Reynolds board appoints interim leader after Fisher quits

Reynolds School District Board appointed Joyce Henstrand acting superintendent Dec 21, 2009, replacing Dr Robert Fisher who quit Dec 18th over Board decision differences.

Joyce Henstrand
Jim Clark/Gresham Outlook

The Reynolds School District Board appoints acting superintendent, replacing Dr Robert Fisher

Joyce Henstrand named acting superintendent

Source: The Gresham Outlook, Dec 22, 2009
By Rob Cullivan, The Gresham Outlook

The Reynolds School District Board appointed Joyce Henstrand, 62, acting superintendent on Monday, Dec 21, 2009.

Henstrand, the district’s executive director of instruction since 2007, has worked in the district since 2003. She succeeds Robert Fisher, who resigned Dec 18th.

Since fall 2008, Fisher had led the district, and was credited by board members for straightening out the district’s financial mess. He was supposed to serve until June 30, 2010, but he quit early, citing differences with the board over policies and other issues.

Henstrand will serve in her position until the district hires a permanent superintendent. A search is under way for a permanent district leader, and Henstrand noted she plans to apply for the job.

She added she has regularly attended school board meetings and believes she can work well with the body’s members.

“I don’t think they would have appointed me … unless we had an ongoing positive relationship,” Henstrand said.

Theresa Delaney-Davis, board chairwoman, says the board believes Henstrand was the right choice for the post because of her decades in education and “knows all our schools and all our personnel and all our schools’ needs.”

Prior to working in the Reynolds district, Henstrand held administrative positions in the Northwest Regional Education Service, West Linn-Wilsonville, Beaverton and Kent, Wash, school districts. She began teaching in Camillus, NY, in 1969.

Rocky road

Henstrand will take over a district that has seen two superintendents resign in less than two years, ethics investigations, a damaging budget crisis rooted in past practices and the overall decline in state education funding.

“I’m hoping that we can calm the storm down a little bit and get back to our focus on children,” Henstrand said.

The board placed Terry Kneisler, Fisher’s predecessor, on administrative leave in late August 2008 amid questions about his financial practices.

Kneisler eventually resigned, and among the financial practices the district questioned under his tenure was how medical reimbursements had been handled. The district found a number of administrators — including Henstrand — had been improperly reimbursed for medical procedures.

Most of the administrators, including Henstrand, returned the money to the district when asked to do so. The acting superintendent estimated she paid back between $1,000 and $2,000 for eyeglass prescriptions for herself and her family members the district had originally reimbursed.

“I was like many, many administrators — as soon as we were notified we paid back,” she said, noting she thought the reimbursements she had received were appropriate when she had received them, but that she has since concluded the district should not have approved them.

Davis noted “there are many people like Joyce in our district who promptly paid back the erroneous medical reimbursements.”

Henstrand added that dealing with the ongoing budget challenges, negotiating a new teachers’ contract as well as increasing student achievement will be among her goals as acting superintendent.

District seeks public input on superintendent search

The Reynolds School Board will hold meetings for community members to solicit feedback on the qualities and qualifications the district’s next superintendent should possess.

Those who are unable to attend a meeting can fill out the online survey by visiting reynolds.k12.or.us and clicking “Board Seeks Community Input for Superintendent Search,” then “online survey.” Or they can send responses to the questions listed below to: Donna Herren, Executive Search Consultant, Oregon School Boards Association, PO Box 1068, Salem, 97308.

Take the survey here!

Input can be provided until Jan 12, 2010.

What is your district known for; what do the schools do especially well that you want to see continued; what makes the community an attractive place to live?
What are the most serious challenges your district faces?
What personal and professional qualities and qualifications do you desire in your new superintendent?

Public meetings will take place on the following dates:

Jan 05, 2010 -- 6:30PM Tuesday
Walt Morey Middle School
2801 SW Lucas Dr, Troutdale
Jan 07, 2010 -- 6:30PM Thursday
H.B. Lee Middle School
1121 NE 172nd Ave, Portland
Jan 12, 2010 -- 6:30PM Tuesday
Reynolds Middle School
1200 NE 201st Ave, Fairview