[Mpls] Superintendent Finalists

[Jim Bernstein]

I am wondering if anyone else is curious why the search for a
superintendent failed to produce at least one good candidate who has a
record of moving through the ranks and is currently a superintendent of
another large district.

Oftentimes, the largest school districts like Minneapolis find their
superintendents in the ranks of successful superintendents in either
very large suburbs or slightly smaller cities.  It seems to be quite
common for the candidate pools for large city superintendents to include
several current superintendents from these smaller cities who want the
challenge (and benefits and prestige) of moving up the largest
districts.  

It strikes me as very odd that either no one serving as a superintendent
of another large district, albeit smaller than Minneapolis, was either
interested or "qualified" to be a candidate for the Minneapolis
position.  

I am extremely disappointed with the three finalists.  Two career,
mid-level educrats with modest resumes and a former investment banker
with no public sector background who tried to run a large school
district like a business and was essentially fired.

Perhaps one of these three is the "diamond in the rough" and we will get
lucky! But, I am not optimistic.   

I cannot help wonder what all of the people who were so adamantly
opposed to Dave Jennings being named superintendent find in these three
candidates that is so much better than Mr. Jennings?

If it were up to me, I would fire the search firm, declare none of the
three candidates suitable and start the process anew. Minneapolis public
schools deserve better.

Jim Bernstein
Fulton