Seattle Public Schools superintendent finalists visit: José Banda

The three finalists for Seattle Public Schools superintendent are visiting this week, each one in the spotlight for a day, including group media interviews. The first spotlight came on Tuesday, for José Banda, from Anaheim, California. Above, unedited SPS video of one of his 3 quarter-hour-long group interviews (partly conducted in Spanish, in which he is fluent); here are reports from two of the participants in today’s interviews, Seattle Times (WSB sponsor) reporter Brian M. Rosenthal, here; Seattle Schools Community Forum writer Melissa Westbrook, here. (The Times also profiled Banda, here.) Today, finalist Steven Enoch, from San Ramon, California, will go through the same routine, and we hope to have video and links here again late tonight or early tomorrow. To tell the School Board what you think about any of the candidates, you’re invited to e-mail schoolboard@seattleschools.org.

co April 25, 2012 (9:53 am)

this guy is clearly a rock star educator. just hire him.

Public School Advocate April 25, 2012 (4:51 pm)

I liked how he talked repeatedly about parent engagement and building relationships with different groups within our community. He seems like a genuine and approachable person who would be a strong leader.

SPS Parent April 26, 2012 (9:23 am)

After watching both videos Mr Enoch worries me. He was on his ‘way out’ but this job came up? Hmmmm…I think he’d be out after a short stint here. But, what he said was true. You could hire someone thinking ‘oh great 10 yrs!’ after one year, wanting them out.
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I agree with a lot of what Mr Banda said. I’d pick him over the two, I think.