Four national Superintendent of the Year finalists -- including Oregon Superintendent of the Year Krista Parent of South Lane School District in Cottage Grove (right), as well as Larry Nyland of Marysville, Wash., Susan Andrews of Hamilton, Ga., and Brenda Dietrich of Topeka, Kan. -- recently visited Washington, D.C., to go through final interviews for the AASA award.  "It was great to hear what the other finalists are doing in their districts," she said.

Parent reports that one of the highlights of the trip was a press conference at the National Press Club.  "Senator Kennedy was having a press conference across the hall at the same time so it was really buzzing around there," she said.  Parent also had appointments with Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Peter DeFazio.

"It was amazing," she said.  "We were treated like royalty.  It was a lot of fun." 

Parent will be honored at the OASE/OACOA Winter Conference at Salishan on February 1-3.  There, Parent and a South Lane team will also be conducting breakout sessions entitled, "Success Stories -- Low SES, High Poverty, High Achievement."

Parent will also be feted at the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) National Conference on Education in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 2.