At Monday's St. Paul school board meeting, someone will nominate one of the three finalists for the superintendent's job. A unanimous vote will likely follow, not necessarily because the board members all agree, but because they want to present a united front after weighing the candidates' strengths and weaknesses.

It's unclear whom they will choose. After hours of interviews with the board, business, civic and community members, the process is ending much as it began -- with many backing the local finalists, Valeria Silva and Deborah Henton, though Charles Hopson, the candidate from Portland, Ore., earned some converts.

"They have a no-lose situation," says Charlie Kyte, executive director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, sizing up the candidates.

"They have a strong insider with a track record of working successfully with diverse communities [Silva]; they have a person with great knowledge of the St. Paul schools who has been in the chief executive role [Henton]; and they have a very bright person from outside the state who would bring all the parties together [Hopson]," Kyte said.

Nonetheless, only one of the three finalists in the state's second-largest school district has superintendent experience -- Henton -- whose tiny North Branch district is less than one-tenth the size of St. Paul.

"Ideally, the superintendent in St. Paul would have been superintendent in another urban area, all things being equal," said Joe Nathan, director of the Center for School Change at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute.

Finalist pool is diverse

The candidate pool, with one black man, a Hispanic woman and a white woman in part reflects St. Paul's broad diversity.

Many insiders say Silva is the favorite. As chief academic officer, she is second-in-command of the district that has 38,000 students and 6,000 employees. She has a broad following from more than 20 years in the district.

Silva came to the United States at age 24 and has been a passionate advocate for English language learners, who comprise 40 percent of students in the district. Her biggest obstacle is to satisfy the board that she can be more than an advocate for a narrow range of issues, and can manage all the district's responsibilities.

Silva kept an upbeat outlook during her interviews, but her answers sometimes rambled and she was once admonished by the board to keep her responses brief.

By contrast, Henton was the most articulate and crisp when answering questions. People who have worked with her have marveled at her administrative skills as she diagnosed problems, helped lead a group to a solution and then held people accountable for delivering results. Being the only one with on-the-job experience is a plus for her, too. "I have my superintendent's voice," Henton said.

But she faced a challenge from Hmong students who packed one of her sessions and said she hadn't treated Hmong students fairly during her days as principal of Harding High School. Henton said she has learned about different cultures and is willing to reach out more. She gained plaudits from some people who attended the session for the direct way she responded.

She also is getting rave reviews for her leadership in North Branch. "She is dynamite and it will be a great loss to our district if we lose her," says Donna Setter, a current member of the North Branch school board.

Meanwhile, Hopson pleasantly surprised many with his calm and thoughtful demeanor. His prescription for closing the achievement gap and for integrating English language learners into mainstream classes is consistent with the district's current strategy.

Hopson also might be the choice for those who in recent weeks have called for "healing" in the district, following the tenure of former schools chief Meria Carstarphen, whose administration had been criticized for failing to be inclusive in its decision making. Carstarphen couldn't be reached for comment.

Though mild-mannered, Hopson took a hit last week when bloggers uncovered comments he made earlier about how school integration in some ways created problems for blacks. Hopson clarified the flap, saying that integration alone cannot close the achievement gap.

With all their strengths and weaknesses on display, board members have a difficult task ahead, said Kyte, of the school administrators organization.

"Board members may want to ask which of these candidates can gain the strengths of the other candidates," he said. "You need a person who can do all of the above."

Gregory A. Patterson • 612-673-7287