The six candidates featured below have been interviewed for the position of Elk River Area School District superintendent.
Three of the six – Daniel Bittman, Michael Funk and William Gronseth – have been chosen as finalists.
Bittman was Superintendent of the Year
by Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer
The Minnesota Association of School Administrators’ pick for the 2016 Minnesota Superintendent of the Year was one of six candidates interviewed to be the next leader of ISD 728. Superint-endent of the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District Daniel Bittman said he was the first person in his family to ever attend college, which has been a driving force throughout his career.
“Both my parents knew that education could break the cycle,” said Bittman, who earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and has worked as an educator in both Nevada and Minnesota.
Bittman has served as superintendent for the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District for the last seven years and while he’s loved his time there, he said the position in ISD 728 is one he’s invested in and is the only position he’s applied for. He’s spent time in the district’s communities and “hasn’t taken the decision lightly” to apply for the job.
When asked how he’s made changes to improve achievement gaps in his current role, Bittman said he’s worked with staff to make all-day kindergarten and free breakfast available to students and to remove barriers to ensure students’ success, even if it meant making tough budgetary decisions in a district that’s dealt with it’s fair share of budget cuts.
“When we think about characteristics that make a good school district, it’s personal for me because I have three children,” he said.
Bittman’s experience includes a decade of work at Clark County School District – one of the nation’s largest school districts located in Nevada – as a teacher, building administrator and director, where he oversaw 186 elementary schools. Bittman said his experience in Clark County has prepared him well for the anticipated growth in the Elk River Area School District. The Clark County School District hires thousands of new teachers and enrolls tens of thousands of new students annually, Bittman said.
Bittman said he loves working as a superintendent and, if hired, foresees staying in the Elk River area for some time.
“I have been surrounded by amazing people my entire career,” Bittman said. “Even during the most difficult times, I love coming to work.”
Flisk has Minneapolis, Chicago experience
by Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer
Elk River Area School District superintendent candidate Stephen Flisk would bring experience in large metro school districts if selected as the next leader for ISD 728.
Flisk, who moved from to the Twin Cities about six years ago after spending 20 years as an educator in Chicago Public Schools, said he’s served as a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent and worked with a diverse student population.
Flisk said during his interview with the Elk River Area School Board this week that he “would make every effort” to get to know each of the board members’ values, history and vision for the district.
“It’s absolutely critical for the board and the superintendent to be on the same page,” he said.
When asked how he would work to improve graduation rates, Flisk said he previously inherited a school – Carver Military Academy, a college prep academy in Chicago – that “had a pretty deplorable graduation rate.” Flisk said he worked with his team to determine ways to bring the graduation rate up, including opening the school on weekends and over holiday breaks so students could work on assignments and missed work.
Engaging with students and understanding what they were up against while setting expectations helped increase graduation rates, Flisk said.
In response to a question from the board, Flisk said he would take a transparent approach if he needed to reduce the school district’s budget by 5 percent. Informing the community about the district’s current financial situation, seeking valuable input from his cabinet and taking strategic steps would be his approach to reducing a budget.
“I would continue to lobby for increased funds,” he said. “I think that’s part of what my role has to be.”
Shane Steinbrecher, chair of the School Board, asked Flisk why he’s the best candidate for the job. The deputy chief of schools for Minneapolis Public Schools said his ability to collaborate and build consensus is what makes him stand apart.
“I don’t just do that well, I do that great,” he said.
Further, Flisk said, if hired, he would strive to make each board member feel heard and feel valued.
“I’m going to be approachable and I’m going to be visible as a leader and I think that’s what you want,” Flisk said.
Funk brings a military background, commitment to students
by Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer
Superintendent of Albert Lea Area Schools Michael Funk said he would bring lessons from his 29 years with the National Guard to the job if selected as the next superintendent for ISD 728.
Funk, who has traveled overseas twice for peacekeeping deployments, said he would bring a play on the military phrase, “mission first, soldiers always” to the Elk River Area School District.
“Students first, staff always,” he said during his interview with the School Board Feb. 7. “We’ve got to put the needs of our students first in our decision making.”
Funk said while he is as passionate as they come for putting students’ needs first, he has come to realize those needs must be balanced with community desires.
Funk referred to a situation that occurred while in his current role as superintendent in Albert Lea. About 52 percent of students in his current district qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, said Funk, and a lot of students start school behind. The district does have after-school programming that strives to close achievement gaps.
Funk said the community toyed with the idea of shifting to a schedule of 45 days of school, 15 days off, which could be beneficial to students’ learning, but the idea was met with opposition from some community members. In the end, the School Board was divided on the issue and voted to stray away from the 45/15 schedule. The incident represented balancing community needs with those of his students, Funk said.
The superintendent of Albert Lea Area Schools said he has experience in advocating for his students and staff. A lack of quality housing has posed a challenge for Funk’s district in terms of attracting teachers. Advocating for tax abatement for market-rate housing and new construction has been a step Funk said he’s taken to better his district.
Funk added it’s also important to empower district staff so they can seek resources and grants on behalf of the district.
Funk, who said he’s spent some time exploring the community, said Elk River is a “good fit” for him and would offer a new challenge, which he’s ready for.
“I’m committed to the district for the long-term,” he said. “I’m not the flashiest superintendent out there, but I have been leading people my entire adult life and I know how to make decisions and recommendations.”
