The Two (Three?) Superintendent Finalists
Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes
In a much-anticipated, though thoroughly predictable, DCSD Board of Education Executive session, two finalists for the Superintendent position were announced. For a brief moment, it looked like there might have been three finalists, but we will explore the third “finalist” in the upcoming days. For now, let’s talk about what we do and do not know about the two options the DCSD community has in front of them.
Their resumes are very different, the skillsets rarely run parallel, so we will extract the information we can from their interviews and their resumes.
Danny Winsor
Winsor has been with DCSD for 14 years, working his way diligently from a School Counselor, Assistant Principal to an Executive Director of Schools (EDOS). Not only has he gained experience in DCSD over time, he came to our district as a national trainer for teachers. Yes, he taught teachers around the country how to be better teachers. His employer at the time, AVID, states “AVID helps teachers shift from delivering content to facilitating learning, resulting in an inquiry-based, student-centric classroom.”
His relationships to administrators and staff in the district is well-established. He knows the district in its current state and has been building relationships within it for many years.
With a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Counseling Psychology, licensed here in Colorado, he has been focusing his education to be a perfect fit for the role of Superintendent.
With his well rounded background in business, mental health, school leadership and district administration, Windsor appears to be a great choice for DCSD.
Erin Kane
It is clear from her Bachelor’s in Applied Mathematics that she has an analytical mind. Her business background and successful leadership in a charter school shows this. Charter schools have quite a bit of autonomy from neighborhood schools, with smaller class sizes and different student demographics than neighborhood schools.
As an interim Superintendent for DCSD, she must have taken on the relief that all teachers and staff felt to move past the Reform Board. Given the climate and culture of the district, at this time, it is apparent her goals of teacher and staff retention were met and surely needed.
In 2020, Kane completed her Master’s in Public Administration. Although this may not be a direct route to the Superintendent role, it does show that she values additional education. All three of her children attended DCSD schools.
What is apparent from her resume, objectively, is a lack of student-facing experience. Additionally, she doesn't have a degree in a field related to education, nor student-facing experience to make up for that gap. Whether or not that is a requirement for the DCSD Superintendent role, it’s a significant differentiator between Kane and Winsor.
Next Week Contains More Opportunities to Learn about Our Finalists
At the interviews on Thursday, March 3, public comment was not allowed, but will be offered for the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, March 8. Many of our teachers and staff, parents, students, and community members have had an opportunity to get to know these finalists over the years and will likely provide public comment allowing us to learn more about our finalists.
In addition, Thursday, March 10, is the date for both the Interview Panels and the Superintendent Community Forum, to be held at the new DCSD facility (former Wildlife Experience building) located at 10035 S. Peoria Street in Parker. The interview panels will consist of three groups - DCSD employees, board committee members and parent/community members - and there will also be a student panel. During the Superintendent Forum, our finalists will respond to questions submitted in advance by teachers and staff, students, parents and community members. There will also be a livestream available, and the meeting will be recorded.