The Seattle School Board has selected three final candidates to become the next superintendent of Seattle Public Schools. They finalists are Denise Juneau, Andre Spencer and Jeanice Swift.
Denise Juneau is an enrolled member of the Mandan Hidatsa Tribes and a descendant of the Blackfeet tribe. In 2008, she became the first American Indian woman in the country ever elected to an executive statewide office. In 2012, she was reelected to a second term as Montana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction.
In her tenure as superintendent, Denise raised academic standards, expanded college and career readiness opportunities and advocated for policies to improve the quality of education in the state and nation.
Andre D. Spencer has been the superintendent of Harrison School District Two in Colorado Springs, Colorado for over five years. Prior to Andre’s arrival in Harrison, he served four years in the United States Army and worked in the Baltimore City Public School System for 13 years as a science teacher, assistant principal, principal, and network team lead (area support superintendent). He also worked in the Houston Independent School District for three years as a school leadership officer (regional superintendent).
Spencer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a Master of Science degree in Science (Biology) from Morgan State University, Doctoral Fellowship in Science Education from Morgan State University and a Doctor of Education degree from Capella University. Andre also holds a Strategic Marketing Management Certificate from Rice University, as well as a Human Resource Management Certificate from Southern New Hampshire University.
Jeanice Kerr Swift is a lifetime educator, having served as classroom teacher, teacher coach, principal, and school district administrator. She has served as Superintendent of Schools in the Ann Arbor Public Schools since 2013. Prior to moving to Ann Arbor, Swift served Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Curriculum, and Student Services in Colorado Springs School District 11.
Swift earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education, with a major in English and a minor in Spanish, at the University of Texas, Arlington. She earned a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Colorado and a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership at the University of Denver.
“We are excited about what each of these candidates has to offer as our potential new superintendent and think our families and community partners will be, too,” said Board President Leslie Harris. “I am looking forward to welcoming them to Seattle later this week.”
A public forum with final candidates will be held this Thurs., March 29 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., John Stanford Center Auditorium – 2445 3rd Ave. S. in Seattle.
At the forum, each of the finalists will present and answer questions. The presentations will occur sequentially; candidates will not be presenting or answering questions together.
The Board anticipates voting to authorize contract negotiations with one finalist at the April 4 Regular Board Meeting.
