Osseo Superintendent Search Narrows to Two
The search for the next superintendent for Osseo Area Schools is now down to two candidates.
Marc Schaffer, assistant superintendent of Boulder Valley School District in Boulder, Colorado withdrew from consideration Friday, leaving only two candidates for the final round of interviews that are scheduled to take place April 10 in the Board Room of the Educational Service Center. The two remaining candidates, Erick Pruitt and James Harris, will go through further interviews and give a public presentation followed by a moderated question and answer session.
Earlier this week, the three candidates participated in a public interview at the Educational Service Center. They answered questions on a variety of topics, ranging from discipline and safety to standardized tests.
Both candidates will go through one final round of interviews on April 10. The interviews will be web streamed, live cablecast, and archived on the district website.
Erick Pruitt
Dr. Erick Pruitt has a background in education. After spending seven years in the classroom at primary, intermediate and middle school, he moved into administration. He has worked as a principal in Chicago schools and currently is an area superintendent for the Houston Independent School District. “I know we have significant achievement gaps, so we would look at how do we close the gaps over time,” says Pruitt in a board interview on April 2. “When we address the achievement gap, often we talk about the opportunities we aren’t providing our students.”
You can learn more about Erik Pruitt by reading his biography on the Osseo Area Schools website.
James Harris
James “Jim” Harris is a veteran, former investigator for the New Jersey Treasury Department, and a former businessman. He made the switch to public service to become the Chief Operating Officer for a school system in Indiana. Currently, he is the school superintendent for the Daniel Boone Area School District in Pennsylvania. “Parents only want their children to have opportunity,” says Harris. “For me, it’s bringing the right staffing and making sure everyone—teachers, custodians and bus drivers—are all on the same page with not having prejudices toward kids and making sure they can all achieve.”
You can learn more about Jim Harris by reading his biography on the Osseo Area Schools website.
