News : High school principal hiring process under way at VS

A few years ago, most of the Vinton-Shellsburg School District administrators were looking toward retirement. In the past several years, principals have retired from the West Early Childhood Center, Shellsburg Elementary and VS High School. Last year, the Middle School principal retired. A superintendent also retired.

It's different, says VS Superintendent Mary Jo Hainstock, having a group of younger leaders in charge of school buildings.

"There are advantages and disadvantages to both," said Hainstock Friday morning, as she prepared to hire another principal. "With the younger administrators, they have more training in new leadership techniques and how to use involved decision making (how to involve others -- teachers, and when possible, students -- in making choices that affect education).

And, of course, younger administrators are much more likely to know how to understand and use the latest technology.

Hainstock said that administrators look for competencies rather than simply experience. New principals need to have those leadership and technology skills along with understand the academic requirements of educating the students in their schools.

The good news, she said, is that there are a lot of great candidates like that out there -- young administrators who focus on students while providing leadership in academics and technology.

Principals like Kirk Johnson.

After three years at Vinton-Shellsburg, where he came at the same time the new high school opened, Mr. Johnson is leaving the district for the fast-growing city of Waukee. There, the high school has 1,000 students and will have as many as 1,8000 in the next few years.

"We are going to miss Kirk," said Hainstock. "I appreciate the level of professionalism he brings to everything he does. We will be looking for another strong leader like that."

Mr. Johnson and assistant principal Ryan Davis have done some great things in their three years of working together, said Hainstock.

"And we want to build on that," she said.

Hainstock said Friday morning she planned to spend the day preparing the process for hiring a new principal, and questions to ask the candidates. The district will place an ad in the Sunday Des Moines Register. After receiving the resumes, the board will choose four or five finalists for interviews. Community and student representatives will be part of the interview process.

'You took a chance'

The VS School Board met in a special session Tuesday morning to discuss replacing Johnson.

They and Hainstock praised him for his successful three years at V-S.

"You took a chance on a young guy who had only two years of administrative experience, and now he has been offered one of the premier principal positions in Iowa," Hainstock told the board members.

Board President Pat Lyons said that Johnson's story should inspire other young administrators to look at the career development possibilities that Vinton-Shellsburg offers them.

"This shows that Vinton-Shellsburg is not a place where administrators come to die," said Lyons.

Johnson's hiring has yet to be approved by the Waukee School Board, although everyone expects that to happen when they meet next week. Representatives from Waukee visited Vinton to interview local education leaders about Johnson's time in Vinton. When they left, the Waukee team gave Johnson a formal letter offering him the position, said Hainstock. However, if for some reason the hiring does not go through, the VS School Board will gladly allow Johnson to say here.