The Sweetwater Union High School District school board Monday night approved a contract for its new interim superintendent.
Philip Stover reported for duty on Tuesday and is to oversee one of California’s largest school districts.
In order for Stover to take on the position though, the school board waived certain credential requirements needed for the superintendent position.
Those requirements included an administrative services credential and a teacher’s credential, said school board President Frank Tarantino.
Tarantino said waiving these requirements under Government Code 35029 is standard.
“The state allows for a waiver,” he said. “It’s not anything new.”
Tarantino said there were other candidates who had these requirements, but said Stover provides an outside perspective.
“He loves to come in and look at organizations and keep them working until someone permanent takes the reigns,” he said. “I think that fresh perspective (that he offers) is going to help us out.”
Tarantino pointed out how former San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Alan Bersin had such requirements waived for him when he took the position at San Diego Unified.
Stover, bilingual in English and Spanish, will lead a school district where a majority of the students are Hispanic.
During Monday’s board meeting, Stover addressed the board in both languages.
“Today is the day for us to move forward to continue the good things that have been happening with trust and transparency,” he said.
Before coming to the district Stover was spending his retirement in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Stover’s contract is set to expire on June 8. However, if a permanent superintendent isn’t named by the time the contract is up, the school board can elect to extend Stover’s contract for a period of 30, 60 or 90 days.
“The reason for that is because we’d like to have some overlap and that’s up to Mr. Stover on how long he wants to stay,” Tarantino said.
Stover’s contract also says that the board, at its discretion, can provide an evaluation of the interim superintendent at any time during the term of the contract.
Stover’s monthly salary will be $18,750 plus benefits.
Stover replaces former interim superintendent Tim Glover, who suddenly resigned a month before his contract was to expire in March to go back to work for the San Diego County Office of Education.
Glover served the district for about seven months before he resigned.
Prior to Stover’s hiring, Assistant Superintendent Sandra Huezo served the district as its temporary interim.
With Stover named as the interim, he takes himself out of the running for the permanent position, Tarantino said.
Tarantino said the addition of Stover is just the start of a culture change across the district.
“The days of intimidation and bullying (at the district) are over,” he said.
The newly appointed superintendent has extensive experience in education. He holds master’s degrees in education and counseling psychology.
He also assessed and designed management programs for over 120 school districts, private schools and institutions of higher learning.
He was also part of the reorganization efforts at the San Diego Unified School District.
Board member Kevin Pike expressed his support for Stover.
“I just like to say I’m very glad to see that you’re here and I’m hoping that in the next three months you can just keep the ship rolling at a nice level. You have all of our confidence.”
