With the July 1 departure of Cheney Assistant Superintendent Sean Dotson to Tumwater School District looming in the distance, local school officials have been working overtime to secure a replacement in time for the next school year. That search is over now, with Cheney Public Schools announcing Tuesday the selection of Tom Arlt as the next assistant superintendent.
Arlt has a long history in education in several capacities, according to a Cheney Public Schools press release. For the last four years, he has served at Lind-Ritzville Cooperative Schools as an elementary school and high school principal, and later as the director of state and federal programs.
Prior to Lind-Ritzville, Arlt worked in Colfax for seven years as an elementary and middle school principal and spent eight years as Granite Falls’ special programs coordinator. He also spent nine years working in the intervention and counseling programs for Lake Stevens School District.
According to the press release, “the applicant screening team and the hiring committee were very impressed by Mr. Arlt’s diverse background in educational leadership and support. He comes to us with a proven record in student achievement and a strong desire to become a part of the Cheney School District and community.”
The district shared several references for Arlt, including one that called him “a capable and effective leader.”
Arlt earned his degree in psychology and counseling at Washington State University and five years later earned his masters of education at City University in Bellevue. Arlt has also completed the K-12 Principal Certification Program and Professional Administrator Certification Program, both at Seattle Pacific University.
At the Cheney School Board’s April 17 meeting, Superintendent Rob Roettger said school officials were confident the district would “be in good hands.”
Dotson announced earlier this year he had accepted a superintendent position on the other side of the state and would be starting prior to the 2019-2020 school year to transition into his new duties.
Shannen Talbot can be reached at [email protected].
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