School board faces ‘tough decision’

Some have already made up their minds.

But getting anyone to admit — on the record, anyway — who among the three finalists is their pick for Eugene’s new schools superintendent is another thing.

“Grab this guy!!” one audience member wrote on a comment card at Tuesday night’s community forum at the school district’s Education Center for the three finalists.

“Damn hard to top that,” another audience member said after the same candidate spent 30 minutes making a presentation and answering questions written on cards by community members.

All three candidates — Sheldon Berman, Michael Munoz and Darlene Schottle — were in town Monday and Tuesday to visit schools and meet with students, employees and others.

What many of the more than 100 who came to the forum would say afterward is that they were impressed with all three candidates.

“They are really three very strong candidates,” said former North Eugene High School Principal Bob Anderson. “I’ve got one that I like better, but it’s not my point to say that. I think the board has a tough decision. And I think the decision really comes down to — what’s the best fit for the community?”

Not surprisingly, all three finalists told the audience that they would be a good fit for Eugene. But they all also said that decision lies with the school board, which will announce its selection a week from today.

Many of the candidates were read the same questions by facilitator Jim Mabbott, executive director of the Oregon Association of Education Service Districts, who has led the six-month search process for Iowa-based Ray & Associates.

Such questions as: Given the school board’s three goals of excellence, equity and choice, which one resonates with you the most, and why? And: How would you stay connected to schools as a superintendent? And: How would you describe a successful K-12 education?

Munoz, 53, the chief academic officer of Des Moines Public Schools in Iowa — who is also a finalist for the superintendent position in Ann Arbor, Mich. — was the first candidate introduced Tuesday. Munoz chose two of the board’s three goals as most important: choice and equity.

Berman, 61, currently the superintendent of the 99,000-student Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Ky., drew a couple of the biggest laughs of the night with his responses. His reply to the “excellence, equity or choice” question? “I’m not going to choose between those.” Then he added: “Frankly, I don’t think you can work on one without working on the other.”

Schottle, who went last, thought for a moment on the same question, before saying “excellence.” But then she added that you can’t have that without equity and choice.

Berman and Schottle were both asked how they would go about healing the wounds that have opened because of the district’s need to close schools in the face of a huge budget shortfall.

“I think you’ve got to do a lot of listening,” Berman said.

Schottle said you have to work through the “grieving cycle,” but mentioned that students would probably bounce back from school closures faster than adults.

“It’s important to look forward, not back,” she said, adding that it’s important that adults support the students who will be adapting to new school environments.

One of the most intriguing questions of the night fell to Munoz: “(Author and Boston University political science professor) Howard Zinn’s autobiography was, ‘You Can’t be Neutral on a Moving Train.’ What do you think he meant and how is it relevant for the 4J superintendent?”

Munoz was amused, and answered in part by saying: “As a superintendent there are going to be times when you can’t be neutral. But you have to make the best decisions for students possible. But I’m able to do that and sleep at night because I know the decisions I make will be in the best interests of students.”

David Meredith, executive director of the Eugene Education Fund and the parent of two South Eugene High School graduates, said he was most struck by how the candidates differed in their tones.

Although two of the candidates spoke in the first person, saying “What I would do,” Meredith noted that a third candidate kept using the pronoun “We.” That candidate — whom Meredith didn’t want to identify by name — would be his pick, he said.