The two finalists for superintendent showed board members their vision for the St. Paul Public Schools on Thursday, two weeks ahead of an expected hiring decision.
Cheryl Logan, chief academic support officer for Philadelphia public schools, said she grew up with parents who set high expectations she never felt she could meet. She sets the same expectations for her students, she said.
“I believe people make more excuses than we need to do, and I think we don’t help people when we do. We have to hold folks to high standards, but we also have to be compassionate,” she said.
Logan said she expects every St. Paul student to graduate high school prepared for college, a career and life, and with an appreciation for diversity.
Burnsville superintendent Joe Gothard was the only one of six siblings to graduate college. He said even though education was not valued in his family, he had a lot of positive influences in his schools and community.
“It’s really informed my approach to education to make sure that we’re always looking for the good in students,” he said.
He said he’d unite the St. Paul community around its schools and work to replicate the success select buildings have had with students of color.
Each candidate spent about 90 minutes Thursday fielding 21 questions from the school board before an audience of about 40. The board plans to pick its preferred candidate April 11.
“We have a hard decision,” board chair Jon Schumacher said.
Here’s how the finalists compared on key issues:
DECLINING ENROLLMENT
Logan said the district should set high expectations for student behavior and tell positive stories about the schools. Dynamic principals are key to attracting families, she said. And she noted Philadelphia, like St. Paul, has built expansions for its most popular schools.
Gothard too said St. Paul must invite the community in to see that the schools really aren’t “out of control.” He said data can help officials understand why families leave. And he said the schools should offer opportunities for college credit and programs that develop skills for in-demand jobs.
RACIAL EQUITY
Gothard said “there has been some good work done” on racial equity in St. Paul and the district should analyze data to find those bright spots and replicate their work at other schools.
Logan said racial equity means not just providing all students with access to challenging classes but “making sure (they’re) successful in the class.” That requires offering extra support, talking to parents about the importance of the classes and picking students up when they get discouraged, she said.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Gothard endorsed the use of professional learning communities for boosting student achievement. They give teachers time in groups to analyze common assessment data and adjust their instruction.
Logan said the district must make sure its curriculum is aligned to the state standards that tests are based on and set individual goals for students, classes and schools.
SCHOOL CLIMATE
Both candidates said schools must continue to discipline students and that it’s important to set strong, clear expectations for behavior.
Logan said there will be times when students have to be removed for their safety, but the school must help them learn from their mistakes and provide an “opportunity for them to restore and make amends for their behavior.”
Gothard said he came from a punitive culture with automatic consequences for misbehavior, but he’s come to embrace restorative practices. “It showed me that our students want to be accountable to each other. Our students want to be in a safe environment in our schools,” he said.
POLICE IN SCHOOL
Gothard said he has “tremendous respect” for police officers and that his school district considered hiring officers for their middle schools before opting not to.
Logan said Philadelphia has an unarmed school police force, and some pilot schools have officers functioning more as social workers. The schools also have a diversion program with police to keep students out of the criminal justice system. Arrests are down, she said, but there’s been no increase in behavior problems. “It’s something we’re really proud of.”