BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE
On May 24, the Minneapolis Public Schools school board announced its final choice for the permanent position of superintendent—Ed Graff, formerly superintendent of schools in Anchorage, Alaska. Meanwhile, Michael Goar, who had served as interim superintendent since the departure of Bernadeia Johnson in early 2015, left in mid-May to take up a position as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities. This leaves a gap until Graff can assume the office, which is being filled by the former chief of schools, Michael Thomas.
This has been a long and somewhat painful 18 months. The search that ended in Ed Graff was actually the second process. Initially, the board hired, at a cost of between $80K and $100K, a search firm called Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA) with known links to the Broad Foundation and other players in the so-called Global Education Reform Movement. Community activists voiced suspicion from the outset that the board intended to hire Goar permanently all along, and was just using the search process as “cover.” There were lots of formal pathways to solicit community input for the decision, but critics said these were too controlled, too scripted, and without transparent connection to the actual choices of candidates. These dark mutterings seemed to have been validated when the two top candidates were announced—Sergio Paez, a known reform advocate, and Goar. Paez was offered the job, and immediately after was embroiled in an abuse scandal at his former district. (Apparently you need to pay way more than $100K to actually get your firm to do any investigation.) The board was set to offer the permanent position to Goar, but a public disruption of the board meeting prevented that. A few days later, Goar withdrew his name from consideration.
For its second, much shorter process, the board hired two separate search firms—one to find candidates only (DHR International, Inc.), and one to solicit and process community engagement only (EPU Consultants, LLC). In addition, an 11-member search committee, chaired by Director Nelson Inz, was appointed April 5. The committee announced only two finalists, on May 13—Graff and a local candidate, Brenda Cassellius, Ed.D., the MN state commissioner of education. Less than two weeks later, after a meet-and-greet on May 16, one session of public comment on May 23, and site visits by a small group of directors to Saint Paul and Anchorage, the final decision was made.
Who is Ed Graff, the final choice, the new permanent superintendent of schools? Although he comes to us with over 25 years education experience in Anchorage, and got his first degree there, followed by a M.Ed from the University of Southern Mississippi, he is Minnesota-born. In reviewing the reports from interviews, site-visits, etc., three themes recur in describing Graff’s background and style. First, in his own presentation he highlights “Social and Emotional Learning and Cultural Standards.” Second, he constantly refers to the need to “put students first” and almost all respondents who worked with him said that he acted on that philosophy instinctively and consistently. Third, many commented on his calm (some even said contemplative) leadership style and his infectious thoughtfulness and careful process. All of these seem like very positive indications for a better future with the leadership of MPS.
At last we have a new superintendent.