The Chandler Unified School District 

Superintendent

Our Community and Our District

Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) is Arizona’s second largest and one of its most highly regarded public school districts, educating over 40,000 students across 80 square miles and is Chandler’s second largest employer with over 5,000 employees. CUSD is located in the Southeast Valley of the Phoenix metro area and serving parts of Chandler, Gilbert, and Queen Creek. Known for academic excellence, CUSD students consistently exceed state and national averages in core subjects, while the district’s schools receive recognition from both state and federal education agencies. CUSD has 31 conventional elementary schools, six middle schools, and six high schools, as well as specialized alternatives such as Chandler Online Academy, Elite Performance Academy, Hill Learning Academy, Gifted Academies, and the Chandler Learning Center to support personalized learning options. These diverse learning environments prioritize student success at the heart of its mission.

Job Summary

Chandler Unified School District seeks a qualified, highly visible, innovative and community-centered superintendent to work closely with the Governing Board, students, staff, families, and the community to continue CUSD’s reputation as Arizona’s premiere public school district and deliver innovative career, technical and educational opportunities for its students. The Superintendent will collaborate with the Governing Board, staff, students, and community partners to improve student outcomes, advance high academic standards, maintain fiscal responsibility, and innovation balancing the district’s tradition of excellence with creative strategies to adapt to enrollment and funding shifts.

Experience with district-level responsibilities and familiarity with superintendent expectations within a diverse suburban school district and community are also desired. The district seeks a candidate with a track record of clear, consistent, honest, effective communication and collaboration across all stakeholders, as well as a history of improving student learning outcomes for all students.

Strategic Planning & Results: Leads long-term strategic initiatives aligned to Governing Board goals and measurable student outcomes with accountability. Provides equitable school site support reflective of closing student disparities. Develops and communicates a clear, focused instructional vision aligned to student needs.

Organizational Structure and Prioritization: Publishes and communicates budget implications proactively and with transparency. Assesses and monitors staffing allocations, equitably balancing district-level administration with school site positions. Prioritizes instructional and operational support where student learning occurs. Ensures strong lines of communication and accountability between district level administration and school site administration. Promotes a culture of service-oriented leadership, with schools as the priority. Establishes a culture of collaboration and shared leadership within district level cabinet.

Human Resources: Commitment to ethical practices in recruiting, hiring, training, compensating, and developing employees. Fosters a positive, safe, legally compliant and student outcomes focused work environment. Ensures legal and ethical compliance in all hiring and promotional practices. Maintains and honors market adjustments. Strategically utilizes exit interview data and works with union representation, teachers and staff to inform recruitment, hiring and retention practices of high-quality teachers and staff.

Instructional Leadership: Builds coherence across schools and programs through systems that promote and support continuous improvement, innovation, and instructional excellence within teaching and learning while supporting teacher autonomy, flexibility and creativity focused on student outcomes. 

Collaboration & Innovation:  Develops, sustains and grows strong partnerships with parents, employees, local government, higher education institutions, health and resource centers, non-profits, business organizations and other stakeholder groups to support strategic goals, and inspiring inspire community confidence and support. Encourages 21st-century instructional innovation.

Marketing and Branding/Competition: Leverages creative problem-solving and strategic marketing to strengthen enrollment, attract/retain families, and enhance the district’s visibility by promoting quality educational options for students.

Visibility and Accessibility: Maintains a strong, authentic presence in schools and community events within the Chandler Community. Holds Superintendent advisory committees with various community stakeholders that include certified, classified staff, administrators, students and parents.

Minimum Qualifications

Graduate Degree;

Current Arizona Superintendent Certification (or ability/willingness to obtain);

Demonstrated success in leading complex organizations, including experience in strategic planning, fiscal management, and collaboration with a governing board resulting in improved student outcomes;

Demonstrated ability to improve outcomes for all students through innovative and equitable practices;

Prior experience as a classroom teacher and school district administrator;

Effective and creative problem-solving and conflict resolution skills;

Demonstrated experience with instructional leadership, data-driven planning, school district budgeting, and assessment;

Proven record of transparent communication, ethical leadership and stakeholder engagement;

Strong interpersonal skills in listening, speaking, and writing;

Track record of inclusive leadership and responsiveness to community voice;

Models high standards of professional and ethical behaviors at all times and has a track record of operating with consistent integrity, accountability, and transparency

Preferred Qualifications

Doctoral degree;

District-level administrative experience overseeing multiple departments such as finance, human resources, facilities, curriculum, and operations, community education, school sites;

Experience in school district larger than 10,000 students;

Experience working with labor relations;

Commitment to timely communication and empowering site-level leadership;

Proven success with intentional community partnerships, legislative advocacy, and funding initiatives;

Ability to lead through district changes and decline in student enrollment with transparency and careful planning inclusive of stakeholders;

District leadership experience with operations, including Arizona school finance, facilities planning, human resources, labor relations;

District leadership experience with successful school funding initiatives (overrides & bonds);

Experience working closely with a School District Governing Board

Strengths and Opportunities

Pending:  HYA is currently gathering input from students, staff, families and community members regarding strengths and challenges/opportunities facing the district as well as the most important leadership priorities and characteristics desired in the next superintendent.  This input will be used to develop a Leadership Profile Report that will be used by the Governing Board in making screening and selection decision

Application Requirements 

Qualified applicants are invited to submit the following:

1. Cover Letter
2. Resume
3. Completed application Form (at HYA website)
4. Written letters of recommendation from a minimum of (3) professional references

Application Process and Timeline

Application Deadline:  January 2, 2026

Application Link:  https://hyasearch.com/job/superintendent-chandler-az/

Announcement of Appointment:  Late January TBD

Superintendent begins:  July 1, 2026

Confidential Process

All inquiries, nominations, and applications will be handled confidentially throughout the screening process to protect the privacy of candidates and ensure an open search environment.

For questions (that will remain confidential), please contact:

Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, Search Consultants

Mr. John Bash   johnbash@hyasearch.com  360-269-8224

Dr. Kristine McDuffy   kristinemcduffy@hyasearch.com  360-391-4934

Please direct all inquiries to HYA Associates.  Do not contact members of the Governing Board)

Anticipated timeline

Preliminary screening and semifinalist interviews are anticipated to take place in early January with finalist interviews and community engagement opportunities to follow shortly thereafter. The selected Superintendent is expected to assume duties on July 1, 2026.

Compensation

The Chandler Public Schools Governing Board will negotiate a compensation and benefit package for 2026-2027 that is regionally competitive based upon education, experience and districts of comparable size.

About Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates

Established in 1987, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) is one of the oldest and largest search firms having assisted more than 1,600 school boards select exceptionally talented leadership in school systems across the nation, large and small, urban and rural. HYA’s reputation and experience make it one of the preeminent school search firms in the nation and a standard which others often emulate. HYA Associates are located across the country to conveniently serve clients and are thus uniquely qualified to bring local – as well as national – perspectives, knowledge, experience, and connections to each search.

Connections working at Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates