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52 Apply to Lead Duval's Schools "Inside" Applicants Include School District's Second-in-Command.

Posted on: Tuesday, 6 September 2005, 18:00 CDT

Fifty-two people have applied to become Duval County's next superintendent of schools, including the school district's second- in-command and three of six regional superintendents.

The contingent of inside applicants is led by Ed Pratt-Dannals, associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction, who has long been mentioned as a possible successor to Superintendent John Fryer, who resigned in May. Pratt-Dannals oversees all aspects of the school system directly related to classroom instruction.

Region 1 Superintendent Levi McIntosh Jr., who supervises schools in the northern part of Duval County, Region 2 Superintendent Leila Mousa, who oversees schools near downtown and in West Jacksonville, and Region 6 Superintendent Steve Hite, who supervises the district's six most challenged schools, all applied for the job.

The other inside applicants are Jim Williams, principal of Paxon School for Advanced Studies, and William Gesdorf, who retired as principal of Sandalwood High School in June.

The new superintendent will receive a salary of approximately $275,000 a year. The district has about 127,000 students in 163 schools. The deadline for applications is today.

The School Board hopes to have a new superintendent named by the end of September. It is meeting with a search firm on Tuesday to review applications and select finalists.

The applicant pool includes eight people who are or were superintendents of large or urban school districts.

Harold Dodge is superintendent in Mobile, Ala.; Bernard Taylor Jr. oversees the Kansas City, Mo., school system; Joan Kowal is a former superintendent in Palm Beach and Volusia counties.

Anthony Amatoresigned as superintendent of New Orleans Public Schools in June; Andre Hornsby left his position as chief executive officer of Prince George's County, Md., schools near Washington, D.C., in May; Johnny Brown ran the DeKalb County school district near Atlanta until October 2004, and John Thompson served as superintendent of Pittsburgh and Tulsa, Okla., schools.

Robert Schiller is the former superintendent in Caddo Parish, La., which includes Shreveport, and served as interim CEO of Baltimore schools. He was also the state superintendent of education in Illinois and was state superintendent of public instruction in Michigan.

The field of applicants includes Air Force Brig. Gen. Frederick Van Valkenburg, who serves as director of combat operations at the United States Strategic Command at Offutt AFB, Neb. Van Valkenburg is attempting to follow the same career path as Fryer, who is a retired Air Force major general.

The remaining applicants include top administrators in large school districts, superintendents of small school systems, principals, teachers and even a Detroit councilwoman. They are:-- Harry LaCava, an area superintendent in Broward County, which includes Fort Lauderdale.-- John McCoy, an assistant superintendent of District of Columbia Public Schools.-- Barbara McGann, an assistant superintendent in Boston.-- Kay Taylor, a former associate superintendent in Philadelphia.-- Julio Almanza, a former superintendent in Duluth, Minn.-- Craig Bangtson, a former superintendent in Bartow County, Ga.-- Robert Brower, superintendent of North Montgomery Community School Corp. in Indiana.-- Dennis Bruno, superintendent of Glendale, Pa., school district.-- Tom Coyne, superintendent in London City, Ohio.-- Willie Gilchrist, superintendent in Halifax County, N.C. -- John Hunt, a former superintendent in Birmingham, Ala.-- Alan Jensen, superintendent in Elk River, Minn.-- Jerry Jones, a former superintendent in Morgan County, W.Va.-- Charles Milligan, superintendent in Fontana, Calif.- - Nordy Nelson, a former superintendent in Gaylord, Minn.-- Jon Orozco, superintendent in Santa Gertrudis, Texas.-- James Richardson, superintendent in LakeVille, Mich.-- Jude Theriot, superintendent in Calcasieu Parish, La. -- T.C. Wallace Jr., superintendent in Mount Clemens, Mich. -- Steve Wilmoth, superintendent in Liberty County, Ga. -- ReBecca Bierschbach, acting principal in the Michigan Department of Corrections.-- Gwendolyn Cooke, deputy superintendent of Kansas City, Mo., schools.-- Betty Despenza-Green, executive director of High School Initiatives in Chicago.-- Pierre Embrey, a principal in New Brunswick, N.J.-- Rosanne Heppner, a school administrator in Washtenaw County, Mich.-- Janet Hiller, an assistant principal in Gary, Ind. -- Offie Hobbs, a teacher and former principal in Denver.-- Becki Hodges, a teacher in Savannah, Ga. -- Jimmie Jones, a principal in Las Vegas.-- Robert Jones, a principal in Pelham, Ga.-- Bishop Knox, a school administrator in Jackson, Miss. -- Sharon McPhail, an attorney and city councilwoman in Detroit.-- Brian Monahan, deputy superintendent of North Rockland, N.Y.-- Keith Owen, a school administrator in Pueblo, Colo. -- Alexander Sikarevich, a business executive and former teacher in New York City.-- Barry Stern, a community college administrator in Ann Arbor, Mich., and-- Kurt Valentin, an assistant superintendent in Libertyville, Ill.tia.mitchell@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4425WHAT'S AHEADTuesday at 2 p.m.: The timeline for the superintendent search will in large part be determined by what the Duval County School Board decides to do at this meeting. Members are tentatively slated to review all applications and select finalists to interviews. But the board could delay a decision on finalists, throwing off the timetable.Week of Sept. 7: Finalist interviews. Week of Sept. 14: Optional visits with the leading candidates. During that week, contract negotiations will take place with the leading candidate.By the end of September: The board hopes to name the next superintendent, who will make approximately $275,000 annually and lead a district of 127,000 students in 163 schools.

Source: Florida Times Union

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