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What kind of leader do you desire? Every day is different and challenging, Kimball says SAMANTHA PAK spak@redmond-reporter.com
provided a comprehensive training class that teaches skills and addresses issues related to gangs, drugs, self-esteem, emotional issues and helps troubled youth prepare for a better future. At the heart of the program are the intervention workers, individuals that had been on the streets but decided to transform their lives, and their communities, for the better. “They were the ones that were the most valuable players, those are the ones that cause the change we bring about you, one-on-one, face-to-face, in their own homes,” Carroll said. “When the sheriff ’s car drives up, the kids scatter ... when the LAPD shows up, they all run. When these (intervention workers) make themselves available, then they can start communicating in dialogue.”
If there is one thing Dr. Chip Kimball has learned during his five years as superintendent at Lake Washington School District (LWSD), it’s that the job is anything but routine. From reading to kindergartners and reviewing curriculum with teachers, to meeting with city council members, legislators or the governor, Kimball said every day is different. “(Being a superintendent) is one of the most diverse and interesting jobs on the planet,” he said. Part of this variety comes from serving a diverse constituency and working to meet the needs of all while protecting the district’s No. 1 priority: satisfying the students’ interests. In order to be successful, it has been important for Kimball to really understand his constituents. This is the single most important piece of advice Kimball has for his successor, who will replace him at the end of the school year. Kimball is stepping down in June and will become superintendent of the Singapore American School (SAS) in Singapore, beginning July 1, 2012. The LWSD board of directors has begun its search for a new superintendent and is currently gathering information from community members about what they want in a superintendent. The public has been able to provide input through an online survey on its website (www.lwsd.org), under “What’s New on this Site ...” LWSD communications director Kathryn Reith said the survey is a combination of multiple choice and open-ended questions. More than 1,700 people have taken the survey, but the district hasn’t released results yet since the survey is open until midnight tonight. The public also had an opportunity to comment on the subject during Monday’s regular board meeting and only one person spoke. Redmond resident Bob Yoder said he thinks with the district’s current search for a new
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Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll addresses a group of Microsoft, Corp. employees Tuesday afternoon. He was at the Microsoft campus, educating employees about a program called “A Better Seattle,” which helps reduce gang and youth violence. The program is partially funded by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. CHAD COLEMAN, Redmond Reporter
CARING CARROLL Seahawks coach inspires Microsoft employees to give back; Ballmer helps get the ball rolling for ‘A Better Seattle’
TIM WATANABE twatanabe@redmond-reporter.com
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eattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll — a fiery 60-year-old with the energy of a teenager — pushes himself and his players to the limit on the football field. Off the field, however, Carroll tries just has hard to make a difference in the local communities in which he coaches. On Tuesday afternoon, the former University of Southern California (USC) Trojans coach visited Microsoft’s campus in Redmond to tell employees about “A Better Seattle,” an organization he recently founded that works with policy makers, elected officials, law enforcement and the community to reduce gang and youth violence. Carroll’s idea began nearly a decade ago after the Trojans’ traditional rivalry game
against Notre Dame. The Monday after, he turned on the radio to hear horrific news of a string of gang-related deaths in Los Angeles. “Four kids had been killed over the weekend,” Carroll recalled. “On Tuesday morning, in retaliation, two more kids (died), and by Thursday there were 11 kids that had been killed.” Not long after, Carroll got together with his friend Lou Tice, the founder of The Pacific Institute which is headquartered in Seattle, and community leaders to eventually build “A Better L.A.” According to Carroll, as many as 300 or 400 kids a year die in gang-related deaths in Los Angeles on an annual basis. To change that statistic, Carroll knew there was little that law enforcement could do. The change had to come from within. From its early stages, “A Better L.A.” has