School district to work with co-superintendents

Superintendent John Baracy won't vacate his office for another three months, but the Scottsdale Unified School District is already getting ready for the transition.

Scottsdale schools chief Baracy to retire Oct. 3

The district governing board on Tuesday unanimously confirmed Katy Cavanagh, Scottsdale's assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, and David Peterson, assistant superintendent of operations, as interim co-superintendents once Baracy retires Oct. 3.

That arrangement will stay in place until a permanent replacement is picked, which could be through June 2009.

With all the issues facing the district, it was important to name Baracy's immediate successor early, board President Karen Beckvar said.

"We have a great deal of confidence in both of you. We feel you complement each other very well," Beckvar said.

Cavanagh and Peterson grinned and gave each other a hug right after the board vote.

"We're honored to be able to work together as a team," Cavanagh said.

Cavanagh, 55, has worked in Scottsdale schools since 1989, mostly as a teacher and principal. She moved to the district office in 2003 as a curriculum director, became executive director of middle schools in 2005 and moved to her current position at the beginning of last school year.

Cavanagh has also been an analyst at a savings and loan company and a vice president in a food company, and was a longtime district parent.

Peterson, 45, has worked in Scottsdale since July 2005. Before that, he spent 10 years in the Mesa Unified School District, where he served as director of operations.

Peterson has a bachelor's degree in engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, a law degree from Concord Law School and certificates in business management, public school planning and civil engineering from Central Arizona College, Harvard University and Arizona State University, respectively.

He's also served as an intelligence officer in the Air Force and vice president of a contracting company.

Both said limited resources and the ongoing talks of potential school closures and reorganizations would continue being the top issues for the district.

However, they foresaw little change in day-to-day operations. Under the current district structure, most business staff ultimately reports to Peterson while the curriculum side is under Cavanagh.

The two will spend the next few weeks figuring out exactly how that collaboration will work, Cavanagh said.

And other than Baracy's absence, there will be no changes in the process the district has used to develop proposals, namely getting a team of people that represent different areas of the district together to discuss and develop proposals that go to the governing board, Cavanagh said.

Neither will be vying for the permanent superintendent job, at least not this time around.

"I am honored to serve as an interim, but it was never my goal to serve as superintendent," Cavanagh said.

"Ultimately, years down the road, I would be" interested in the superintendent position, Peterson said. "But not in the near future."

Since neither Peterson nor Cavanagh is seeking the top job, the atmosphere will be collaborative instead of competitive, Peterson said.

And that will let them focus on bringing stability to the district and prepare for a smooth transition to Baracy's ultimate successor.

"Dr. B is leaving us with big shoes to fill," Peterson said. "It's going to take two of us to fill them."