Superintendent Jose Banda Welcome to Sacramento, Don't Mind the Bee Bashing (they were hoping for another Broadie)
What others say about Superintendent Jose Banda:
Next Seattle schools chief Banda: Building trust at top of to-do list
The Seattle School Board's unanimous selection of José Banda as the next district superintendent came after 3-1/2 hours of closed-door deliberations Sunday night, officials said. The choice is expected to be formalized at a public meeting Wednesday.
Seattle Times staff reporters
BETTINA HANSEN / THE SEATTLE TIMES
José Banda, who currently heads an elementary-only district in Anaheim, Calif., is the Seattle School Board's choice as superintendent. Two other candidates for the superintendent's job removed their names from consideration.
José Banda
Age: 55
Experience: 30 years in education. Now superintendent of Anaheim City School District (about 20,000 students); previously deputy superintendent of Oceanside (Calif.) Unified School District and superintendent of Planada Elementary School District, also in California.
Education: Master's degree in educational leadership from Chapman University in Orange County; bachelor's degree from California State University, Bakersfield
Family: Divorced, with two adult children
Timeline: The long search for Seattle's next superintendent
Click on the image above to explore a timeline of Seattle's recent superintendents.
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The man tapped as the next leader of Seattle's public schools said Monday he plans to spend his first year on the job getting to know the city without making major changes.
José Banda, 55, superintendent of the Anaheim (Calif.) City School District, said his top priority will be to build a foundation of trust between administrators, employees and parents.
"Then, we can move mountains," he said.
The Seattle School Board's unanimous selection of Banda came after 3 ½ hours of closed-door deliberations Sunday night, officials said. The choice is expected to be formalized at a public meeting Wednesday.
In choosing Banda over the only remaining finalist, Sandra Husk, board members opted for a low-key leader with a reputation for relationship-building. Board members said they chose him because they believe he can unite the community behind a collaborative approach that encourages parent involvement and emphasizes the importance of working in concert with the board.
"I think in Seattle, we can use both a strong superintendent and a strong board," School Board member Marty McLaren said. "I think we need that team. And that was one of the hallmarks of José Banda's approach. That he considers us a team."
The move to Seattle would represent a significant step up for Banda, who now runs an elementary-only school district with about 20,000 students, less than half the size of Seattle Public Schools.
Here, he would lead a district dealing with budget cuts, overcrowding and a stark gap between the academic performance of wealthy and poor students. His first challenges would include hiring several new senior staffers, rallying support for more than $1 billion in ballot measures, and restoring confidence after a financial scandal led to last year's firing of Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson.
Fifth chief in decade
Banda would start July 1, the day after interim Superintendent Susan Enfield leaves for the Highline School District. He would become the fifth Seattle schools chief in the past decade.
While some community members said they look forward to Banda's engaging style, others wonder if his experience adequately prepares him to head this state's largest school district, with about 48,500 students.
"I think we are setting Mr. Banda up to fail," said Heidi Bennett, regional legislative chair for the state PTA.
Banda said those who criticize him as lacking broad experience are not considering his work as a high-school principal and deputy superintendent in a K-12 district.
He said he has a "strong resolve."
"When things need to be done," he said, "I'm going to make sure it's done."
McLaren called Banda a calm leader who can create trust and continue the district's gains in test scores and enrollment.
She said there were concerns that Husk, schools chief in Oregon's Salem-Keizer district, would come in with a more set agenda and be less collaborative.
But some Seattle parents and community leaders said Husk would have been the more dynamic leader, better suited to bring dramatic change to a district in need of it.
Husk announced Monday morning — after the Seattle School Board chose Banda but before that decision was announced publicly — that she was taking herself out of consideration for the job, citing "competing approaches" on the School Board.
Husk declined to elaborate, but the most contentious fights since the new board took office have centered on how much power members should have in seeking change.
Board member Harium Martin-Morris said those disagreements are lessening but still exist. Members entered Sunday's session with different viewpoints but eventually came to consensus, he said.
Paul Hill, founder of the University of Washington's Center on Reinventing Public Education, said the board's decision indicates a majority of members wanted to have more control.
