Not that Mann's question is irrelevant ("What capabilities have the
finalists demonstrated that make them the best of
a very large pool of candidates for the job of school district
superintendent,
in the opinion of the board members?"), but although I am unable to find the
RFP on the MPS web site for hiring a search firm for the hiring process
(unless it is the same one for the "community engagement process" released early
last month; this RFP outlines some of the search criteria for the Supt. position
and you'll find a link below to a page with a summary and link to the RFP;
there is no real transparency in MPS in this area so far as I can see), I think
that qualifications probably have little to do with choosing these three
particular people. It very well might be based on a willingness to leave the
quagmire they are in presently, excepting the former Seattle Supt. who is now a
consultant and already done so, and coming to take responsibility for our own
(you'd be hard pressed to find many districts without trouble in any part of the
country, I think). All I can find on the search process is the last link below
and it essentially points to criteria from citizen input (more than 600)
gathered in January rather than the "engagement process" initiated in May following
the aborted implementation of the school and program closing plan.
I'm surprised they found any as good as these three, but it seems that
(leaving the race and spin issues raised by Michael Atherton alone) the choice
is between people who are primarily oriented in the administration of education
and one with less such experience but more in business and government, a
David Jennings type if you will. It begs the question of whether it might have
been better to stick with the archetype Jennings in the first place with an
assistant well versed in education administration.
The broader question for me is why any people in Minneapolis believe that
a change in leadership here is somehow going to change a situation
perpetuated by lowered enrollment and funding cuts caused by the policy shifts at the
state and federal level of government. All I can find on the search process is
the last link below. What we really need are coherent strategies articulated by
the MPS board within the realm of economic reality and a capable
superintendent to implement them. As far as the board, I only have confidence in three
of
them, one of whom is leaving and another being challenged in this round of
elections and I cannot say I have any confidence in any of the present
challengers. It sure looks like we're up the creek without a paddle to me (maybe even
without paddlers).
Bill Kahn
Prospect Park
<A HREF="http://www.mpls.k12.mn.us/Superintendent_Search#summary";>
http://www.mpls.k12.mn.us/Superintendent_Search#summary</A>
<A HREF="http://www.mpls.k12.mn.us/Community_Engagement_Process";>
http://www.mpls.k12.mn.us/Community_Engagement_Process</A>
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