He’s (probably) Sanger Unified’s next superintendent. Not everyone is happy about it
Sanger Unified’s school board plans to hire Dennis Wiechmann, the district’s assistant superintendent of human resources, as its next superintendent.
Wiechmann’s knowledge and listening ability will move the school district forward, Board President Ismael “Mike” Hernandez said in a Monday statement released by the superintendent’s office.
“Dr. Wiechmann is a strong, collaborative and proven leader who values all stakeholders,” Hernandez said.
Wiechmann has been with Sanger Unified for 24 years and is excited to lead the district into the future, he said.
Wiechmann’s hire as superintendent is pending board approval at the April 25 regularly scheduled meeting.
If approved, he will replace Adela Jones, who is retiring in June after 36 years of service to the district.
In Monday’s statement, Wiechmann said he was humbled to have a chance to lead the district and its 13,000 students.
“I am excited to support our students, employees, families and community as we continue our mission of making Sanger Unified the best district in the nation,” Wiechmann said. “Together we will increase student achievement and ensure all students are successful.”
Wiechmann not the teachers union’s top choice
Not everyone was pleased with the selection.
“They did not listen,” parent Carol Jones said on Facebook on Monday morning after the district announced Wiechmann as their finalist.
Before going into closed session Friday, eight staff and community members advocated for the board to pick another candidate who applied for the district’s top spot.
She and others asked the board to choose a candidate who wasn’t a part of the current district leadership team and who could collaborate with employees.
Both the Sanger Unified Teachers Association and the California School Employees Association said they did their own surveys about four candidates. The union identified the four finalists as Fairmont Elementary Principal Jared Savage, Area Administrator Jamie Nino, Wiechmann, and Deputy Superintendent Eduardo Martinez.
Leadership Associates, the firm that facilitated the search, confirmed that four people applied but couldn’t confirm their identities. All the applicants work for the school district because the board determined that it would pick its next leader from internal candidates.
On the teacher association survey, 223 educators responded, with the following results:
48.4% supporting Savage
30% backing Nino
18.8% for Wiechmann
2.8% supporting Martinez
Because of the results, the teacher’s group recommended Savage.
“Jared Savage has the qualities SUTA members are looking for when it comes to someone who we want representing our district,” association president Stephanie Alvarado said during Friday’s public comments.
In the survey of classified employees under the California School Employee Association, 97% backed Savage, according to the group’s president Rene Martinez.
“You have both unions – doing surveys, speaking to our members – telling us to tell you: this is who we want; this is who we need,” Martinez said.
The teachers union couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Monday, but CSEA expressed its disappointment in the board’s decision.
“We’re not too happy with it,” Martinez said. “Now that Dennis is the superintendent, what’s going to change?”
While everyone will have an opinion, district spokesperson Cary Catalano discussed Monday, it is ultimately the board’s decision.
But because the board hires the superintendent, it may be time to change board members, Martinez said.
“What do we do? We’ve voiced our opinion,” he said. “If they don’t want to bring change, we need to replace them.”
Board sought a leader with varied experience
The board interviewed the four candidates during Friday’s closed session, Leadership Associates partner Juan Garza said in a Monday afternoon interview with The Bee’s Education Lab.
But community members shaped those initial interview questions.
Leadership Associates gathered community input that helped develop the interview questions and form the job description.
The search firm asked the school board and community members about the qualities they wanted to see in the next superintendent and the district’s strengths and challenges. Over 1,700 people responded to an online survey, and more than 40 stakeholder groups participated in online forums with Leadership Associates, Garza said.
In the first round of interviews, the board asked the candidates the same questions. The board then narrowed it down to two finalists who were asked questions geared toward that person’s experience and plans for the district.
Overall, the board wanted the next superintendent to be a good listener and have experience in different areas, Garza said about the qualities board members sought.
The board’s decision to select Wiechmann, according to Garza, varied among board members.
“Each one of them was looking at it from a different perspective,” he said.
As the board’s finalist, Wiechmann will be able to read the thousands of comments submitted by community members in the online forums and survey, including 800 student comments.
“I think the board valued the input of all the different stakeholders,” Garza said, “from students to parents to business people and the different groups of employees that were identified.”
