Minneapolis Public Schools narrows superintendent search to two finalists

Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) has narrowed down the search for a new superintendent to two finalists: Dr. Lisa Sayles-Adams, the current superintendent of Eastern Carver County Schools in Minnesota; and Dr. Sonia Stewart, the current deputy superintendent of Hamilton County Public Schools in Tennessee.

The school board will meet on Dec. 1 to choose a preferred candidate for the MPS superintendent position. The start date will be determined after contract negotiations and approval.

Rochelle Cox has served as the interim superintendent since Ed Graff, the previous MPS superintendent, ended his contract in 2022.

School board interviews and community meet and greets are scheduled for the candidates this week. Dr. Stewart’s meet and greet and school board interview took place on Monday, Nov. 27. Watch Dr. Stewart’s school board interview here.

Dr. Sayles-Adams’ public meet and greet takes place on Wednesday, Nov. 29 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at Folwell Elementary, located at 3611 20th Ave. S., and from 5-6 p.m. at Davis Center, located at 1250 West Broadway Ave. in Minneapolis. Sayles-Adams’ school board interview will follow the meet and greet from 6:30-8:30 p.m., also at the Davis Center. The school board interview will be livestreamed in multiple languages here and also aired live on public access channel 15.

Twenty-five applicants from 16 states emerged in the nationwide MPS superintendent search. Additional details can be found at board.mpls.k12.mn.us/suptsearch.