With Banda, Hill said, "basically all board members can assume that they can sway him and control policy."
"You don't normally get anything dramatic or anything that really changes the level of performance from a middle-of-the-road, don't-rock-the-boat approach," Hill added. "But, on the other hand, you might get some peace."
"Rising superstar"
Banda was informed of the board's decision in a Sunday night call from board President Michael DeBell.
As Banda picked up the phone, his 24-year-old daughter, Maritza, was there, watching her dad for a signal. He looked at her and nodded. She then went running into another room.
"She probably did a little yelling and dancing," Banda said. "She was very excited."
Banda said he is, too.
"I look forward to coming to Seattle," he said, "rolling up my sleeves and working with the board, the staff and the community to effect the change they want to happen."
He said he would first reach out to senior employees in the district.
"They know my background, but that's not enough," he said.
That background includes 30 years in education, first as a teacher and then as a principal and superintendent.
His experience in school leadership includes a superintendency in the tiny Planada (Calif.) Elementary School District and a deputy superintendent job in the Oceanside (Calif.) Unified School District.
He has spent four years in Anaheim. In that time, test scores have risen and the district won voter approval of a large bond measure in the middle of a recession.
Seattle School Board member Sharon Peaslee called Banda a "rising superstar."
"This is a very, very special person," Peaslee said in a Monday news conference announcing the board's decision. "He's calm, respectful and effective."
Conflicted community
But some in Seattle aren't so sure.
Some parents and groups working to shake up public education said they preferred the more forceful style of Husk.
Anne Martens, spokeswoman for the local chapter of Stand for Children, a national advocacy organization, said the group was disappointed the board didn't select Husk but looks forward to working with Banda. .
Loretta Scott, whose grandchildren attend Bryant Elementary School, said she was shocked.
"Are they nuts?" she asked.
But Jonathan Knapp, president-elect of the Seattle teachers union, said Banda has the experience to do the job.
"He has worked his way up," Knapp said. "He's not a newbie. He has 30 years in education under his belt."
Some parents also were more optimistic. Several said they are hopeful that Banda can unite the city.
Others, including Andrea Baumgarten, executive vice president of the of Seattle Council PTSA, said they are encouraged by what they hear of Banda's ability to engage parents.
But Bob Watt, a former Seattle deputy mayor, said the city will have to wait to see how its next superintendent leads.
"Let's be real here — we're all just speculating," Watt said. "Really, only time will tell. But we'll all be watching closely. Because it really matters."
Brian M. Rosenthal: 206-464-3195
On Twitter @brianmrosenthal
Information in this article, originally published April 30, 2012 was corrected May 1, 2012. A previous version of this story mischaracterized the statement of Anne Martens, spokeswoman for the local chapter of Stand for Children. The group is disappointed that Sandra Husk was not chosen, but is not disappointed in the board's choice of José Banda.
With strike averted, Seattle schools start on schedule
Parents, students and teachers in Seattle may not have known until about 8 last night whether school would start today, but classes seemed to get under way without a hitch across the city — including at Muir Elementary, where Superintendent Jose Banda visited, talking a little about the contract vote but more about a new art…
José L. Banda
Superintendent
José L. Banda leads Washington state’s largest K-12 school district, with 8,000 employees and more than 51,000 students.
Since Mr. Banda became Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools in July 2012, he has focused on bringing equity, access and opportunities to every student in the District. Under his leadership, the District created a new five-year strategic plan called “Every Student. Every Classroom. Every Day.” The plan was created with extensive community engagement, including a 70-person task force.
During his first year as Superintendent, Seattle voters overwhelmingly approved an operations levy and a capital levy – totaling more than $1 billion - to help build and remodel schools to meet the continued growth of the District.
In addition, Mr. Banda has focused on creating strong community partnerships with families, nonprofits and the business community.
Before coming to Seattle, Mr. Banda spent the previous four years as Superintendent of the 20,000-student Anaheim City School District.
During this time, the District saw increased student achievement for all students, including English Language Learners. In addition, the District narrowed the achievement gap and 19 of 24 schools met their school-wide Academic Performance Index (API).
