Decatur Superintendent David Dude wrote this letter to the Decatur school community in the latest CSD eNews email blast…

Dear City Schools of Decatur families, staff, and supporters,

It is with sincere pleasure that I write today to introduce myself to the community. I am honored and humbled to have been chosen to lead one of the greatest school districts in the nation. As a lifelong educator, I am committed to the pursuit of excellence and I eagerly anticipate working with CSD faculty and staff in continuing their ongoing pursuit of the same.

During her tenure in the district, Dr. Phyllis Edwards did tremendous work. With enrollment now projected to exceed 6,000 students by 2020, we are facing unprecedented growth. Furthermore, no doubt influencing the district’s growth and success, most of the current five-year strategic plan has already been accomplished. Recent ACT and SAT scores show CSD students scoring at the top of the state and the nation.

With a change in leadership comes opportunity, an opportunity to reflect on the past, its challenges and its successes. It’s an opportunity to examine our current potential and an opportunity to look to the future with a vision of all the district can be.

Throughout my career in education, excellence has been achieved through a continuous focus on students, empowering all those around them with smart systems, transparent leadership, and innovative solutions to challenging problems, designed and implemented collaboratively. As I look to the future, I envision City Schools of Decatur continuing to excel, while boldly addressing the complex challenges resulting from success and growth. We will celebrate and build on the many skills and talents of our passionate students, faculty, and staff while nurturing the district’s personalized approach to teaching and learning without compromising Decatur’s distinctive spirit and identity.

I thrive in environments with high expectations by people who value success achieved through a combination of collaboration, innovation, and persistence. In Decatur, my wife and I have found a caring community committed to the same ideals. We, along with our three children (ages 4, 6, & 9), are excited to join the Decatur schools and community.

Sincerely,
David Dude

CSD just sent out a blast notice announcing that Dr. David Dude is the finalist Decatur’s Superintendent.

He is currently the Chief Operating Officer for Iowa City Community School District.

Here’s CSD’s release…

The City Schools of Decatur Board of Education is proud to announce that Dr. David Dude has been selected as the finalist for Superintendent of Schools.

Dr. Dude is from the Iowa City Community School District where he serves as the Chief Operating Officer responsible for nearly all aspects of operational efficiency and effectiveness in the district. As Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Dude helped academic and curricular initiatives prosper by transforming infrastructure, technology and operational support. After designing and implementing a district-wide technology initiative, he led the district’s Facilities Master Planning process, leading to the adoption of a 10-year plan which includes three new 500-student elementary schools and a new 1500-student comprehensive high school.

The Board selected Dr. Dude following a robust national search facilitated by consulting firm Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA). A key component of the search was soliciting input from stakeholders regarding the characteristics the new Superintendent should possess. HYA met with 360 stakeholders including students, staff, parents and community members and received nearly 700 responses to the online survey.

More than eighty-five applications were received from thirty-eight states. Current superintendents represented 20% of the applicant pool and assistant superintendents, chiefs and deputy superintendents represented 25-30% of the pool. The Board reviewed applications and selected applicants to interview. Semi-finalist candidates were selected and invited back for a second interview with the Board. A community panel interviewed the semi-finalist candidates and provided feedback to the Board.

“On behalf of the Board, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the staff, students, parents and community members for taking the time to share input to inform this process,” said Board Chair Garrett Goebel. “Also, thank you to the members of the community interview panel for the many hours of work to provide valued feedback. We are confident that we have found the right leader for City Schools of Decatur.”