Mpls. Board Of Education Meets To Discuss Superintendent Search
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minneapolis Board of Education will discuss Tuesday night how to move forward in its search for a new superintendent.
The board dumped its top choice, Dr. Sergio Paez, last month. And the second choice, Interim Superintendent Michael Goar, has dropped out of the race.
The board, which has not met since last month's meeting, is hoping to find a consensus on how the district should move forward in filling its top spot.
That meeting was cut short by a protest from concerned parents and community members who are upset about the way the search is being handled.
The board voted to drop top-candidate Paez over concerns of abuse allegations during his time as superintendent in a school district in Massachusetts.
The meeting was shut down before the board could vote on Goar.
"Our original timeline was to have a superintendent by June, and we think we can still meet that," Board Member Kim Ellison said.
She says the group will focus on finding a superintendent who wants what is best for the students in the district.
With the top-two candidates out, the board hopes for a speedy regrouping and hiring of someone to lead.
"Expedited search, because we've laid a lot of the ground work, we've done that already," Ellison said.
That ground work included an $85,000 price tag to pay for the Illinois search firm, tasked to find candidates for superintendent.
Jenny Warner is a product of Minneapolis Public Schools, and she also has two children in the district.
"Perhaps ask for money back from the original search firm because I think they let us down on that contract," Warner said.
She says many parents agree with her. They want a new search and they hope the board does not look too far to find the best person for the job.
"Focus on candidates within the district," Warner said. "I think we have a lot of homegrown candidates that would do really well. I've heard some names bandied about by parents and staff, and I think we have great potential of growing that candidate in the district."
Tuesday night's meeting to discuss the next steps is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Davis Center on West Broadway Avenue. It is open to the public.
