St. Paul schools chief: 'I can't do it alone'

When the superintendent's job in St. Paul's public schools opened earlier this year, Valeria Silva wasn't sure she should apply. She talked with friends, family and mentors, but she got her answer from someone she watches over -- Ted Farrar, a student at Bridge View School.

"He told me to go for it," Silva said.

On Tuesday, when Silva held her first news conference after being chosen schools chief Monday night, she made sure Ted was beside her near the podium to share the triumph.

The usual crowd of educators, policymakers and community advocates have surrounded and dissected superintendent candidates in recent weeks. Amid all the different viewpoints, one word continued to be associated with Silva: Passion.

"This is the reason we do the work we do," said Silva, tightly holding Ted's hand. Ted is confined to a wheelchair and has trouble speaking. But he has learned poetry.

"He calls me the lady with the beautiful eyes," Silva said.

Ted's school, which serves people with developmental disabilities, is in the same complex as the school district headquarters where Silva works. They met a few years ago, during one of Silva's frequent trips to the school that Ted and 182 other students from ages 5 to 21 attend, said Mike Piersak, Bridge View principal. Last week, Ted made a good-luck card for Silva when he heard she had been named a finalist, and Silva walked over to his school to thank him.

Piersak isn't surprised Ted and Silva struck up a relationship. "When you work with marginalized kids, the Teds of the world -- they can identify authenticity. They know if the Valerias of the world really care about them. Ted knows it's real, and Valeria knows it's real."

It was a similar passion that brought Silva, 48, to the United States 24 years ago from her native Chile, even though she didn't speak English. "I fell in love and I came to be here," said Silva, years removed from that initial relationship.

Starting as a teacher in a Spanish immersion school, Silva rose through the ranks as a curriculum coordinator, assistant principal and principal. Then she became director of the district's English language learner programs, and into her most recent post, chief academic officer.

She also was selected for and graduated from the prestigious Broad Superintendents Academy last year and now is on a national commission that is developing nationwide educational standards.

Coming to America "was probably the most wise decision I have made," Silva said Tuesday. And, to answer a question so many in the community have asked following the short, three-year tenure of the district's most recent superintendent, she intends to stay. "This is home," Silva said. "It's up to the board how long they want me here."

She also acknowledged the sacrifice she's made to get to the top of the school district. Her mother, who lives in Chile, broke her hip two months ago and Silva has not yet gone to visit her. She's planning a visit very soon.

Silva, however, will need more than passion to help St. Paul continue to move forward. The district needs to cut its budget and simultaneously boost student achievement. She'll also will have to address the district's school choice scheme, which allows students to attend schools all over the city with transportation provided.

Silva said she will attack the district's challenges through collaborative efforts with people inside and outside the district headquarters in St. Paul.

She said, for example, that it would be "irresponsible" to say whether the school choice plan should stay intact before convening all its stakeholders to work through potential solutions.

Similarly, Silva said she backs the district's current strategy of using an outside consultant to evaluate the myriad special programs the district has that are intended to boost student achievement. She calls it "finding the jewels" in the organization and replicating them.

Silva said she also plans to call on her vast professional network. "Not everyone has the opportunity to sit with (U.S. Education Secretary) Arne Duncan and talk education philosophy," she said.

But mostly, Silva said, solving the district's problems will require the entire community of civic, political and business leaders, along with students and their families.

"I can't do it alone," Silva said.

Gregory A. Patterson • 612-673-7287