Burnsville Board of Education Narrows Field to Two in Search for Superintendent

Two of the five candidates for superintendent have been invited back for the final round: Darren Kermes, executive director of two educational cooperatives in Scott County, and Joe Gothard, assistant superintendent of the Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin.

By all accounts, the two men have very different backgrounds and leadership styles.

Next week, Kermes and Gothard will each go through an extensive, all-day trial, which will include a tour the district, meetings with employees and students, and a public community session at 5 p.m. in the Senior Campus Commons. During the community sessions, each will take questions from the audience. To top off the day, each candidate will have one last interview with the Board at 7:45 p.m. 

"We look forward to getting to know the finalists better as they tour the district and interact with students, employees and community members," said Board Chair Sandy Sweep. "Our goal will be to determine which person is the best match for our district."

If all goes according to plan, the Board will make its final selection on April 11. The new superintendent will take over on July 1, one day after the retirement of current Superintendent Randy Clegg.

Here's some basic information about the two candidates:

• Joe Gothard: According to School Exec Connect, Gothard is the second in command at a " highly successful district." He has a master's degree and a six-year superintendent-principal's license. Previous to becoming an assistant superintendent, Gothard was a principal at both the high school and middle school level.

"He took on one of the toughest high schools in the city and turned it around, basically," said Dr. Kenneth Dragseth, of School Exec Connect, the search firm hired by the district. "I got an e-mail from a parent who said he turned their kid's life around."

Dragseth said that all sources described Gothard as a "rising star," who is actively involved in his community and "extremely well-liked" by everyone he came across. Dragseth added that Gothard is "very familiar" with the issues that arise in a diverse district like Burnsville's.

"He is definitely ready to become a superintendent," Dragseth said.

• Darren Kermes is currently the executive director of the Carver-Scott Educational Cooperative (CSEC), also known as District 930, which provides services to non-traditional students and those with special education needs, from early childhood into adulthood. Kermes also serves as the executive director of the Minnesota River Valley Special Education Cooperative (MRVSEC).

"He is very, very good with people has a deep understanding of education and the law," said Charlie Kyte, of School Exec Connect. "When we've talked to people they say he's taken care of issues that other haven't resolved and resolved them well."

When Kermes took over as head of the cooperative, the organization had a $2 million deficit. Kyte said that Kermes turned it around, a feat that required "significant structural changes." However, Kermes is so good at consensus building, Kyte said, that he is "respected deeply even by those who lost jobs."

"No one in organization wants to see him leave," Kyte concluded. "He's a very good candidate."