The Anchorage School Board has whittled down the list of superintendent candidates from 84 to two finalists who have different visions for the future of the state's largest school district.
Steve Atwater, an interim dean at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, said in an interview Wednesday that if selected as the next superintendent he would invest in technology, offering more classes online and cutting staff positions.
Meanwhile, Deena Paramo, Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District superintendent, offered less specific changes during an interview Wednesday, but said she would encourage school leaders to work together so students could take classes at different buildings.
Both Atwater and Paramo are vying for the spot at the helm of the Anchorage School District. One will replace current Superintendent Ed Graff. The board announced in October it would not renew Graff's contract when it expired this year. He will serve as superintendent until the end of June.
Board President Kameron Perez-Verdia said he planned to announce the board's choice for the next superintendent at its Monday meeting. The board will also vote on the superintendent's contract. An advertisement for the job said the salary would be "in the range of $235,000 plus an excellent benefit package."
On Wednesday, the superintendent candidates were busy touring Anchorage schools and meeting with staff, students and reporters. Atwater and Paramo will speak at a public forum at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Bartlett High School.
Here's a look at the two candidates.
Steve Atwater
Atwater is the 57-year-old interim dean of the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Education. He said Wednesday as superintendent he would offer more online classes to students. This would cut back the district's costs during tough economic times and would serve as an alternative to increasing class sizes, he said.
"Rather than a teacher having four sections of Algebra 1 in a day, the Algebra 1 content would be delivered digitally and that teacher instead would begin to be more a facilitator," he said. "And then you would ultimately have fewer teachers because of that."
It would also allow students to work at their own speeds and have more personalized schedules. Teachers could focus more on remediation and enrichment needs within classes, he said.
Shifting to more online classes would take several years, he said. Atwater said he would first deploy the change as a pilot program, potentially at Bartlett High School, and then expand it to other sites. He said he looked to Innovations Early College High School in Utah as a model.
Atwater also said he believes high schools should be opened from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to allow students more flexibility in scheduling.
He said ASD has a "good, strong staff," but the district will "need an overhaul of the structure to really take off and get to the next level."
Atwater is making $150,000 as UAF's interim dean, according to university spokesperson Marmian Grimes. Before Atwater became the interim dean, he worked as the University of Alaska's associate vice president of K-12 Outreach. He also served as superintendent of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and the King Salmon-based Lake and Peninsula School District.
Atwater was named a finalist for the search for a new Anchorage superintendent during the 2011-12 school year. Ultimately, Jim Browder was chosen. Atwater said since then he has gained broader experience through his work at UA. Plus, he said, "I'm just wiser."
Deena Paramo
Paramo is the 46-year-old superintendent at the neighboring Mat-Su school district. If selected as Anchorage superintendent, she said Wednesday, she would look at what direction the board wants to take the district and encourage collaboration among leadership.
"You really have to pay attention to where people are and understand first before you come in with, 'I think we could do this or that,'" she said.
Paramo said she would look to invest in things the district does well. She would also encourage principals to work together so students could move between schools if they wanted to take classes offered at other buildings.
"Not every school has to have every class," she said during a South High School superintendent forum Wednesday morning. "Students are allowed to freely move and take classes when available at other schools."
In the end, those efficiencies would keep class offerings at the highest level while cutting back on costs, she said.
"I think we can be more creative and get more done with what we have because we have a lot," she said.
Paramo has served as the Mat-Su superintendent since 2011. She earns an annual salary of $178,500, according to Catherine Esary, school district spokesperson.
Paramo said she is excited by the size, diversity and energy at ASD. Before becoming Mat-Su superintendent, Paramo worked within the district as an assistant superintendent, principal, assistant principal and teacher.
The board is taking feedback on the candidates at asdk12.org.