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Southside School Board Names New Superintendent

The Southside School District Board of Directors began an executive search in December to find a successor to replace Superintendent Doris Bolender who will retire at the end of June after nine years of dedicated service.

The search attracted highly qualified applicants and, after screening and interviews, the Board voted at a special meeting on February 25, 2021 to offer the position to Paul Wieneke, an educational leadership consultant and experienced school leader, pending mutual agreement on an employment contract.

Mr. Wieneke brings a broad range of training and experience to Southside, including Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as well as specific training in public school administration. He has professional certification in Washington as teacher, principal, and superintendent. He served for 20 years as an elementary teacher and paraeducator in both urban and rural settings before beginning his administrative career which included 12 years of successful service as an elementary principal in Alaska and Washington (Tacoma).

He brings an impressive list of educational expertise including certification as a principal mentor and formal training in multiple instructional frameworks, social-emotional learning, culturally responsive teaching, and accelerated math and reading program design.  Mr. Wieneke has trained thousands of Washington teachers and administrators in the Collective Efficacy of Beliefs and Best Practices.  Throughout the interview process, he shared his core belief that, “All students are capable of success, no exceptions.”

Mr. Wieneke brings his talent as an accomplished musician, singer and performer of elementary children’s songs, and is also functionally fluent and bi-literate in Spanish. 

While Mr. Wieneke’s first official day on the job will be July 1st, he looks forward to engaging in transition activities later this spring.  He is excited about this opportunity and shared that he has, “…come to learn that Southside is a unique, caring, family-oriented community.  I believe it is important that a leader models methods of engagement with stakeholders that foster mutual trust.”

The Southside School Board welcomes Mr. Wieneke and thanks the many staff and community members who actively engaged in the screening and selection process.