Memphis superintendent search put on pause after reveal of the three finalists

Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members postponed finalist interviews for the next superintendent until further notice Saturday following allegations of a lack of transparency.The search firm hired by the district, Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, named former Boston Public Schools superintendent Brenda Casselius, Madison Metropolitan School District superintendent Carlton Jenkins, and Interim Superintendent Tutonial “Toni” Williams as finalists for the position.Those candidates faced concerns and questions almost immediately from board members.The board questioned some decisions made by the search firm, including asking why evaluation guidelines weren’t provided and why one finalist, Williams, had no prior teaching experience.“Wow. That’s what I can say right now is ‘wow’. Some of the things we asked for, we haven’t received them,” said board member Joyce Dorse Coleman. “We are elected to represent the will for the community. And right now, I can’t even represent my will because things are unanswered, and we don’t have answered questions to our community because they expect that from us. So, we need better solutions, better questions answered.”The board also demanded to see the entire list of candidates, expressing concern that out of 24 candidates, only three were selected for the finalists.The final interviews were originally scheduled for April 21 and 22. Those interviews will be rescheduled until the board confirms all finalists.“I think what we are saying today is that we want additional information and we’re just requesting that as a board because we have that right too. And I think the community expects for us to do that,” said board chair Althea Greene. “While we believe all of the proposed finalists are viable, we must have a level of confidence that they are truly the best for this critical role.”Application ProcessThe district received 34 applications in total. Of those, the search firm advanced 21 for interviews, internet searches, social media, and background checks.Twelve candidates advanced to the third round of the interviews where they had to submit a writing sample and a 90-second video introduction.The search firm prioritized experience in a cabinet-level position like superintendent, deputy superintendent, associate superintendent, or assistant superintendent and candidates must have a good standing with positive references from school board leadership without being a “serial applicant.”The three finalists proposed by Hazard, Young, Attea, and Associates include one candidate from Tennessee and two others who’ve served as superintendents elsewhere.Brenda Casselius was recently the superintendent at Boston Public Schools for three years. She previously worked for MSCS and as an academic leader from 2004 to 2007.Carlton Jenkins was the first Black superintendent in Wisconsin’s Madison Metropolitan School District, where he plans to retire from. He assumed the role in August 2020.Toni Williams currently serves as the interim superintendent of MSCS as of last August after former superintendent Joris Ray had to resign following investigations over claims of him abusing his power and violating district policies. Williams was appointed interim superintendent on the premise that she does not pursue a permanent position.MSCS says all resumes and other material related to the finalists will be shared once the finalists have been confirmed by the board.