Under Mr. Banda’s direction, the District created a focused approach to instruction, assessment and interventions, while at the same time maintained fiscal solvency during one of the worst economic crises in the state’s history.
Mr. Banda also developed strong relationships with the business community, city government and service organizations, as evidenced by an innovative math partnership with the MIND Institute and the successful passage of a $170 million construction bond in 2010.
Mr. Banda spent 13 years as a secondary administrator, including eight years as a high school principal before becoming the Superintendent of the Planada School District from 2002-2005.
Before Anaheim, Mr. Banda was the Deputy Superintendent at Oceanside Unified School District. He has also served as a high school counselor, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources and board member for Salida Union School District. He brings over 30 years of experience in the field of education.
Mr. Banda is fluent in Spanish and holds a Bachelor of Arts from California State University in Bakersfield and a master’s in Educational Leadership from Chapman University.
7-19-14 Seattle Schools Community Forum Week
Seattle Schools Community Forum:Seattle Schools Community ForumSeattle School Board Appoints Larry Nyland as Interim SuperThe Board seems in agreement of the appointment of Dr. Larry Nyland, former superintendent in Marysville (and a former Superintendent of the Year) to be the interim superintendent. More to come. Board seems enthused.Updates:- Carr and Martin-Morris were out-of-town but were on
Jose Banda
So far, an interesting person. Here's a link to a YouTube video when Anaheim was named District of the Year by a math company MIND (that uses visual learning tools).
Other items to note:
Other items to note:
- He was a finalist to be the in Broad Superintendent Academy in 2010 but either didn't go or didn't get selected.
- 24 schools in Anaheim (now the 10th largest city in California and home of Disneyland), 15 of them been modernized or newly constructed. He's been through capital bond/levy measures.
- It appears that some of their schools are year-round schools.
- Results from the 2011 California Standards Test (CST) showed that overall student performance in the district made significant gains, translating into large increases on the Academic Performance Index (API). The overall District API is 773, just 27 points shy of the state’s benchmark of 800. Several schools individually met that mark including Clara Barton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Benito Juarez and Alexander J. Stoddard. In addition, 19 of 23 schools met their schoolwide API target in 2011 compared to 14 of 24 in 2010. Compared to state averages, ACSD’s API growth of 18 points is more than double that of the state.
- Banda in 2010 on RTTT money: "The board and staff articulated agreement in concept with most of the requirements in the (Race to the Top) grant, but the ambiguity in some of those requirements, unknown funding level, unclear exit strategy and rushed timeline made it difficult for approval," Banda said.
José L. Banda became superintendent of Seattle Public Schools (SPS) in July 2012. Fluent in Spanish, he holds a bachelor of arts degree from California State University in Bakersfield and a master’s in educational leadership from Chapman University. SPS serves more than 48,000 students in more than 90 buildings across Seattle’s neighborhoods. Go to k12.wa.us for more information about the district.As superintendent, what do you see as your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge is closing the achievement/opportunity gap while at the same time raising expectations for students meeting or exceeding standards.
While I truly believe it is possible to eliminate the gap, it will not happen without a focused, well-articulated plan for providing a challenging and rigorous curriculum for each and every student.
It will take effective leaders and highly qualified teachers, who are also culturally competent, to meet the needs of our diverse students. Finally, closing the achievement/opportunity gap will also require intentional and strategic partnerships with our diverse families and community partners.
Enrollment in Seattle schools has been increasing. How will the district deal with these rising numbers?
Seattle Public Schools expects an increase of more than 7,000 students in the next 10 years. For the short term, it will be necessary to add portables to certain school sites. School boundaries may be adjusted for the 2014–15 school year to address increasing capacity in certain areas of the district.
The district’s schools vary greatly in student achievement, school facilities and parent involvement. How do you envision improvements in these vital areas?
Two key levies that passed earlier this year will help us address the need for new and remodeled facilities to serve our growing number of students, as well as operations and maintenance of our current buildings citywide.
Closing the achievement gap continues to be a key focus, and implementing Common Core State Standards plays a major role in our efforts. These standards have been adopted by 48 states, including Washington, to provide consistent learning goals in English language arts and math.
