It’s official! Dr. Steve Rasmussen signed a three-year contract this morning to become Issaquah’s new superintendent beginning July 1. He is thrilled to join the Issaquah community, and he would like you to know what his goals are for the coming months:

 

Dear Staff, Parents, and Community Members,

 

I am honored to be the new superintendent of the Issaquah School District!  I am also very excited to become part of this great community and to continue the outstanding educational traditions of our schools. As your new superintendent, you can count on me to dedicate my time and efforts to the continued improvement of education in our community.

 

Here are some of the initial goals I plan to accomplish in my first three months as your superintendent:

 

1.      Work with Dr. Barry, the School Board, and administrators to develop and implement a transition plan.

 

2.      Become familiar with the traditions, successes, and challenges of our students, staff, and schools.

 

3.      Plan and work with the School Board to fully understand and clarify our District’s vision, goals, and outcomes our students are to achieve.

 

4.      Visit all schools and departments and meet staff members as soon as possible.

 

5.      Work with all district administrators and principals and support their school improvement plans for the new school year.

 

6.      Be visible at community events, school gatherings, and civic functions.

 

7.      Meet with as many community organizations as I can and become familiar with their connection to our schools.

 

8.      Develop a plan to visit all schools and classrooms as soon as school begins in the fall.

 

9.      Become part of the Issaquah community as quickly as my wife, Terry, and I can.  This includes finding our new home and moving in.

 

The future is bright for education in Issaquah, and our community has a long history of supporting and being involved in its great schools. Public school education, however, continues to be challenged by new learning demands on all students and a lack of resources. These challenges are real, large, and looming, and will take a focused effort from everyone to solve. I am very optimistic and convinced that we have the right vision, goals, staff, School Board, and community to confront and overcome these challenges on behalf of our students.

 

As I begin my first year in this community, I look forward to meeting and working with you.  Please feel free to stop by and introduce yourself at any time.  I intend to be very visible and approachable in our schools and community. 

 

Thank you for your support and pride in Issaquah Public Schools.

 

Sincerely,

 

Dr. Steve Rasmussen