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Only one candidate showed up to interview for the job of Shasta County Superintendent of Schools on Wednesday, making the task to appoint a replacement for longtime Superintendent Judy Flores easier for the county board of education.
The board was set to interview two candidates, but one them was unable to attend the meeting in-person or virtually.
So the board interviewed and selected longtime Shasta County educator Mike Freeman, who has been employed by the County Office of Education since July 2019.
Even though board members said they were impressed by Freeman, they still wanted to talk to the second candidate to give her a chance.
"I do think it's unfortunate that we didn't have another candidate, so that Mike could actually be compared. Because I think that you're incomparable really. I wish there were more of the public and the community here to listen to your passion for the work. I almost would give you the title of 'evangelist for education,'" board member Kathy Barry said.
Every member of the board said they endorsed Freeman for the job, but the vote to appoint him as the next superintendent was not unanimous.
Board member Authur Gorman said he was interested in hiring Freeman, but voted against the appointment because he said the superintendent's position should be up for election in November of this year. However, according to the California Education Code, the superintendent's position is up for election at the next gubernatorial election, which is in November 2026, according to the county.
Freeman, 48, began teaching in 2000, when he got a job teaching Spanish at Foothill High School in Palo Cedro. In 2006 he began working as assistant principal at Anderson Union High School. From 2007 to 2012, he was principal at Mountain View Middle School in Redding, according to a resume he submitted to the board. He moved on to become the superintendent and principal at Grant Elementary School District in Redding from 2012 to 2019.
He started work at the county office of education in 2019 as senior executive director of instructional services and became associate superintendent of instructional services in 2022, his resume says.
As superintendent, Freeman said he looks forward to making an impact on education and helping students and educators throughout the county.
"And the idea of stepping into a position like this and helping districts do great things for kids, then I'm all about that. If there was an obstacle course tied to this. If there was like a fear factor and I had to eat spiders or do whatever it would take to have a shot at doing the work that I've seen Judy do, that I've seen Tom (Armelino, former superintendent) do. And I think that there's incredible opportunities to stand on their shoulders and do some remarkable things," he told the board.
The superintendent of schools oversees an office with a budget of about $72 million in spending, and about 400 employees.
"His priorities include improving literacy, student safety, digging into root causes of challenges like suspension and absenteeism, maintaining a healthy budget, and ensuring that student voices are heard," the county office said in a statement after the board meeting.
The board will plans to meet later to set Freeman's salary. He will take over for Flores on July 1, after she retires at the end of June.
Flores was appointed superintendent in 2017 and ran unopposed for the elected position in 2018. She was reelected in June 2022, receiving 57% of the vote in the primary election.
Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @damonarthur_RS . Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today !
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta County board of education appoints new superintendent of schools
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