By Aaron Allen , The Seattle Medium
The Seattle School Board of Directors announced today it has named Ben Shuldiner as the finalist for the district’s new superintendent. Shuldiner is currently superintendent of the Lansing School District in Michigan. A unanimous vote during Wednesday’s board meeting authorized the beginning of contract negotiations to finalize the hire.
Shuldiner, who currently serves as the superintendent of the Lansing School District in Michigan, brings a wealth of education experience to the position. He has served as superintendent in Lansing since 2021. During that time, he led the district to significant gains in graduation rate (+26%), attendance rate (+15%), and a true increase in district enrollment for the first time in decades. Additionally, he increased the district’s fund balance by over $40 million, ushering in a new era of financial stability and growth in Lansing.
He’s familiar with the challenges teachers and administrators face on a daily basis. In 2003, he founded the High School for Public Service, a public school in the East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. He served as principal there for a decade, during which the school had a greater than 95% graduation rate.
While there are many challenges facing the Seattle School District, Shuldiner says he fully embraces both the challenges and opportunity.
“The idea that I can come here and help shepherd a new beginning for this district is beyond words. I cannot wait to start working with all of you. You know, people were shocked in all the meetings I started today, I just gave people my cell phone number,” says Shuldiner. “I really believe that everybody in this room and however many people are watching this right now, everybody in Seattle wants what’s best for our children. They want what’s best for SPS, and they want this district to be even greater than it is today. I will say this point blank.”
“I believe our goal today is to make Seattle the single greatest urban school district in America. That’s our goal. And we should ask nothing less of ourselves, because our children deserve it, our families don’t deserve it, and the community deserves it,” Shuldiner adds.
Gina Topp, School Board president, said the board’s decision reflects alignment with Shuldiner’s values and experience.
“I believe that Ben reflects the values, and the priorities our communities shared with us,” said Topp. “Superintendent Shuldiner has served as a teacher, a principal, professor, school board director, and superintendent, and has demonstrated the ability to lift student achievement, to rebuild financial health, and lead with partnership.”
Acting Superintendent Fred Podesto said support for the selection is strong.
“We’re so happy to have Ben Shuldiner join us. You know, this could be a great reset for the district, and we’ll benefit from his leadership,” said Podesto.
Shuldiner said transparency and community trust will define the early months of the superintendency.
“I’m going to be spending the next probably 100 days going into schools, going into communities, working with the board,” said Shuldiner, “making sure the community trusts me.”
Seattle Public Schools is facing an $87 million budget shortfall for the upcoming school year. Shuldiner acknowledged the seriousness of the financial outlook and said engagement and openness are essential to navigating the challenge.
“I think the concern from the community really is, are they part of the decision, do they hear about the decision, is obfuscation happening? Or, are they opening up the books and opening up the doors?” said Shuldiner.
District 5 Director Michelle Sarju said Shuldiner emerged as the right choice following a rigorous search.
“Every candidate they sent us was of a really high caliber and high quality. And as we interviewed, of course, he began to emerge, sort of who was the brighter stars amongst the stars, right,” said Sarju. “And then when we came down to narrowing down the two candidates, I felt like Ben was the one that Seattle needs for this time, given our changing demographics.”
Shuldiner earned a Master of Science in Education from Baruch College in New York and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in history and science.
