The Board of Education of the Charles City Community School District announces the names of the three finalists for the position of Superintendent of Schools. Twenty-six candidates, including 23 men and 3 women, applied. Seven of the applicants had doctoral degrees and 13 had three or more years of superintendent or related leadership experience.
The board is working with Grundmeyer Leader Search, who presented all of the candidates to the board on Monday, May 7 in closed session. Based on application materials, community survey results, objective ratings, reference calls, and board discussion, the board chose seven semi-finalists. The board held 30-minute screening interviews with the semi-finalists on Thursday, May 10 and selected the following candidates as finalists:
Erik Anderson: Erik currently serves as the Principal at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids. He taught at Prairie for nine years and served as associate principal before being named the principal in 2013. He received the Legacy Award from the University of Northern Iowa where he earned his Master’s and Specialist degrees. He has experience with leading building projects and a bond referendum. As an instructional leader, Erik assisted in forming the Iowa BIG program, implemented Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), and Standards-Based Grading (SBG).
Dr. Tim Cronin: Tim currently serves as the Superintendent of Schools and Human Resources Director for the Central City Community School District. He has held this role for the last six years. Prior to Central City, he was an elementary principal in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. He also teaches as an adjunct instructor for the Education Leadership Program at the University of Iowa. He is part of the Grant Wood Area Education Agency Superintendent Network Instructional Rounds and also served on the Governor’s Task Force for Computer Science Education (2017).
Mike Fisher: Mike currently serves as the Principal at Hoover Middle School in Waterloo. He has experience in building school culture and improving student achievement. During his five years as the building principal, he has implemented Project Lead the Way (PLTW), Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and the Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) model. Two years ago, Hoover earned Lighthouse status as a Leader in Me school, one of just five middle schools in the world with that distinction. Mike earned his Advanced Studies Certificate in 2015 and is currently working on his Doctorate at the University of Northern Iowa. He was awarded the WHO Golden Apple Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2009.
The three finalists will interview in Charles City on Monday, May 21. The interview schedule includes multiple sessions with stakeholder groups and a community tour. Feedback from the interview teams will be shared with the school board later the same evening to assist them in selecting the new superintendent. The successful candidate will begin their duties on July 1, 2018.
