Donald Evans, superintendent of Hayward Unified School District, has been named the sole finalist candidate for the Berkeley Unified School District superintendent position.
The selection process for a new superintendent, which began in December 2011, reopened in February this year when previous finalist Edmond Heatley dropped his candidacy following the rise of controversy surrounding his stance against gay marriage. Evans was chosen after the district evaluated more than 70 possible candidates, according to a district press release Friday.
Evans was a favored candidate due to his extensive experience in dealing with a diverse set of students from different income levels and ethnicities, according to Karen Hemphill, president of the school board.
“Dr. Evans really encompasses the experiences, skills, and values that our community has stressed as being important in our new superintendent,” Hemphill said in an email.
Evans began his career nearly 26 years ago, working as a teacher and administrator in school districts in San Diego, East Palo Alto, Oakland and Compton before becoming superintendent of Hayward Unified School District, according to the Hayward Education Foundation website.
“I’ve had a very positive experience working with Superintendent Evans,” said Principal Ariel Dolowich of Anthony Ochoa Middle School in Hayward. “He has brought a level of accountability and reorganization to the district.”
During Evans’ tenure, Dolowich and Anthony Ochoa staff, with support from the district, saw an increase in the school’s Academic Performance Index by 86 points — a record for the school, Dolowich said.
With an emphasis on rigor, responsibility and results, Evans is noted for his achievements in developing a community-based, data-driven academic achievement plan for African American students. The school board hopes that with his experience, Evans will be able to help Berkeley with similar achievement gap issues, Hemphill said. The 2020 Vision project is one of the most visible Berkeley efforts to address the issue.
Nevertheless, some members of the community are cautious about Evans’ candidacy but are eager to see what he might bring to the superintendent position.
“I am cautiously optimistic about his selection,” said Berkeley PTA Council President Tom Killilea in an email. “The important point will be how he approaches the Berkeley community, which can be a challenge on its own.”
Board members, teachers, union representatives, staff and community members will all attend a site visit Friday, according to Hemphill, to observe Evans in his current position in Hayward.
“It’s an opportunity for the board to bring in the various stakeholders in our district to do final vetting of the candidate,” Hemphill said.
After the site visit, the board will continue the finalization process. It will create an employment agreement and vote on a final contract for Evans. If all goes well, Evans will be hired and assume the superintendent position on July 1.
Contact Jennie Yoon at [email protected]