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New superintendent Suzanne Cusick was identified as an achiever. Greg Ebersole / Daily News file photo

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Superintendent, school board put personalities to the test

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 11:36 PM PDT

By Carrie Pederson

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There are talkers, achievers and “wooers” on the Longview School Board, but there are no “take charge” personalities on the board. Those are the conclusions of a personality test all five board members took at a retreat Monday at the Wake Robin Learning Center west of Longview.

While board members like to learn and are likely to display empathy, no one’s test showed strong “command” and “responsibility” personality traits.

“It is very easy for us to wander,” board member Ted Thomas said after board members got the results, encouraging the team to “write that plan out and stick to it.”

Superintendent Suzanne Cusick said she would give the board structure and direction in the upcoming year. “I can do it because I’m an ‘achiever,’ ” she said with a smile, referring to her own personality test results.

Cusick, who became superintendent July 1 after relocating from the school district in Hillsboro, Ore., introduced the personality test to reveal the strengths of each board member and what they mean for the team.

Board members took Tom Rath’s StrengthsFinder 2.0, a best-selling online personality test that reveals a person’s top five talents.

Listed below are the results of Cusick’s and each member’s test and their goal for the district next year. Cusick will compile a draft of the board’s overall goals to be approved at a future board meeting.

• Suzanne Cusick — likes to take in information, plays to the strengths of each individual, achiever, always thinking about the future, recognizes connectivity. Goal for the district: Each child in Longview can reach his or her highest potential.

• Jennifer Leach — likes to take in information, deliberative, achiever, intellectual. Goal for the district: To offer a variety of “delivery modes” based on academic needs.

• Gary Slyter — adaptable, communicative, empathetic, “wooer” who likes to be charming and win people over, always thinking about the future. Goal for the district: To bridge the gap between teachers and the school board.

• Skip Urling — wooer, positive, communicative, harmonious, “arranger.” Goal for the district: To get graduation rates up.

• Barb Westrick — empathetic, communicative, plays to the strengths of each individual, always thinking about the past. Goal for the district: To try to get more parents to realize the value of early childhood education.

• Ted Thomas — learner, analytical, strategic, achiever and communicative. Goal for the district: To focus more on continuous staff improvement.

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reasonable1 wrote on Aug 7, 2008 9:02 AM:

" I can't decide if I find this more offensive or pointless. Any valid assessment of personality should be treated similarly to medical records: Need-to-know only. What if it came back "Serial killer?" Would we be reading that in the press release? And if not, if the results read like these, ('wooer,' 'achiever,' 'harmonious') then they are little more than horoscopes. I sure hope the Supe didn't spend a lot of taxpayer $$ on this Ouija-board party. And I'm intensely disappointed that her initial effort looks so frivolous. "

Doug McCratch wrote on Aug 7, 2008 10:07 AM:

" To Reasonable1: Uh, wouldn't you want to know if one of the school board members had the personality of a serial killer? Are you saying you'd prefer that to be sealed up in a private file? "

readerone wrote on Aug 7, 2008 10:16 AM:

" Settle down UN -reasonable1. These personality tests are just self and peer assessments. They arent comprehensive, life assessment tools. They arent forensic personality assessment tools.

They serve only as a tool to help understand personality traits. Kind of a team building exercise to help foster improved working relationships. No harm done and kind of a nice human interest story. And . . . . I would be really surprised if the Sup had to shell out a lot of money to administer theses tests. "

Proud Mama wrote on Aug 7, 2008 10:20 AM:

" At least now we know who has what "goal" envisioned. Hopefully they will all do something about it. I have been to board meetings and I have yet to see any action that reflects their target.
Sadly no one on the board wants to focus on special education reform from the top administrators down to the classroom teachers and methodology. "

lola wrote on Aug 7, 2008 10:25 AM:

" ...just another article that the daily news prints because there is no other news going on in the area... "

TheGenius wrote on Aug 7, 2008 11:35 AM:

" Umm, can you say slow news day? "

Banana Hammock wrote on Aug 7, 2008 2:22 PM:

" Just curious, are these people all sheep or do they actually make decisions that may be controversial?

If you have no takes charge what is the point. Any one can take the districts money to hold the status quo. I understand that this is a personality test and I have taken a few myself, but what I have found is that they are pretty accurate. Is there any dissention or do they all just fall in line. It sounds like a microcosm of our PC society, just go along and agree with what is said, that way you can keep your position.

I have to say though; it takes some B_lls to put this out in public.

Voters have to start electing people who will challenge the system instead of just collecting a pay check to ride in the boat.

p.s. Why does Kelso have the funding to offer ROTC but instead used the classroom built for that purpose to stuff their daycare in?

P.C. gone wild. I know my daughter would benefit much more from the discipline and opportunities offered by the ROTC program then from watching pregnant teens at school.

Who on the Kelso Board opposed this crazy move?

Anyone? "

yakima bear wrote on Aug 7, 2008 2:54 PM:

" It is a good story, because it reflects the Longview School board. there is no take charge person, they don't want to rock the boat. Under Nick, they HAD to toe the line. No dissension was allowed. Hopefully the new Super will make the board accountable. "

reasonable1 wrote on Aug 7, 2008 3:01 PM:

" No, darlin' Doug, I wouldn't want negative findings sealed. Nice way to misappropriate my message. Let me say it again: A true assessment should remain confidential, available only to people in a position to act on it. That list most likely ought not include the daily paper. To publish findings that basically amount to "plays nicely with others" is, as some have pointed out here, not news. What I didn't say in my first post was that in my experience with these tools (like Myers-Briggs, DISC, Keirsey, etc.) the only lasting effect they have is to divide people. "Sorry, I'm an ERFP. You know they don't get along with INTJs! OMG!" I'm not sure what the purpose of revealing the exercise is. Next time you're asked to take part in a similar game, you might want to ask if the results are going to be made public. "

Louie wrote on Aug 7, 2008 5:02 PM:

" I think the school board need to be held to the highest standards. There is too much 'hanky panky' going on with teachers and students and it needs to stop and be addressed by a qualified board with a totally clean record. I just hope they all are squeaky clean but I am not totally sure they are. Peer assessments have no professional aspects to them and I think that is an important avenue to explore. There is no reason for any assessment to be kept confidential unless they have something to hide! "

The Kid wrote on Aug 7, 2008 6:01 PM:

" Hey Yakima Bear... I understand there are two types of boards: one that is passive and just rubber stamps what the sup. wants; the other is controlling, represents the needs of the community, whom they represent.....I wonder what we have?? "

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