MSD begins search for new superintendent

The Marysville School Board will begin the search for a new superintendent and have appointed Chris Pearson as the interim superintendent for the district.

Superintendent Jason Thompson has been on leave since March due to medical reasons.

The school board had opted not to extend Thompson’s contract past 2023 earlier in the year and the district was embroiled in controversy at the time due to racist incidents at the high school and the staff response to those incidents.

The district would normally be responsible for Thompson’s salary until 2023.

“We have reached a settlement,” said Vanessa Edwards, school board president for the district. “This is the best and most fiscally responsible for the district."

Thompson has agreed to resign officially in 2022, leaving a year earlier than he has to, although the Marysville School District still has to pay his salary until then.

“We’re bound by the terms of the contract, so we’re actually getting out for less,” said Edwards. “It’s a mutual agreement,."

The process of the next superintendent search has begun with the school district opening bids for a communications firm that will run the process.

“It will be a nationwide search and it will have community involvement,” said Edwards.

Thompson was hired after former superintendent Becky Berg resigned.

At the time, the school board had disagreement over whether to begin a full search or to quickly promote from within to keep education initiatives that were underway going.

“The first time we did this I had just started on the board and I didn’t quite agree that we didn’t have the full community input and a full process. That is what I want this time,” said Edwards.

The communications group that will facilitate the process will be instructed to include local stakeholders.

“Our ask of the firm is that they interview our staff, our committees, city leaders and Tulalip Tribal leaders, our chamber, and that our parents and students have time with the candidates,” said Edwards.

The interview process will be fully public, she said.

“We want to find someone who has experience, is innovative, somebody who has worked in a diverse community and has taken action,” said Edwards.

The school board hopes to have the final candidates by December and to select the superintendent in February.

The hiring is ultimately decided by the board which because of recent resignations has four of its five seats up for election this November.

New school board members are seated at the beginning of the year.

On Sept. 22 the Marysville School Board also appointed Chris Pearson as the interim superintendent for the district.

Since July 1 Pearson has been serving as the acting superintendent for Marysville schools.

He was the executive director of elementary education before stepping into the role of superintendent, and has served as a superintendent for five years in the Conway School District and the Madison International School in Merida, Mexico.

“In his short amount of time he has made so much changes. He’s provided stability and rebuilt relationships with our unions,” said Edwards.

Remaining with Pearson will allow some level of continuity going forward as well.

“One of the things we heard from our community is that we need stability, especially with all the leadership shakeups recently,” said Edwards.

“He’s shown us through his actions and words that he’s engaged,” she said.

Edwards said the board is glad to begin a new chapter for the district.

“We’re super excited for the new superintendent search, that we’ll be doing this in a community way and that we’re moving on,” she said.