Leadership Issues — Pension Cycling, Turnover, and Stagnant Ideas

Stop Perpetually Inbreeding Leadership

While promoting from within can carry advantages, we cannot ignore what’s happening in Natrona County: the system keeps recycling the same ideas, the same leadership style, and the same closed-door decision-making that contributed to our current crisis. At a time when enrollment is shrinking not because families have left, but because families are opting-out, we cannot keep selecting leaders from a narrow, predetermined pool and expect different results.

Staff have pointed out the inconsistency plainly. In some areas, if there are not three applicants, exceptions must be requested before moving forward. At the same time, leadership roles with major impact on students and school culture have been filled through interim to permanent pathways without the same visible, competitive process. We should not require more procedural rigor for a small seasonal stipend than we do for roles that shape curriculum, staffing, and school direction.

Wyoming is in a unique position. Unlike other states, superintendent certification is not required. That means teachers, instructional coaches, building-level administrators, and emerging leaders who understand the day-to-day realities of classrooms are fully eligible to apply. The opportunity for fresh leadership is right in front of us.

But in order for that to work, the community must be part of the process.

With improved transparency, families, staff, and stakeholders can help identify strong, forward-thinking leaders who may not currently hold a formal district-level title but who have the vision, courage, and collaborative mindset needed in this moment. We should be encouraging these leaders to step forward and supporting them when they do.

Why aren’t we seeking a different kind of leader?

Natrona County is facing a pivotal moment. The current leadership model is rooted in an outdated playbook: prioritizing test scores, systems, politics, and compliance over students, relationships, and community alignment. This approach is misaligned with what families actually value and drives them away. If we continue selecting leaders who simply maintain the existing structure, the cycle of decline will continue.

What Natrona County needs now is a leader who can:

• Think outside the traditional educational box

• Someone who can innovate rather than replicate

• Lead through collaboration not control

• Bringing teachers, families, and community partners into the collaboration

Since the last post, the pattern we are describing has only become more visible. We have seen interim appointments roll into permanent placements for multiple administrative roles, including a director level position in Teaching and Learning and building level principal roles, some in schools serving high need populations. In several instances, those roles did not appear to go through a public posting and open competitive interview process.

Whether intentional or not, this creates an inside track that discourages strong educators from stepping forward and erodes trust among families and staff. If the district truly wants new ideas and wider community buy in, the minimum standard should be clear. We post openings publicly, publish timelines, and run a consistent interview process every time, especially when the need was known well in advance.

We have heard from staff who participated in a recent building level hiring process that the interview felt more like a formality than a true selection process. They described a strong preference in the room for one candidate, but said it became clear the decision was already made once district leadership’s preferred choice entered the room. When staff experience interviews this way, it signals that participation is being used for optics rather than partnership.

That same concern is showing up across buildings. Many staff feel they no longer have a meaningful voice in principal replacements and have come to expect that decisions will be made at the district level without an open process. When interviews happen but the outcome still feels predetermined, it is not collaboration. It is compliance.

Positions Should Not Be Used Simply To Increase Salaries

Job titles and positions should not be created or adjusted merely as a way to increase pay for a select few. Leadership positions should be publicly posted, openly advertised, and subject to community oversight.

What does this look like in practice?

When we began to look closely at leadership roles, a clear trend emerged. Small or unclear changes in responsibilities led to large increases in pay. This often happened without positions being posted publicly or meaningfully advertised. When postings did occur, they were sometimes treated as a formality rather than a genuine hiring process.

We should accept all qualified applicants and carefully vet them to determine the best candidate. Positions should be posted publicly, and an email about each opening should go to all staff so everyone has a real chance to consider whether they want to apply.

Once applicants have been interviewed and a selection has been made, written documentation explaining why a particular candidate was chosen should be available to the public. For candidates who were not selected, the district should provide a detailed explanation of the decision and specific feedback about what they can improve if a similar role opens in the future.

Those candidates should also have the option to share that feedback publicly if they choose. This level of openness builds trust and helps ensure that hiring is based on merit, not on informal networks or prearranged decisions.