Schools

A Hefty Task List for NUSD'S Next Chief

Superintendent Dave Marken talks about what he hopes to build upon at Newark Unified.

Newly appointed Newark schools Superintendent Dave Marken already has a lengthy to-do list.

Marken is in the midst of his transition between Dublin Unified School District and Newark but has already identified what may be some of his top priorities during his first few months in his new position.

Learning the culture of the school district, focusing on enhancing learning environments and opportunities for students and establishing fiscal stability were among those he listed.

Find out what's happening in Newarkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Just one day after the board approved to hire him, Marken met with district staff and toured the district offices on Musick Avenue.

“I’m excited to be in the community,” Marken said.

Find out what's happening in Newarkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Newark’s Board of Education finalized Marken’s hire and approved his contract at a recent board meeting. That contract is a three-year term that expires on June 30, 2014.

His annual base salary is $190,000 and beginning with the 2012-13 school year and each school year after, his base salary could be increased by 3.5 percent upon receiving a positive evaluation from the Board of Education, according to the contract.

Marken succeeds Kevin Harrigan, who made $178,833 last year, not including benefits.

Marken's decision to come to Newark was not an easy one to make. Marken said after being with Dublin Unified School District for several years, the change “certainly comes with mixed emotions.”

“It wasn’t my desire to escape from Dublin, to leave Dublin, but I also felt it was time for me to go after a superintendence,” Marken said.

Getting Personal

The similarities between the districts are what initially attracted Marken to the position.

Newark Unified School District serves approximately 6,700 students while Dublin Unified serves about 6,300 pupils. Both districts have one comprehensive high school. 

“It’s not too large. ...I like that personal connection,” said Marken, who added his previous experience as a high school principal has made him appreciate the dynamics of education.

“I’ve enjoyed the plays, the musicals, the football games, the baseball games. I really see myself as another voice to show how great Newark is and will continue to be,” Marken said. “I will be very visible.”

Learning the Culture

“It’s very important to me to understand the culture of the community and the school district — because every organization has one — and honor that culture,” Marken said.

He hopes to meet with staff members once their summer vacations are over and to meet students once the academic year kicks off.

“I want to get into every single classroom,” Marken said. “It’s really important to get a sense of our kids and their learning. The top priority is kids learning.”

Finding Fiscal Stability

Finding a way to strengthen the district’s budget is another key issue Marken would like to tap into, whether it is by considering a general bond or parcel tax, identifying where more cuts can be made, lowering costs or enhancing revenues.

Marken said an example of enhancing revenues would be increasing efforts to improve students' average daily attendance (ADA), which is a major funding source for school districts. He said in Dublin, an increase of 0.7 percent in ADA resulted in an excess of approximately $700,000.

“We have to look at those opportunities,” Marken said. “One of the challenges will be the ongoing budget issues. Those wont’ be resolved overnight.”

Marken said he also hopes to get started on building a strong working relationship with the district’s Board of Education and employee unions and an understanding of the district’s strategic goals.

Still, the new superintendent said the utmost priority for the district is student learning.

“When students come into high school and graduate, they should have all opportunities available to them” whether it be attending college, community college, trade school or entering the military, Marken said. “That’s the hope I think we want to bring to Newark kids.”

Editor's note: This report was published June 30, 2011.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Newark