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Editorial: Make the right choice for St. Paul

Capital city schools need a leader who will get the job done.

Last update: November 7, 2009 - 9:00 PM

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ST. PAUL SCHOOLS

• 38,500 students

• 6,000 staff (including 3,400 teachers)

• 64 schools (97 total learning sites)

• $641 million budget

• Superintendent finalists will interview with the board on Nov. 13 and 14; interviews will continue on Nov. 16, 18 and 19 with opportunities for the community to meet the candidates.

• For more details about the superintendent search or how to watching the interviews online or on cable TV, go to www.spps.org.

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The St. Paul school board is poised to perform one of its most important tasks -- selecting a new superintendent.

Given the challenges faced by the district, the schools need a collaborative, inspirational CEO who has had success in improving student achievement. The district needs a strategic thinker who can build relationships, heal morale problems and be a strong, respected advocate for schools within various constituencies.

And beyond those qualifications, the district's next leader must be committed to staying on the job long enough to make meaningful change.

That last criteria came up repeatedly during the recent school board campaign, largely in response to the experience with the previous school chief. Former Superintendent Meria Carstarphen left to lead the Austin, Texas, schools after spending only three years in St. Paul. That's not enough time to follow through with important initiatives. And though she was bright, energetic and knowledgable, Carstarphen lacked a collaborative leadership style.

Earlier this year a consultant hired by the district gathered input from 330 people by questionnaire, interviews or community groups. Those questioned included students, school staff, administrators, parents and community and business leaders.

The consultant's report listed the strengths and weaknesses of the district, as well as the personal and professional characteristics and skills that respondents want in a new school leader.

Among the challenges are the persistent achievement gap, budget cuts and frayed internal relationships that have caused significant morale problems. As the report noted, addressing those issues will require an honest, open leader who is passionate about serving students and good at building trusting relationships.

The new superintendent must also have strong financial management skills to help "right size'' the district in a time of diminishing resources and enrollment declines. The new leader should be able to motivate the staff and community to expedite achievement gains and stay the course with the current strategic plan that calls for increasing reading and math proficiency by at least 10 percent this year.

About three-quarters of St. Paul students are children of color, and nearly half come from families in which English is not the primary language. That makes it important that the superintendent be a good listener and have a level of understanding and compassion for various cultures.

In addition, Tuesday's election sends two new members to the school board. Though newly elected board members Jean O'Connell and Vallay Moua Varro will not officially become members until January, they should be involved in the selection process. A pool of more than 40 applicants reportedly has been narrowed down to a few.

Starting next week, St. Paulites will have the chance to attend public interviews with the finalists, meet them and ask questions. Residents should get involved, offer their input and help the board make this most important choice. And they should make it clear that staying power is an important qualification for the next school CEO.

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