Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
Havre Superintendent of Schools Dennis Parman said this morning he has accepted a position as deputy superintendent with incoming State Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau. “It’s a huge honor,” Parman said, adding, “It was completely unexpected. I almost had to call Denise Juneau back after she called me to make sure we had the conversation.” Parman said he will finish out his contract with the local school district for this year, remaining as superintendent through June 30. He said he intends to have the topic of starting a search for a new superintendent on the agenda for the next meeting of the District 16 & A Board of Trustees, scheduled for Jan. 13. Juneau said in a press release that she believes Parman will serve well in the position. “I have long respected his leadership, integrity and instructional focus,” she said. “His expertise and experience is exactly what our state needs so all students achieve high levels of success.” Parman, who has 29 years in the education field, has spent the last 12 in Havre. He spent his first 10 years as assistant superintendent for Kirk Miller, then took over as superintendent two years ago when Miller moved on as superintendent for the Bozeman public schools. “It’s bittersweet,” Parman said about leaving Havre, adding that he and his wife, Tana, had planned to stay in Havre a few more years, but what would happen after that were unsure. “Denise kind of gave us the answer to that,” he said. He said he has been talking to the current deputy superintendent, Bud Williams, who has been filling him in on the position. A primary duty is for the deputy to act in the place of the superintendent if the superintendent is absent. Others include supervising the work of three assistant superintendents, he said. The state superintendent’s office has a fairly strict hierarchy of responsibilities, Parman said. “I kind of make sure everything happens the Way its supposed to happen in the office,” he said. Parman said that while there are always projects in the works, he is pleased with what he has accomplished in Havre as assistant superintendent and then as superintendent. “I’m very satisfied,” Parman said. The Havre Board of Trustees will set up and be in charge of the search for his replacement, which could begin almost immediately. Parman, who received his Master of Education degree and Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from Montana State University, was district superintendent at Shelby Public Schools before coming to Havre. He is a member of the American Association of School Administrators and of the School Administrators of Montana, and has served on boards and organizations including Montana E Schools Learning Consortium, the Havre-Hill County Library Board, as board vice-chair for the Toole County Hospital and Nursing Home and as an associate to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. He was named School Administrator of the Year in 2005 by the Montana Library Association. The Parmans' son, Tucker, is a senior at Havre High School and intends to pursue a career as a choral director after attending the University of Montana in Missoula. There he will join his older brother, Tyson Parman, who is pursuing a career as a film editor.