Duluth school superintendent vies for job
by Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer
William Gronseth of Duluth Public Schools was the first candidate to answer questions posed by the Elk River Area School Board Feb. 7 as the district looks to fill its superintendent position.
Gronseth has served as superintendent of Duluth Public Schools since 2012 where he oversees 8,600 students and a $100 million budget.
Minnesota born and raised, Gronseth came to education after a stint in middle management and retail. Gronseth said when he first stepped into the superintendent role in Duluth, the district was in “turmoil.”
“There was a lot of hurt in the community, and I knew when I came in I had to focus on healing the community,” he said.
Gronseth said he focused on what was originally a listening tour, but slowly evolved into 60 meetings throughout the community in churches, local centers and Rotary clubs.
“From that, we were able to develop a really strong statement about who we were and where we wanted to go,” he said.
Gronseth, who can be found on Twitter with the handle @billgronseth, said establishing a community within the school district is important to him.
“I’m proud that when I go into a school, they know me,” Gronseth said of students. “They don’t always understand my role, but they know I’m part of the school.”
He said when students feel connected at school, so do parents.
One of his passions is helping students explore high-paying career paths that don’t require a college education.
“We very often hear the push for college education, and so many of our kids should go to college and get that education, but not everyone needs to go to college,” he said, adding the Duluth Public Schools district offers a number of training programs including in the culinary, auto, construction, aerospace and medical-related occupations.
When asked by the board how he would address the school district’s growing populations while also maintaining equitable buildings and resources, Gronseth said the district must respond to the growth, as it’s a representation of the community. He added he spent a weekend driving throughout Elk River and noticed the influx of new construction.
“It’s about making sure our students have the same opportunities, but (also) making sure our students have the support to get to those opportunities,” he said.
While spending time at area diners and coffee shops, he asked residents about their schools and learned there was a great deal of pride for them.
Out-of-state applicant was considered
by Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer
Growing up on a dairy farm in southwestern Minnesota, LaDarla Haws said as the oldest of seven children, she was responsible for teaching her siblings how to read and write before they entered kindergarten.
Haws said her parents’ only dream was for their children to receive higher education.
“All we ever heard our entire life was, ‘Go to college, go to college, go to college,” LaDarla said during her interview for ISD 728’s superintendent position.
Haws has served as superintendent for Wisconsin’s Racine Unified School District for the last four years, serving approximately 19,500 students in a county facing a large unemployment rate.
Haws said early on in her education career, she taught deaf children in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. To this day, she still can’t believe she gets paid to do what she loves, she said.
She said she likes to meet regularly with her board and district staff to ensure the partnership runs smoothly – whether it’s weekly or bimonthly meetings.
“There is nothing more important than the relationship with the board and the superintendent,” Haws said during her Feb. 8 interview with the Elk River Area School Board.
Haws said explaining the “why” helped her current district overcome challenges with restructuring high school start times. After presenting the idea of starting high school 10 minutes later, students “went nuts,” said Haws, adding many were concerned the later start time would affect sports and after-school jobs.
Haws said she met with local community and student organizations to understand their frustrations and help them “understand the why” behind the start time proposal.
If selected for the superintendent position, Haws said she would insert herself into the community to become an integral member. Whether it’s buying groceries locally, purchasing a gym membership or attending school sporting events, Haws said it’s imperative to invest into the district that she serves.
Career and Technical Education programming has been something the Racine Unified School District has been “all in” on, said Haws. Partnering with the local technical college and offering educational opportunities to students has been something she believes will be her legacy when she leaves the district.
Former official in Rochester was in running
by Rachel Minske
Contributing Writer
A former assistant superintendent with Rochester Public Schools was vying for a spot as the next leader for the Elk River Area School District.
Brenda Lewis said during her interview Feb. 8 with the Elk River Area School Board that she was recently informed her position in Rochester would be eliminated effective June 30. According to various news reports, Lewis resigned from her position Feb. 6.
If hired, Lewis said she would hold monthly meetings with each member of the School Board to establish priorities and learn its history. Further, Lewis, who was in her latest position since 2013, said she would meet weekly with the board’s chair and vice chair to discuss upcoming issues, goal setting and the district’s strategic plan.
“I think it’s essential to be open and transparent and really talk through it,” she said.
Among her achievements in Rochester, Lewis said she has been out front on several initiatives, including a 10-year $9.6 million referendum.
Lewis said it would be “key” to become an integral member of the community in order to build partnerships and trust. She added she would call up local organizations and request to attend their meetings and would meet with district staff to understand the pulse of the community.
Career and Technical Education programming has been a large emphasis for Rochester Public Schools, said Lewis.
“Rochester, just like the communities that you serve, has such a shortage of workers in the (Career and Technical Education) fields,” Lewis said to the board.
Throughout 2013, $6.5 million was collected from tax dollars and given to Rochester Career and Technical College to build an additional facility on its land. The property is maintained by RCTC, but daytime programming is provided by staff at Rochester Public Schools and offers courses in CTECH fields to about 360 students, Lewis said.
Lewis asked the board how it has partnered with the superintendent to engage the community.
Chair Shane Steinbrecher said the district has used avenues like social media to engage the community and recently used Minnesota-based consulting group TeamWorks International to help the district navigate through overcrowding and boundary challenges.