Superintendent Idol

St. Louisans, did you know that the field of candidates for the position of superintendent of the St. Louis Public School system has finally been narrowed to five? Do you know who they are, whence they hail, what ambitious and far-sighted plans they bring with them?

Ha! Trick question! It’s three finalists, not five. See, you have no idea, but it’s not your fault. Not only is the school district a downer of a topic, but its stewardship is confusing: by now, it’s easier to count the number of people who haven’t been superintendent. Perhaps if Simon, Paula, and Randy were making the decision, the process would attract more attention.

Still, seeing as how it’s the future of the city and all that’s at stake, maybe you should study up on current events:

School administrators from New Orleans, North Carolina and Rhode Island were named Monday as finalists to become the superintendent of St. Louis public schools.

Kelvin Adams serves as chief of staff for the Recovery School District in New Orleans. Eric Becoats is co-interim superintendent for the Guilford County Schools in Greensboro, N.C. Donnie Evans was most recently superintendent of the Providence, R.I., district.

St. Louis superintendent is a closely watched position, and an often revolving one. The state’s largest district has had seven leaders since 2005. The roughly 28,000-student district is under state supervision, with a three-member appointed school board charged with turning around the district plagued by academic and financial problems.

Thirty-five people applied for the position. The board hopes to fill the job by the end of this month. A salary and starting date would be determined in talks with the candidate.

There’s a little more at the KMOV site; not enough, but it’s a start. And yes, there’ll be a quiz.

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