USD 428 Great Bend has a new Superintendent of Schools. Monday night, the B.O.E. held a special called meeting to unanimously approve a motion to enter into an agreement with Dr. Brad Reed. He will step into the position July 1, 2014. Long-time Superintendent Tom Vernon announced in September his retirement effective at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. He plans to stay in the community.
“We interviewed four excellent candidates,” said board president Joyce Carter. “Throughout the way we had a great discussion of what quality leadership should be and what the school district deserved, all the while looking at each candidate to determine who could lead us in that effort.”
Brad Reed is no stranger to Great Bend. He was an assistant principal at Great Bend High School during the 1991-92 school year. Currently, he is the director of student services for Bentonville, Ark., public schools. He has also served as the principal at Minneapolis, Kan., High School and Oskaloosa High School and Southeast High School in Cherokee, Kan.
Reed has a doctorate degree in education administration. His bachelor’s degree in secondary education is from Arizona State University and his master’s degree is from Northern Arizona University.
According to a press release from USD 428, he has a total of 31 years experience in education with 25 of those in administration. He is experienced in curriculum development, budget preparation, employee negotiations, public relations, employee recruitment and vision building.
Board members contracted with the Kansas Association of School Boards Leadership Services Field Specialist Gary Sechrist and staff early in September to begin the search process.
The district is conducted a nationwide search, with announcements made on KansasTeachingJobs.com, as well as the KASB and other NASB websites and classified advertisement in The Chronicle of Higher Education. A brochure mailing campaign also targeted superintendents and the colleges that train them.
In November, Sechrist and staff met with focus groups made up of USD 428 patrons, teachers and staff members to determine what character traits were most important before narrowing down the applicants to the best possible candidates to interview.
Four candidates were interviewed between Friday, Jan. 17 and Wednesday, Jan. 22, with public receptions for each held in the GBHS Commons.
The other three candidates included Mike Roth, superintendent oat Clearwater, John Thissen, superintendent at Herington, and Rex Bollinger, superintendent at Doniphan West.
“I’d like to thank the board for the amount of time spent interviewing each candidate, soliciting community feedback and keeping at the front the best interest of the students and staff of Great Bend Public Schools,” Carter said.
Correction to Tuesday story about USD Superintendent decision
Brad Reed, the newly appointed superintendent for USD 428 effective July 1, 2014, is working on his doctorate degree in education administration from the University of Kansas, with only his dissertation remaining. His bachelor’s degree in secondary education is from Arizona State University and his master’s degree is from Northern Arizona University.
The Tribune referred to him in the story as Dr. Brad Reed.
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