Dear Issaquah School District community,

 

Citing the importance of a leader who is a close “fit” for our District, superintendent candidate Kelt Cooper respectfully withdrew his name from consideration for the position yesterday.

 

I want to thank everyone who took the opportunity to meet Mr. Cooper and provide feedback when he toured the District last Monday and Tuesday. As a Board, we felt he was a strong candidate who would serve Issaquah students well; his visit to the District took the process to the important next step—allowing our community and Mr. Cooper to see whether they were a match for each other.

 

Mr. Cooper had nothing but praise for our District’s schools, students, staff, parents, and community members. However, as Mr. Cooper reflected on his visit here, he realized his particular set of skills and experience was not as close a fit as it should be to best lead our schools. 

 

Upon receiving Mr. Cooper’s letter of withdrawal, Board Member Suzanne Weaver and I cancelled our site visit to the Nogales Unified School District in Arizona.

 

The Board feels optimistic about moving forward in the superintendent search, and we are thankful that the process has worked successfully so far. We are passionate about our students, and you are, too. Even the most qualified candidate must match that enthusiasm to be successful, and we will not hire a superintendent who has any hesitation about being an exact fit.

 

We will discuss our next steps at Wednesday’s business meeting, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Administration Building, 565 N.W. Holly St.

 

Your participation in the superintendent search has been invaluable. You have clearly articulated the skills and experience our next superintendent will need to lead Issaquah schools, and we are confident our next leader will both match that profile and be wholeheartedly committed to this District.