Eugene names new superintendent

The Eugene School Board hopes that Louisville, Ky.’s loss is Eugene’s gain.

In a unanimous vote Wednesday, the board selected Sheldon Berman, superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, as its next superintendent. Berman will succeed George Russell, who retires June 30.

“All the candidates were so outstanding,” school board Chairman Craig Smith said after the vote. “But for me it was a pick for the district. And, in my mind, Dr. Berman was the best.”

Berman will begin his new job on July 1; however, he will be consulted this spring on budget planning for the 2011-12 school year, the district said. He will also return to Eugene for an April or May planning session, with the school board and Russell, to plan for the transition.

Berman did not attend Wednesday’s board meeting.

“I am very excited to join the 4J team,” he said in a statement. “Throughout my visits and interviews, I experienced the district’s commitment to quality and innovation as well as the positive educational environment that staff have created for students. I was equally impressed by the community’s support for the district. I look forward to working with the board, staff and community to build on the district’s long-standing tradition of excellence.”

The Jefferson County Board of Education voted 5-2 in November not to renew Berman’s contract. His tenure in the 99,000-student district has been a controversial one, with some parents objecting to a student assignment plan that Berman helped craft upon his arrival in 2007, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled two days earlier that the district’s three-decades-old desegregation plan was unconstitutional.

But the Eugene School Board found Berman the most impressive of three finalists and selected him over Darlene Schottle, superintendent of Kalispell Public Schools in Kalispell, Mont., and Michael Munoz, chief academic officer of Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa. Munoz was also one of two finalists for the superintendent position in Ann Arbor, Mich., but was not selected there, either.

The terms of Berman’s contract were not released Wednesday as they are still being finalized, Smith said. But it’s expected that Berman will be taking a big pay cut to come to Eugene. His salary in Louisville is $273,000 a year, according to Louisville’s Courier-Journal newspaper. Russell’s salary is $144,000 a year.

The board expects to approve a contract with Berman in April. According to Smith, the contract terms will be within the parameters set by the board in October.

The search for a new superintendent began in September after Russell announced that this would be his 13th and final year at the helm. The district launched its nationwide superintendent search in October. Three finalist candidates returned to Eugene on March 7 and March 8 to talk with school staff and community groups. The board selected the three finalists from about 30 initial applicants.

Before arriving in Louisville, Berman was superintendent of the 2,800-student Hudson Public Schools in Hudson, Mass., from 1993 to 2007. He was named Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year in 2003.

He will have his work cut out for him in Eugene.

He will take over a district looking at a $24 million budget shortfall for the 2011-12 school year, which has led to the closure of four elementary schools at the end of this school year and the distribution of notices of anticipated layoff to 108 teachers, 11 percent of its teaching staff.

“Dr. Berman is a visionary educational leader and has engaged both staff and community members in moving schools forward through difficult conditions,” Smith said in a statement prepared before the meeting. “We believe he is an excellent fit for Eugene.

“As we traverse financially trying times, we need to find new ways to serve our students, increase student achievement, and continue our tradition of excellent schools. Dr. Berman brings both strong leadership skills and educational expertise and he is deeply dedicated to students.”

Board members thanked everyone who helped in the process, including a search committee of 30-some members led by board member Anne Marie Levis and former board member Virginia Thompson, and the many community members who gave feedback on the finalists at the March 8 community forum.

“It was an incredible process and I really appreciate all the community and (staff) who gave their time and talent,” board Vice Chairwoman Alicia Hays said. “It was a difficult decision because of the quality of the candidates.”

Smith said Russell will be difficult to replace.

Russell in turn said he is looking forward to working with Berman in transition and that that process will begin starting today. Russell also said he hoped “that we can take as much as we can off his plate,” referring to solving as many of the district’s financial questions this spring if possible.

Board member Jim Torrey commented on numerous e-mails that board members have received, many of them expressing concerns about hiring Berman.

“And I feel very comfortable that we … looked hard at everything,” Torrey said. “And I believe we selected the best person.”

Smith said the questions raised in e-mails were actually helpful to the board members who made visits to the finalists’ communities, because they came away with all their questions answered.

In other matters, the school board voted to disapprove for the second time charter school applications for the College of Knowledge and the International School of Modern Technology. Both proposed schools had appealed a Feb. 2 decision by the board.