St. Paul Public Schools Superintendent Joe Gothard is one of four finalists for the national Superintendent of the Year award from the American Association of School Administrators.

The award is presented to school system leaders who make a positive difference in students’ lives and ensure the safety and wellness of their communities. Other evaluation criteria include professionalism, community involvement and communication.

St. Paul Public School superintendent Joe Gothard (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

In October Gothard was named Minnesota Superintendent of the Year by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, qualifying him for the national award. The state association noted Gothard’s  “transformative change for SPPS with American Rescue Plan (ARP) spending” to create an Innovation Office that supported initiatives across the district.

“It is an honor to congratulate these four innovative and future-driven superintendents who are setting the bar for what high-quality leadership is all about,” AASA executive director David Schuler said in a news release. “They are prime examples of what it means to be a superintendent in today’s post-COVID world.”

The AASA will announce the superintendent of the year on Feb. 15 at its conference in San Diego. A high school student in the district of the winning superintendent or a student attending the school where the winner graduated will be eligible for a $10,000 college scholarship.

Gothard was appointed superintendent by the school board in 2017. Before leading St. Paul’s public schools he was the superintendent of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District for four years. He started his career as a biology teacher in Madison, Wis.

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