For many folks, fall is a time of transition. The State Fair signals the unofficial end of summer, as parents and educators across Minnesota make their final preparations to send the kids back to school. Come September, new routines are established, new friendships are formed, and students begin to discover their passions and think about their futures.

When the leaves start to change, we know that MEA break is close behind, giving educators and families alike a few days to rest and reflect before the next season begins. This familiar pattern of the school year can feel both comforting and routine, but is not without its challenges and changes yet to come.

At Saint Paul Public Schools, we are in a constant state of change. Serving as interim superintendent since May of this year, I am here while the district looks for its next permanent leader. When we asked students, parents, educators and others what they want to see in their next superintendent, the idea of change came up often: someone who will make changes to improve the district; a change agent; a leader who can bring new ideas and strategies to improve outcomes for all 33,000 of our students and their families.

Leading through change is an essential skill for the next superintendent of the state’s second-largest and most racially diverse school district. Currently, executive search firm BWP & Associates is accepting applications from prospective candidates from across the country. They are being evaluated against the priorities that more than 3,000 district stakeholders identified this fall. The top candidates will participate in public interviews in December, and the new superintendent will start sometime in the first half of 2025.

This is a big job. It’s no secret that our test scores are not where they need to be, that student enrollment has been steadily declining, and that the district had to cut over $100 million from its budget this year. The next superintendent must face these hard truths head on, and be willing to champion systemic changes no matter how much resistance they will face. In the words of Bill Clinton, “The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.”

While choosing the right person for this job is essential, the most important work in a school district happens not in the superintendent’s office but in the classroom. Right now, our educators are learning how and why we need to change how we teach children to read. Our schools are implementing a new math curriculum; we’re aligning how students’ work is graded; and we are adapting lessons to meet new state standards while ensuring our students — 78% of whom are people of color — can see themselves reflected in what they’re learning.

Big changes like these cannot be made overnight, by one person, or without setbacks or the desire to revert to what’s comfortable. Changing outcomes for all kids and upholding the promises we have made to the next generation is hard work, and it takes all of us. Whether you are a lawmaker, an educator, a parent, a taxpayer or a superintendent, you have an important role to play in the present and future of our public schools and the success of our young people.

St. Paul school board hears what community members want in a new superintendent

I want to personally invite you to visit any one of our 68 schools. You will quickly discover how much care and attention our students receive from staff who dedicate their lives to this rewarding and often exhausting profession. Attend a performance or sporting event and see our young people excelling and having fun with their peers. Come to a school board meeting to be informed about what’s happening at the district that may impact you and your family.

Saint Paul Public Schools is a wonderful place, and one that I am proud to have served twice over. I am also pleased to share that for the first time in a decade, the district is on track to have more students this year than the year before. “The times they are a-changin’,” and we should all be optimistic about what’s to come.

No matter who is chosen to lead this district next, Saint Paul Public Schools will continue to be a point of pride for our capital city, one that adapts to and overcomes whatever challenges come our way. No matter the season, that fact will never change.

John Thein is interim superintendent of St. Paul Public Schools.

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