Seattle Public Schools has hired the top administrator in the Lansing (Michigan) district to be its next superintendent.
KUOW Radio reports that the Seattle School Board has approved an employment agreement with Ben Shuldiner, who has been superintendent in Lansing for nearly five years.
He is scheduled to begin working on Feb. 1 and will receive a base salary of $365,000 plus $60,000 in retirement benefits.
The Lansing school district has just over 10,000 students, compared with Seattle's enrollment of about 50,000 students.
Throughout his 25-year education career, Shuldiner has been a classroom teacher, founder and principal of a high school, college professor, and consultant.
“Together we will make Seattle Public Schools the best urban school district in the country,” he said. “I am ready to do the hard work and am committed to making the most of the opportunities ahead.”
Shuldiner succeeds Brent Jones, who announced in March that he planned to leave the Seattle district in September. However, he went on medical leave in May and did not return.
Girard Montejo-Thompson, president of the Seattle Education Association, said the union is happy with Shuldiner’s hiring and “cautiously optimistic” that he will be the long-term leader the district needs.
Before the school board identified Shuldiner as a finalist, Montejo-Thompson said Shuldiner’s responses resonated with union members because of his focus on bringing the community together and improving transparency in the district.
