|
|
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
|
|
FINAL FOUR Finalists for superintendent explain their interest in the position, skills to perform it Staff Writer While the four men vying to become the next Brainerd superintendent may have spent many years in education, they have walked different paths to get to this point.
Jerry Kjergaard, Waconia, is a South Dakota native who has worked in education in four different states; John Longtin, Eagan, has been a volunteer firefighter and a guardian ad litem; Todd Lyscio, Baxter, has his master's degree in counseling psychology and is a member of the National Ski Patrol; and Steve Razidlo, Brainerd, has been in the unenviable position of helping to oversee the $5.5 million in budget reductions for next fall.
The Dispatch contacted each of the superintendent finalists Tuesday to find out why they are interested in the position and what skills and qualities they would bring to the job if chosen.
Kjergaard has spent the past eight years as superintendent in the Waconia School District, a southwest metro school district with a student enrollment of nearly 3,000 students. Kjergaard served as assistant superintendent from 1997-2000 for the Sioux City Community School District, Iowa's fourth-largest school district. While in Sioux City, Kjergaard said the district cut $4.5 million out of its budget while he was there.
While Kjergaard has been to Brainerd and through the city a half-dozen times, he doesn't have ties to the community.
"I know the district has faced really huge budget problems and has made significant reductions in the budget but on the other hand, I know it's a really good school district," Kjergaard said of Brainerd schools. "I think Minnesota needs to change the way they fund schools in Minnesota."
While Kjergaard is currently employed in a district half the size of Brainerd, he has experience in larger districts. Experience, said Kjergaard, is what he will bring to the Brainerd district if selected.
"I think I have a pretty broad experience in terms of school finance, curriculum and school improvement. I work well with a board of education, providing leadership for the district," said Kjergaard. "I think (Brainerd) would be a good place to go. Don't get me wrong, it's got its challenges but there's nothing I haven't worked with before. I look forward to coming into the district and rolling up my shirt sleeves and trying to find a way to solve the problems."
Kjergaard and his wife, Jan, have two grown children and a 4-month-old grandchild.
Longtin considers Brainerd his home. He was born in Marshall but spent his childhood in Brainerd from the time he was 5 until seventh grade when his parents moved to Anaheim, Calif. He attended St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School and took some classes at Franklin Junior High School.
"I have always felt a closeness to Brainerd and because my parents moved a great deal over the years I felt a sense of Brainerd as a hometown," said Longtin. "And I think anyone in a superintendency would be extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work in a district that has the quality of Brainerd Public Schools. ... When I saw the opening and began the paperwork there was a twinkle and a sparkle in my eye. I don't mean to be mushy but I've got a lot of history and ties to Brainerd and I feel it's my ideal community."
Since 2006 Longtin has been a principal in the Frederick-Case Group of Eagan, which performs executive consulting for multiple firms. He served as superintendent in Mendota Heights from 1999-2006 and was a principal at Henry Sibley High School in Mendota Heights from 1995-1999. He has more than 25 years in education administration with 11 of those years working in the Twin Cities.
Longtin said he left his position as Mendota Heights superintendent in 2006 because he needed a change.
"At the time I needed a little time away to get out of the forest so I could see the trees, you might say," said Longtin. "I was relatively busy consulting but found as time went on my passion was rekindled, the fire was there and I found a great desire to return to educational administration. I always loved it. I have a firm belief if you're going to commit to something you need to commit to it, set high standards and expectations and be committed to achieve these. If you start to lose that you're being unfair to your district, your kids and yourself."
Longtin and his wife, Cheryl, have four adult children together and five grandchildren.
Lyscio, Brainerd Community Education director for the past three years and middle school athletic director for the past five years, is the only finalist who is a Brainerd High School graduate. He graduated in 1979 from BHS and has spent 21 of his 25 years in education within the school district in various positions, including assistant principal, junior high instructor and ninth-grade health instructor. He briefly left the district to become principal at Staples-Motley High School from 2000-2003.
Lyscio said becoming superintendent has been a long-term goal for him. He obtained his superintendent licensure this year.
"Being a hometown boy, the opportunity to be in a leadership position within the district is very, very appealing even in the midst of incredibly difficult times," said Lyscio. "I love the community, I love the district and I feel compelled to do it. To me, one of the biggest challenges is to bring some healing back into the district and back into the community. I'm just concerned for the district and for the community with all the dissension that has taken place with the failed referendum. I just appreciate the opportunity to be included in the final four, I really do. And I'm looking forward to meeting with the board and talking about long-range plans and finding out if I'm the one who is the best fit. The next few years are pretty critical and I'm hoping we have the right person within the four to get that job done, whether it's me or not."
Lyscio and his wife, Connie, who teaches at Baxter Elementary School, have two sons, Tom, 18, a BHS senior; and Michael, 9, a Baxter third-grader.
Razidlo has served as assistant superintendent in the district for the past two years, was principal at BHS for seven years and assistant principal at BHS for two years. For 10 years he served as a teacher, coach, athletic director and later principal in Maine before he and his wife, Dawn, moved to Brainerd.
"My interest in this position comes from the hope that we find the best possible person for the superintendency," said Razidlo. "I think I've been given an opportunity to learn a significant amount about the Brainerd School District and grow some awareness and skill regarding the district and administration to provide the kind of service that will be needed in the district during the next few years."
Razidlo said he was honored to have been chosen as a finalist.
"This is a very important time for the district," said Razidlo. "I wish that the board finds the candidate that they feel possesses the skills and talents, both professional and personal qualities, to lead this district."
Razidlo and his wife have five children: Noelle, 23; Aimee, 17; Anna, 12; Thomas, 8; and Michael 6.
The School Board Personnel Committee will meet at 11:30 a.m. Thursday to discuss and plan scheduling for interviews with the finalists. Board members also will look over the results of the online test each finalist completed and will meet in closed session to consider the strategy for negotiations for the new superintendent contract.
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
To Subscribe to the Brainerd Dispatch, Click Here.
Note: Comments are not edited and don't represent the views of The Brainerd Dispatch. Please read our posting rules in the terms of service policy. To report a post that may be inappropriate, click the triangle alert icon.
|
|
|
|
Thinking about a New Job?
These employers want you!
|
Loading...
|
|
|
Today's Best Classifieds:
|
|
|
|
|
|
