Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on Auburn School District’s Alan Spicciati as he reflects on his first year as superintendent. The second part next week will focus on upcoming initiatives for the school district.

Alan Spicciati spent 21 years in the Highline School District and has tried to apply the lessons he learned from leaders there in his first year as Auburn’s superintendent.

“My goal when I arrived here was to really understand what was working,” he said. “I’ve seen leadership transitions where changes happen before there’s an appreciation of the things that are in place. I’ve taken this first year to get to know as many people as possible, and I’ve asked what they’re proud of about Auburn and what are opportunities to grow?”

Spicciati, who succeeded the now-retired Kip Herren on July 1, 2015, faced an immediate obstacle, when, in addition to Herren, four administrators in the district office retired.

“This district has had very strong leadership for decades,” Spicciati said. “A byproduct of that is that we had four key leaders retire at the same time. We had essentially a new district leadership team.”

That meant a learning process, about which Spicciati said, “it has been non-stop action for a year” as he endeavored to meet school district employees, as well as community leaders.

“The biggest pleasant surprise for me was really coming to appreciate how Auburn has grown, but it has kept a community feel and a small-town feel,” he said. “We’re a relatively large school district … but it still feels like an intact community. It has made it easy for me to get to know community leaders, the civic leaders, our nonprofit community, and a lot of the parent groups because there’s this cohesiveness in Auburn that I don’t think you find in many large suburban cities and towns in this day.”

Spicciati said that is reflected in the three high schools – Auburn Riverside (1995), Auburn Mountainview (2005) and Auburn (2014) – that either opened or were rebuilt within a 20-year span in different areas of the city.

“I’ve found in other districts that it’s hard for one end of town to really be invested in the success of the other end of town,” he said. “But in Auburn, there’s a connection that goes all the way across.”

And one that appears poised to remain intact.

After a year of transition, Spicciati and his assistant superintendent return for the upcoming school year, with only one principal, Gildo Rey Elementary’s Jana Jo Uhlendorf, having left the district at the end of the last school year.

“I’m very proud that we’ve kept the district moving forward through that transition,” Spicciati said. “I’m looking forward to next year coming back with the same team. We’ll have the same cabinet, and we’ll have almost the same principals.”

While Spicciati said “change occasionally is a good thing,” he feels the continuity will be helpful as the district moves forward with its planning process.

“It’s been a great learning experience for me because each district has some things they’re ahead on and some areas where there’s still room to grow,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot about Auburn’s teacher leadership that’s very strong, and academic systems that have gotten good results over the years. I feel like this way we’ll move forward when we talk about a new strategic plan instead of throwing out the old and in with the new. Our goal is to build on what (is/has been) successful in the past.”