District 197 Chalk Talk: Superintendent Search Firm Chosen, New Members Sworn In

The District 197 School Board selected consulting firm School Exec Connect to find the next superintendent of the district at the board  at . 

In a board discussion of the presentations made by five consultants, School Exec Connect was called “the Cadillac” of the bunch, both for the quality and services they offered but also for their pricetag. While the final contract will have to be worked out, their pitch put the cost of a search around $21,000 plus advertising. Some of the cheaper proposals were in the $13,000-$15,000 range.

The board emphasized the importance of the firm’s local networking connections, experience and their range of services. Board member Joanne Mansur said she would prefer to tell a consultant to do less than wish a consultant could do more. The vote in favor of the firm was unanimous.

• , and along with returning board member took the oath of office. 
• Mark Spurr was elected board chair. Dewayne Dill was elected vice-chair/clerk, and Pat Barnum was elected treasurer.
• Linda Zurn, family and consumer science teacher at and Craig Roble, social studies teacher at Heritage Middle School were both recognized as Technology Information Education Services (TIES) Exceptional Teachers. They were both honored at a banquet in early December for their use of technology to support both their students and their colleagues.
• The Association of Metropolitan School Districts presented a preview of the upcoming legislative session and their agenda. See the attached PDF to review the AMSD agenda.
• District Communications Director Susan Brott presented information on the upcoming , scheduled for Jan. 9 in the Henry Sibley gymnasium. Brott said that in addition to school principals and program directors, students will be on hand with learning demonstrations and performances throughout the evening.
• Gov. Mark Dayton has declared Jan. 16-20 to be Paraprofessional Recognition Week.