Pasco board confirms Whitney as future superintendent

The Pasco School Board on Tuesday unanimously affirmed last year’s selection of district administrator Michelle Whitney as its superintendent.

Board members praised Whitney’s performance as a deputy superintendent since classes began this past fall, saying she exceeded expectations and they are thrilled with where the district is heading.

Aaron Richardson, the board’s newest member whose campaign included criticism of how Whitney was chosen, joined in the chorus.

“Ms. Whitney should be evaluated on her merits and accomplishments,” Richardson said. “I have to admit, she’s done a great job.”

The board’s decision didn’t include acceptance of Whitney’s contract as superintendent. Board President Scott Lehrman said the document is still being drafted and would be brought to the board for consideration in the next month or two. Whitney and the board also are working on what her duties will look like in the final months of the school year before Superintendent Saundra Hill retires.

Whitney told the Herald that she went into education because she wanted to be important in the lives of the kids in her hometown.

“To be able to actualize my dream from that chair is a dream come true,” she said.

Whitney has deep family ties to Pasco. She’s only ever taught in the district, starting as a kindergarten teacher about 20 years ago, going on to become a school principal and then a district administrator. She’s expected to wrap up her work on a superintendent’s credential at Washington State University Tri-Cities this spring.

Some in the community criticized the district’s two-month recruiting process that led to Whitney’s selection last spring, saying she wasn’t as qualified as other top applicants and that her position as an insider made her selection a foregone conclusion. She beat out candidates from around the state and nation for the job. Board members have denied having bias in their choice.

But her contract as Hill’s successor was conditional, requiring her to work as a deputy superintendent for a year, shadowing Hill and eventually taking on more duties as the board evaluated her ahead of a final confirmation.

Lehrman said ahead of the decision that he was pleased with Whitney’s performance, adding Tuesday night that he had “great confidence in her ability to lead us into the future.”

Board member Amy Phillips said she was impressed with Whitney in interviews as she raised concerns about issues that Phillips said she also had in the district and “was willing to work toward those changes.”

Board member Steve Christensen said it’s still on the board to direct the district, but when it came to Whitney’s appointment, he “didn’t have any reservation then that (the board) didn’t make the right decision and (he) didn’t today.”

The last year was turbulent, Richardson said, referencing the superintendent search and the teachers strike that delayed the start of the school year by about two weeks. And he can relate to those who were bitter about how things were done and the lack of transparency. But things are changing for the better.

“Anyone who’s having a hard time or hard feelings, let’s move forward,” Richardson said.

Whitney said she was pleased the whole board was happy with her work but acknowledged that Richardson’s comments were validating.

“It means a lot when people have seen things from two perspectives and can move forward,” she said.

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 10:06 PM with the headline "Pasco board confirms Whitney as future superintendent."