Board agrees to pilot superintendent-evaluation model after consultant presentation

A retired Ventura Unified superintendent who is consulting with the district presented a proposed superintendent-evaluation model to the Santa Paula Unified School District board, and trustees signaled support to pilot the plan this year.

The presenter outlined core principles — accountability, performance improvement, goal attainment, collaboration and transparency — and proposed aligning the district’s evaluation to the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders. He recommended combining qualitative surveys of board members, administrators and teachers with quantitative metrics tied to board priorities and the LCAP, and outlined a compressed timeline to produce a draft evaluation before May.

Board members asked about how goals would be set and enforced, examples of measurable goals and how the evaluation would connect to LCAP priorities and the budget. “If you tell the superintendent that you want increased student achievement in literacy, he will work with sites to establish appropriate, specific goals,” the presenter said, describing a system that uses school-level targets within an overall district framework.

Trustees voiced support for building a consistent, transparent process that survives turnover. Several members emphasized the need for clear timelines because the superintendent’s contract comes up in July, and asked staff to refine the calendar to avoid surprises. Superintendent Weinstein and staff said they would collect suggested metrics and work with the consultant to distribute surveys to identified stakeholders, compile the results and return a draft evaluation for board review.

The board agreed to move forward with the proposed process and requested the consultant and district staff solicit feedback by email and finalize the draft timeline so the full evaluation cycle can proceed in the spring and early summer.