District 203 stands by superintendent pick
Naperville Unit District 203 will stick with Mark Mitrovich as its new superintendent despite controversy over his credentials.
The board has "taken time to reexamine the overall academic credentials of Mark Mitrovich and is more than satisfied that he possesses the qualities and abilities necessary to serve the needs of our students and staff as our next superintendent," district leaders said in a prepared statement. "The board of education focused on professional performance, collaboration and vision when interviewing all of its final candidates. Mark Mitrovich continues to excel in those metrics and presents the best talent available to District 203."
The district has finalized its three-year contract with the Seattle-area educator that includes a starting salary of $203,000. He officially will take the helm July 1 but already is assisting in the search for new principals for Naperville Central and North high schools.
Mitrovich, 63, serves as chief education officer for EdGate, a company he co-founded in the Seattle area. He spent 30 years in education, including experience as a superintendent in Peninsula School District in Gig Harbor, Wash.
The board voted unanimously last week to hire Mitrovich to replace retiring Superintendent Alan Leis and did not introduce him to the community until that day. Shortly after, critics pointed out his doctorate does not come from an accredited university.
Mitrovich attended the now defunct University of Santa Barbara from 1991 to 1993 and earned a doctorate in education administration. The school was approved by the state but not a regional accreditation agency.
He said he chose the university because of the reputation of its instructors and because it offered a cutting edge program in his field.
"It has to be placed in the context of everything I've ever done over a period of my life and we can argue all we want or discuss the merits of USB," Mitrovich said Wednesday. "I won't change my opinion about the people I went to school there with. Their records are unimpeachable."
In the long run, he said, it will be the items on his resume such as his 22 years in high school education that prove to be the more "germane" credentials.
The board, which learned of the accreditation issue the day after it hired Mitrovich, reviewed his dissertation on the impact of principals on infusing technology in schools and met behind closed doors for just over three hours Tuesday night to discuss the matter. Mitrovich and representatives of the search firm Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates also participated in part of the meeting in addition to an attorney for the district.
Board members stayed mum Tuesday night but released a statement Wednesday saying they believe Mitrovich completed a rigorous program and has the education and experience needed to be an effective superintendent.
Mitrovich has his superintendent credentials from Washington State University, a master's in education from Eastern Washington University and a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Washington.
In 1998, he was named Washington state Superintendent of the Year and in 1991 was the Principal of the Year. He has worked on several projects involving technology in schools and helped start the Anywhere, Anytime Learning Program with Microsoft and also developed the Total Reader Web-based reading assessment program.
Mitrovich said while the credential flap wasn't the ideal way to start his tenure, he looks forward to giving the community the chance to get to know him.
"I'm going to bank on the fact that there are a lot of people out there ... reserving judgment and (who) will wait to see what I do in the course of my time here," he said. "I still know this is an extremely high-performing school district. I have expectations it should perform even higher; that it should do things that set it apart."
Mitrovich plans to cut his ties to EdGate when he takes the helm and will move to Naperville.
Because of the search firm's tardiness in alerting the board to the University of Santa Barbara's lack of accreditation, the school board plans to only pay half of its $19,000 contract, according to board President Suzyn Price.
"While we believe we got a great candidate we ... are disappointed in other elements of the search they were going to do to give us all of the information that we would need to be prepared," Price said.
Hank Gmitro, an associate with the firm and superintendent of Carol Stream District 93, has said he takes responsibility for the delays in getting the information to the board and the firm will look at improving its process for background checks.
The firm also helped hire Leis as well as Superintendent Stephen Daeschner in neighboring Indian Prairie Unit District 204.