School Board
Seattle Schools welcomes new Superintendent
May 16, 2012
Dear Seattle Public Schools community,
Tonight the School Board approved a three-year contract with José Banda to serve as the Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools. He starts on July 1 and we are thrilled to welcome him to our community.
Mr. Banda, who is currently the Anaheim City Schools Superintendent, has more than 30 years of experience in education. During his tenure in Anaheim, his 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).
Last fall we conducted a survey about the traits our community wanted in its next Superintendent, and Mr. Banda well represents those characteristics. He has a strong track record as an administrator. He is an excellent communicator. We know from visiting his Anaheim District that he works hard to listen and learn before making decisions. He is a thoughtful leader who will build strong relationships with staff, teachers, principals and community members. We believe he will support, and increase, the academic progress we are already making.
This summer Mr. Banda will spend time getting to know our District and preparing for a great start to our 2012-13 school year. We will have opportunities in the fall for students, families and staff to meet Mr. Banda. In the meantime, as we wind down the school year, I want to thank our amazing staff for your continued dedication to our students and their success.
I also want to take a moment to thank Dr. Susan Enfield, who stepped in last March to take over as Interim Superintendent. Her leadership helped this District move forward during a very challenging time. We appreciate the work she has done and wish her the very best at Highline Public Schools.
Sincerely,
Michael DeBell
School Board President