Denise Bartlett, the current Associate Superintendent of Catalina Foothills School District will step into the role of Superintendent on July 1, 2024. The CFSD Governing Board voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Bartlett at their meeting on November 28, 2023. We had the opportunity to ask Dr. Bartlett how she feels about the upcoming transition.
As you prepare to finish off this fiscal year as Associate Superintendent and begin the new fiscal year as District Superintendent, where will your focus be going into the new role?
I am honored to be chosen to lead the Catalina Foothills School District. I am committed to building upon our culture of high-quality teaching and learning.
The strategic plan will continue to guide the work of the district. It has been the blueprint for our success, and I remain strongly committed to it. With my 14 years of experience in the district, I have a deep knowledge of the district and have strong relationships within the district. I have a 100-day plan to ensure that my move from Associate Superintendent to Superintendent is planned so that I can maximize my efforts.
There are four phases to my 100-Day Plan. These phases include Engage, Explore, Evaluate, and Lead. My familiarity with the district policies and procedures will allow me to focus on the evaluate phase.
To this end, I plan to hold a series of “Listen, Learn, and Lead” focus groups with key stakeholder groups to gain insight into key events, issues, and concerns that influence the school district. I will focus on learning about the goals and expectations of the students, staff, and community as well as identifying the district’s improvement opportunities based on external perceptions and internal experiences.
From these focus groups, I will identify two to three priorities that I will focus on to create momentum, confidence, and persistence for the challenging work we will undertake. Continual improvement will be the focus of everything we do.
With your 14 years of experience in the district and a 36-year career in education, what do you consider are the biggest challenges for staff, teachers, and students going into the next academic year?
I think one of our greatest challenges is the recruitment and retention of highly qualified and competent staff. Teaching is a demanding profession, and the demands are increasing. Although the state has created new pathways for individuals to become certified to teach, not all candidates come with the same level of instructional skills.
Providing ongoing instructional coaching support for teachers as they are continually improving their practice is essential. It takes years to become an accomplished teacher. Coaching and support increase the potential for retaining teachers.
Another way to retain teachers is to ensure that their work environment is collaborative so that they feel valued as professionals is essential.
Another challenge that we will face is the state’s expected budget shortfall and its impact on our district. Our state is number 47 in public school funding in the United States. We provide a world-class education for our students with the limited funding that we receive from the state currently.
Without adequate funding to support salaries, wages, and programs, we are challenged to become more and more creative to offer the same level of programs and services with fewer financial resources.
Increasing the funding for public education in Arizona needs to remain a top priority.
Given those challenges, as part of the district leadership at the highest levels, what are the strengths within the district at all levels that you believe will ensure successfully meeting those challenges?
The Catalina Foothills School District is a district of student and family choice. We are a district with a shared mission among staff and community to make decisions that benefit the growth and achievement of our students. We are a district of highly capable and dedicated professionals who put the needs of students at the forefront of their daily work. Our teachers work with new staff to ensure they are successful and meeting student needs. This collegiality and collaboration provide a strong work environment for new staff to grow and develop.
Our community is highly active and engaged in our schools. Their support through the approval of bonds and overrides has allowed our district to continue programs and upgrade our facilities and equipment.
Their support has been instrumental to our success in providing our students with the most current and up-to-date curriculum, technology, and facilities. Working with the community we will continue to support all students in the pursuit of their passions and dreams.
What are your thoughts about the approval of school voucher availability for all Arizona students, and their impact on public education in our state and in your district?
The universal Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) are one of the greatest challenges facing public education today. Every dollar spent on an ESA voucher is money subtracted from public school funding.
Additionally, the lack of oversight and accountability in the program has allowed the program to expand well beyond the proposed budget and state resources. This program essentially defunds public education, dollar for dollar. With the budget deficit caused by the significant increase in the ESA program, the state will have to find some way to balance a budget. This will impact the funding to public schools as education is a major portion of the state’s budget. I do not foresee a balanced budget without public education being negatively impacted.
What are your plans to be visible and accessible to the Catalina Foothills community?
Visibility and accessibility are strong core values I have as a leader. In every leadership role, I have ensured I stay as close to the students and classrooms as possible. Making decisions in the best interest of students requires understanding the accomplishments and challenges that students and staff face on a day-to-day basis.
Frequent classroom and school visits will become part of my daily and weekly routine. I have begun these visits already. Nothing is more significant than interacting with students and discussing what they are learning to understand them truly.
I am fortunate to have the opportunity to transition into the Superintendency under the mentorship of Dr. Mary Kamerzell. During this transition, I will become more visible in the community by attending district meetings and other school and community-0sponsored events.
What are you most excited about going into the next academic year?
I am most excited to continue building upon the strong foundation established over the past three decades. Our rich legacy is centered around the programs and services we provide our students. This programming has remained cutting-edge because we have worked to revise it as the world changes and evolves continually.
We are known for assessing and improving our programming for our students based on their needs, passions, and aspirations for the future. In the Catalina Foothills School District, everything we do is focused on preparing our students for tomorrow. I am excited to continue to create and refine existing programs to ignite a love of lifelong learning in our students, providing them with the tools they need to thrive in an ever-changing world. Achieving our vision of preparing students to transfer their learning to their life beyond CFSD is exciting work and a true measure of our success as a school system.
What are you most apprehensive about, and how do you plan on moving through it?
The job of the Superintendent is vast. I will have to learn many aspects of it regardless of my time spent or experiences as an Assistant or Associate Superintendent. There will be a learning curve, but I know I am well prepared to take it on.
Additionally, there is a sense of loss as I will not be working alongside Dr. Kamerzell next year. She has been a steadfast mentor and colleague with a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw from. We enjoy a strong professional and collegial relationship. Luckily, she assured me she is only a phone call away!
