Why couldn’t Robbinsdale Schools pick a superintendent?

Robbinsdale Area Schools has an opening for a full time superintendent.

The search is back on after the Board of Directors decided to stop their search on April 6 after a 5-2 vote . The Minnesota School Board Association re-posted the position with two changes: previous superintendent experience is required and the position is open until filled.

But why did they postpone the search? Six semifinalists and a summary of their qualifications were made public March 19:

- Bondo Nyembwe, executive director of educational services, Columbia Heights Public Schools.

- Timothy McCray, deputy superintendent, Madison Metropolitan School District, Wisconsin.

- George Nolan, elementary principal, Hopkins Public Schools.

- Patrick Duffy, director of teaching, learning and leadership, St. Louis Park Public Schools.

- Elizabeth Keenan, former superintendent, Special School District of St. Louis County, Missouri.

- Noel Schmidt, superintendent, Rock Ridge Public Schools.

The six candidates were interviewed one at a time. After the directors discussed the candidates, they voted to halt the search. The Sun Post obtained the video file through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Although there was some discussion of candidates, the conversation overwhelmingly focused on the board itself.

“This is an unusual conversation,” Barb Dorn of the Minnesota School Board Association said toward the end of the meeting. “I have never seen deliberation after a round one of interviews where 95 percent of it is talking about the board and 5 percent of it was talking about candidates. It’s usually a very robust conversation about the candidates and the leadership profile and the stakeholder survey.”

To begin the discussion, Dorn reminded the board members about values and stakeholder input. Dorn asked the board to prioritize a candidate with strengths in “budget and finance, collaborative leadership, school reform or strategic planning, curriculum development or evaluation, diversity equity and inclusion, and declining enrollment,” Dorn said.

However, none of the candidates emerged as a winner. Director Greta Evans-Becker said it seemed like her fellow directors were looking for different things and Chair ReNae Bowman made the suggestion to postpone the search.

“I’m wondering if anyone has an appetite for entertaining an option beyond this, which might be to retain the current interim superintendent for another year and a half while we continue to build and have a transition year,” Bowman said. “I personally am really concerned about the lack of solid responses [from the candidates].”

Bowman questioned the board’s ability to work together to choose a superintendent.

“Board relationships are still broken and we’re having a very difficult time functioning as a cohesive, solidified board, just from a standpoint of being able to respect one another and that causes me tremendous concern,” Bowman said.

Waiting a year would generate a different batch of candidates, Bowman believed.

“I felt some of these people were strong in some areas, but it wasn’t, like, a total package,” Director Caroline Long said. “...I just worry about getting somebody in here that’s not the right fit for our school district and then causing upheaval again.”

Marti Voight has been serving as interim superintendent since November. Superintendent David Engstrom officially resigned on Sept. 18 , about two years after he started July 1, 2021. Engstrom had been hired to replace Carlton Jenkins.

Director Helen Bassett opposed postponing the superintendent search, saying it “leaves this district rudderless.”

Bassett suggested bringing two or three candidates back or possibly having a community forum to help them decide.

Bassett added that she was proud of the board for seeking professional mediation help . Director Kim Holmes said she supported waiting until after mediation, adding there were “no home runs here” among the candidates.

“We’re looking at experience levels that either don’t hit the superintendent levels or are from a small district that cannot compare to this one,” Holmes said.

Holmes said although the board doesn’t have to vote unanimously on a superintendent, “we should want it to be unanimous.”

Director Sharon E. Brooks opposed postponement and said she was “surprised” by the suggestion.

Brooks said the voters “took a chance on me.” Brooks added that the candidates were vetted by the Minnesota School Board Association and qualified.

For Brooks, postponement would mean a step backward and “not a good look” for Robbinsdale Area Schools.

Bowman argued postponing a search is not moving backward.

“We need to right side this district before we burden someone with taking us into the future,” Bowman said.

Specifically, she said that meant the board should work to “turn the district around financially, put our policies in place, put our transportation in place, put all of our things in place that we’re working on and then let somebody come in.”

Bowman said “we are not rudderless because of Marti Voight, the interim superintendent, but we are rudderless because we have not become a unified board. ... If we continue on the way we have been for this last year, no one’s gonna hang around. We had difficulty getting people to apply.”

The six semifinalists had emerged from a pool of 14 applicants.

Bassett disagreed, again saying she wanted to pick a superintendent from the six.

“I disagree that we didn’t have any stars,” Bassett said. “I felt like I saw a couple.”

Bassett thought Nolan, Duffy and Schmidt deserved a second interview.

“This is the time for a seasoned superintendent to come in here and help lead this district out of the newspaper,” Bassett said.

Brooks liked Nyembwe, Nolan and Schmidt.

“You both brought up George Nolan’s name,” Bowman said. “I have a really poor appetite for bringing in leftover leadership that’s been around in this district for a long time if we’re gonna move forward.”

Director John Vento pointed out the seats occupied by Evans-Becker, Bassett and himself are up for reelection this fall. Waiting a year might mean different people are making the decision.

“I do worry about us kicking the can down the road,” Vento said. “If we make no decision today, there’s a good chance we might be looking for a different interim superintendent.”

However, Vento ultimately agreed with Bowman’s suggestion to postpone.

“If we look at the candidates, and we are very divided on them and we elect someone and put them in on a 4-3 vote ... we’re not gonna be setting the next superintendent up for success,” Vento said.

Vento, Evans-Becker, Bowman, Holmes and Long voted to postpone the search. Bassett and Brooks voted to continue.

In an April 15 work session, the seven directors hashed out details for a new search. The spot is open until filled.