Selah school superintendent finalist Troy Tornow talks about embracing change, district culture

The Selah Faculty District rounded out its superintendent look for with interviews and a neighborhood discussion board on Thursday with its 3rd finalist, Educational Services District 123 Assistant Superintendent Troy Tornow.

In a group forum at Selah Middle College, Tornow discussed setting up a sturdy, supportive culture within the district and his affinity for embracing adjust.

Selah Superintendent Shane Backlund will leave his situation at the finish of June to take on the part of deputy superintendent for ESD 105. The new superintendent will start out July 1.

Tornow was the principal at Selah High School from 2010-12, then served for 4 years as the district’s assistant superintendent for university student discovering.

He has put in the earlier six decades at ESD 123 in Pasco as its assistant superintendent of tutorial providers. He stated building relationships is a substantial component of his career, as ESD 123 works with 23 school districts in southern Washington.

Making a culture where employees sense supported and want to continue to be is a very important aspect of making an instructional corporation run, he said. It’s a thing he would target on in Selah should really he get the posture.

“We have to have to have that sensation of inclusion of belonging for all workforce in the district,” he mentioned.

Like his fellow finalists, educator retention and assist are worries of his, he said.

Tornow also discussed his willingness to not only embrace adjust, but to be the particular person who stewards it.

All through his time as Selah’s assistant superintendent, he oversaw the commencing of the changeover to one particular-to-one particular gadgets for learners and discussions on the burgeoning twin language system, he reported.

He explained that a district should really usually be examining the requires of its college students and on the lookout for techniques to strengthen its products and services.

“I’m not a human being that likes to be stagnant,” Tornow claimed.

The choice-generating approach for general public education is a collaborative one particular, involving many get-togethers, like learners, households and workers, he reported. And considering the fact that individuals men and women are frequently switching in modest strategies, even among school a long time, neighborhood training establishments should be keen to transform far too.

He emphasised the relevance of possessing group assist prior to producing massive adjustments, these as switching to a modified calendar or modifying faculty start instances, which Selah has talked over in the latest yrs.

Tornow was the ultimate applicant to fulfill with Selah stakeholders and neighborhood associates. Zillah Assistant Superintendent Justin Irion and former Sunnyside Superintendent Kevin McKay had in interviews and a public forum Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The district will announce its preference Friday morning.

The district partnered with Northwest Leadership Associates for its lookup.