menu bar.
Please be on the look-out for a community-wide survey seeking input regarding our next superintendent. That survey is set to be released on January 8, 2024. We appreciate your feedback and active participation in this process. Your voices are important to us and will play a vital role in the selection of our next superintendent. We look forward to continuing this work with you.
Sincerely,
Valyrie Ingram
School Board Chair
December 20, 2023
FAQ