Board receives draft leadership profile after HYA community engagement for superintendent search

The Seattle School District No. 1 Board of Directors on Wednesday heard a draft leadership profile from HYA, the district's superintendent search firm, after engagement that included in-person and virtual sessions, 29 focus groups, a districtwide survey and language-access supports.

The profile, presented by HYA consultant Makai Ali, condenses input from 3,526 survey respondents and multiple focus groups and identifies top community priorities for the next superintendent, including preparing students for the next grade and college or career readiness, hiring and retaining teachers and administrators, and ensuring safe learning environments.

HYA told the board the community engagement included in-person and virtual sessions, single-language sessions, a public survey and phone and email comments, and that interpretation was provided in American Sign Language and the district's top five spoken languages. "We had 3,526 respondents for nearly 52,000 students," Ali said. HYA reported 29 focus-group sessions and said the engagement was tailored mid-process to reach underrepresented voices.

Why it matters: The leadership profile will serve as the rubric for screening and ranking applicants and will guide interview protocols. Board members and community…