20 candidates apply for Washington High principal job

CEDAR RAPIDS - With more than 20 candidates now in hand, the timeline for hiring a new principal at Washington High School has been pushed back by about a month, said Rod Dooley, interim human resources director for the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

Dooley said he hopes to recommend someone for the position at the April 24 school board meeting. He had originally planned to recommend a candidate in late March.

The deadline to apply for the principal position was extended to allow for more applicants, Dooley said in an email to The Gazette, adding eight candidates applied by the school district's original deadline.

District officials are in the process of thinning the candidate pool to four or five finalists who are to be brought in for interviews.

Groups of students, staff, district administrators and parents are to conduct interviews.

'I really think the district is doing a good job with the process,” said Jane Hutchins, president of the Washington High Parent-Teacher Association. '(Dooley) is making sure the process has integrity.”

Dooley declined to comment on whether any of the job candidates are current employees of the Cedar Rapids Community School District. During public meetings in January, he said no employees had yet expressed interest in the position.

The names of candidates won't be made public until two finalist are identified, he also said in January.

Carlos Grant has served as interim principal this school year, after longtime principal Ralph Plagman retired last summer as a sex scandal involving a substitute teacher and a student became public.

The school district's human resources director, Jill Cirivello, also was connected to the mishandling of the scandal and retired last summer.

Dooley filled that position in an interim role starting in August.

The teacher, Mary Beth Haglin, 24, has since been sentenced to 90 days in jail for sexual exploitation.

l Comments: (319) 398-8330; molly.duffy@thegazette.com