After 3 years, St. Paul superintendent already eyeing new job in Texas

When news came Thursday that St. Paul schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen was a finalist for the same job in the larger Austin, Texas, school district, many St. Paul residents wondered: Already?

Carstarphen has not been offered the Austin job. But the news that she's a candidate, reported by the Austin American-Statesman newspaper, has highlighted the challenges urban districts face in retaining quality leaders.

Carstarphen started her St. Paul job in 2006. The average tenure of an urban superintendent in the United States is three years.

"Urban districts are much more political," said Charlie Kyte, executive director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. "There are greater challenges in terms of how to make the education system work, employees are in highly organized labor groups, and it's just a more challenging environment."

When Carstarphen came to St. Paul, "we said we want somebody who will come in and be able to move us forward, and not just use us as a stepping stone to bigger and better things," said school board chairwoman Kazoua Kong-Thao. "I think we are bigger and better things."

" ... We said to her, we are asking for a commitment," she continued. "And she said, 'I'm willing to come in and do the work. And if something comes up, there will have to be a two-way conversation.'"

On Thursday, Carstarphen released a statement saying she is proud to be St. Paul's superintendent.

The Austin search is closed, she said, and she is not in a position to comment on the job.

The St. Paul school board has given Carstarphen positive job reviews. Vice chairwoman Elona Street-Stewart said Thursday that the board knows Carstarphen will be approached by other districts.

"She was very attractive to us," she said, "and I can assure you that she'll be attractive to others."

Carstarphen's contract with the St. Paul expires in June, and Street-Stewart said contract negotiations are ongoing.

Austin Board of Trustees president Mark Williams said Thursday that there are several "semifinalists" left in its search process. Once a finalist or finalists are chosen, they must be named publicly, according to Texas law.

"If there's a feeling of a lack of trust, lack of commitment, it can make life really difficult," he said. "If a community feels that someone's looking to leave, they'll feel they're not committed to that community, even though they are."

Carstarphen is a native of Selma, Ala. She has a doctorate in education administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University.

The St. Paul School District is the second largest in the state, with 38,500 students and a declining enrollment.

The Austin district is a growing urban district of almost 83,500 students. It is the third-largest district in Texas.

Austin's retiring Superintendent Pat Forgione is making $285,000 this year; Carstarphen is being paid $195,000.

As for her relationship with the union, "it's definitely been a work in progress," Ricker said. "But every time the union has pushed her to address that partnership, she has made an effort to respond," she said.

Williams said a finalist or finalists for the Austin job could be announced next week.

"We've made it very clear that there is work that we have started together, and she's very much a part of that," Street-Stewart said. "We're expecting to keep on going with her."