In addition, we are putting the finishing touches on updating the district’s strategic plan, which will guide Seattle Public Schools for the next five years.
What would you like to see regarding standardized testing in the schools?
Standardized testing in schools is an important part of today’s educational landscape. We are responsible for ensuring that all students make progress from year to year — and over the course of their K–12 education.
As the new suite of assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards come on board, we believe the assessment system will provide more timely feedback to teachers. Ultimately, we want assessments to be aligned to standards and provide information regarding our students’ progress that can assist us in determining how we can best help them succeed academically.
Some schools seem to have more technology resources. How important is technology in the schools, and what can be done to level the playing field?
Technology is an important part of every student’s education as we build their 21st-century skills. We have been fortunate in passing our capital levies, which fund the majority of the technology in the schools.
Most of the technology inequities between schools happen when schools directly receive grants or donations. There are some specific programs that have technology components that only exist at one or more schools, or a school may pilot a program that we are considering rolling out across the district. For instance, there is a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program at Cleveland High School where each student enrolled in the program receives a laptop that they use from their freshman year through graduation.
It is our hope to secure capital levy funds in the future to update the classroom devices (for example, smartboards) for all classrooms, but we have not been able to fund that conversion at this time.
Do you have ideas for ways to raise academic achievement in STEM subjects?
I believe it’s critical to provide each student with access to high-quality STEM instructional experiences by supporting teachers with effective professional development and STEM curricula. In addition to improving the quality of core instruction, attention needs to be given to student interest, aspiration and “identity” with STEM subjects and careers.
By age 11, most students have positive views of science in school, but by age 14, the majority has ruled out careers or pursuit of science. Without an identification or connection between STEM and their lives, their achievement then begins to decline.
How do you feel about the loss of diversity in some Seattle schools?
We believe that educational and racial equity is paramount to achieve educational excellence. Our goal is make sure that every one of our schools serves as a welcoming place in their neighborhood so that they engage students and families in learning. We are committed to closing the achievement gap and improving equity, access and opportunities for all students.
How can we improve teaching about race and racism?
Meaningful instruction about race and racism starts with providing the supports that our teachers need to embark on these conversations in a safe and empowering manner.
Our departments of curriculum and instruction and equity and race relations are working collaboratively to ensure that we first provide culturally responsive professional development for all of our teachers so that they can provide classroom instruction that is relevant to the cultural backgrounds of our students and families, so that they feel valued, respected and part of the community.
What is your approach to advanced learners and other special-needs student populations?
Seattle is committed to providing all students access to the general education classroom and curriculum. To accomplish this, the district and the Seattle Education Association have partnered to develop a service delivery model that is based on a student’s need, not his or her disability, and creates opportunities for students with disabilities to be educated with their typically developing peers.
As for advanced learners, we provide a range of services. Depending on qualifying test scores, students are offered placement in the Acceleration Progress Program, Spectrum or in some cases, they may elect to remain in their neighborhood school and receive services through our advanced learning opportunities.
How do you measure success?
I measure success by how effective we are as a school district at helping students succeed in every facet of their school lives. We need to ensure they receive a 21st-century education that will help them thrive in a global society and economy.
José L.
Banda is currently the superintendent of Anaheim City School District, a
position he’s held since July 2008. He
has over 30 years of experience in the field of public education. Prior to serving in ACSD, he served as deputy
superintendent for the Oceanside Unified School District
in San Diego County
From
2002 to 2005, Superintendent Banda was a Principal/Superintendent of Planada Elementary School District California Cal State University Bakersfield Chapman University
His
professional achievements include serving as a board member for Salida Union
School District , member of the WASC
School Visitation Teams, participant of ACSA School of Education Principal Center
– UCLA, and a presenter at numerous conferences including CALSA Summer
Academy Broad
Superintendents Academy
Superintendent
Banda’s professional and community affiliations include the California Latino
Superintendents Association (CALSA), where he serves as Southern
Representative, Board of Directors and as a mentor. He is also a member of the Association of
California School Administrators, Association of Curriculum and Instruction,
Kiwanis International, Anaheim Police Chief’s Advisory Board, Anaheim Family
YMCA Board, and Orange County Salvation Army Board.
