TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Public Schools' Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist announcing her plans to resign two days before the State Board of Education votes on the district's accreditation raised lots of questions for parents, students, and taxpayers.
One question looms large — How will her replacement be selected?
Temporarily, Senior Director of Student Engagement Dr. Ebony Johnson was selected by the TPS board at the Aug. 23 special meeting.
"I am enthusiastic about the board’s plan to act upon the appointment of our colleague as interim superintendent. As you know, Dr. Johnson is a lifelong Tulsan, a stellar educator, a strong leader, and a remarkable human being," Gist said about Johnson's likely appointment. "With the leadership of Dr. Johnson, our team will keep the work of our plan on track and will reach even higher."
- Previous coverage >>> TPS Accreditation Fight
The Aug. 23 special meeting finalized Gist's resignation, and the board appointed Dr. Johnson as interim superintendent.
What happens after that depends on the Aug. 24 State Board of Education meeting. There, the state board will vote on whether TPS will keep its accreditation. If the state board pulls TPS's accreditation, it could lead to the state board appointing a new superintendent.
If TPS's accreditation stays intact, TPS's school board will deliberate on an appropriate search process consistent with its recruitment desires and objectives, according to the TPS School Board Policy Manual.
"Community participation, consultant support and/or advice and council, timelines, search parameters (including external and internal candidacy expectations), and the specification of desirable qualifications, experience and expertise shall be the prerogative of the Board," the manual reads.
Once the board completes deliberations, appropriate advertisements for the position can be made. After the board selects a candidate, a public meeting will be held to appoint the new superintendent.
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