Englewood Schools get new leader

Englewood Schools board members voted 5-0 Tuesday to hire a Douglas County human resources director as their next superintendent.

Brian Ewert, who was among those presenting to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan during his recent visit, will head the 3,100-student district south of Denver. 

Englewood and Douglas County district officials are working out transition plans.

Ewert is taking over from current Superintendent Sean McDaniels, who is leaving for another schools’ chief job in Oklahoma. McDaniels led Englewood Schools for two years.

Englewood officials received more than 15 applications for the superintendent’s position and narrowed the pool to five applicants, who were interviewed Saturday.

In addition to Ewert, the finalists were William Stuart, chief academic officer for Aurora Public Schools; Christian Cutter, executive director of K-12 schools for Colorado Springs District 11;  Mark Devoti, superintendent in Pagosa Springs; and Tammy Clementi-Watson, chief academic officer of Pueblo City Schools.

Devoti interviewed Saturday but later withdrew his name from consideration.

Ewert was a principal in Douglas County, the state’s third largest district, before being named director of human resources in 2006. He also serves as the district’s chief negotiating officer and has been working with the Douglas County Federation of Teachers on a new teacher evaluation system.

Ewert and Brenda Smith, Douglas County’s union president, told Duncan about their joint effort when he visited Denver in March.

Englewood is the second school district in as many weeks to announce a new superintendent. Last week, Douglas County school board members voted unanimously to hire Elizabeth Celania-Fagen, currently running the Tucson school district, as their new leader. 

Read the press release on Ewert’s hiring here.