FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 16, 2011 MEDIA CONTACT: Emily R.

Lowther Communications & Public Affairs Specialist, Senior 612.668.0237 emily.lowther@mpls.k12.mn.us

Minneapolis Board of Education seeks candidates for vacancy

MINNEAPOLIS Effective January 10, 2012, a vacancy on the Minneapolis Board of Education will exist due to the resignation of Lydia Lee. In accordance with MPS Policy 8116, the Board of Education will fill this vacancy by appointment for the unexpired portion of this term: January 10, 2012, to January 2013. The vacancy is an at-large seat and may be filled by a resident of the city of Minneapolis. Interested candidates should submit a letter and resume to: Adrienne Jordan, School Board Liaison 807 N.E. Broadway, Room 109 Minneapolis, MN 55413 Applicant letters should address the following topics: Understanding of the most important issues facing Minneapolis Public Schools and Public Education and how the candidate would approach the issues. Demonstrated commitment to the academic success of all children. Experience with governance and candidates understanding of policy and policy governance. Experience with Minneapolis Public Schools. Other experiences that prepare the candidate for this position. Whether the candidate intends to, does not intend to or is undecided regarding an intention to run for election to the Board of Directors in the 2012 election cycle. Application materials must be received no later than December 2, 2011, at 5 p.m. Board members will individually rate applicants based on a rubric considering the topics to be addressed in the application letter. The MPS board liaison and general counsel will tabulate the ratings and rank the candidates accordingly. The five highest-ranked candidates will be invited to interview at a board meeting on December 15, 2011. The board chair and vice chair will select interview questions from board member submissions. The resigning board member will not participate in the rating of, interview of or vote on her replacement.

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The timeline for filling the vacancy is as follows: November 16, 2011: Official announcement of vacancy and call for applicants; notice of special meeting to be held on December 15, 2011, for the purpose of publically interviewing final candidates December 2, 2011, 5:00 p.m.: Applications due December 3-5, 2011: Rating of applicant materials December 5, 2011, 5:00 p.m.: Rating sheets due to MPS board liaison December 6-7, 2011: Calibration of rating sheets by board liaison and general counsel; five highest-rated applicants submitted to board members December 8, 2011: Five highest-rated applicants invited to public interview; notification to all applicants December 15, 2011: Special meeting of the Board of Directors for the purpose of public interviews of the five highest-rated applicants December 20, 2011: Vote on replacement at regular board meeting January 10, 2012: Successful candidate sworn in at regular board meeting To learn more about the selection process, visit http://bit.ly/board-vacancy or contact Adrienne Jordan at 612.668.0027 or adrienne.jordan@mpls.k12.mn.us. ###