On a 6-1 vote the Hastings School Board selected Royalton Superintendent Dr. Kristine Wehrkamp Herman as its next superintendent, last Tuesday, May 13.
Vice Chair Jessica Dressely was the dissenting vote.
Dr. Wehrkamp Herman initially underscored her experience in career pathway work in St. Paul Public Schools where she was on Gov. Mark Dayton’s Workforce Development Council that created definitions for what exactly a career pathway was in the state of Minnesota.
“I’m excited for Hastings to have that work here,” she said. “If we do that really well, I think we can increase enrollment.”
Similar to the first round of interviews, Wehrkamp Herman emphasized leaning on stakeholders as a foundation for her leadership.
When it came to making a controversial decision, Wehrkamp Herman laid out her process of doing research in order to present a number of options to the school board along with her recommendation as well as presenting the pros and cons of each.
“I think it’s better to slow down on a decision than to make one immediately, just because we want it to go away,” said Wehrkamp Herman.
To this point, the school board posed a specific scenario to both candidates involving a group of four parents taking issue with approved materials being taught in a science class and asking how the district would address their concerns.
“I would first go to the science teachers, principal, [and] assistant principal to find out exactly what we’re talking about,” said Wehrkamp Herman.
While Wehrkamp Herman emphasized the right of parents to pull their students out of a lesson “without judgment,” getting into the specifics of why that text is taught, why it was approved, and why the parents took issue with it was key:
“I think really getting to the why behind this sometimes can help parents along,” said Wehrkamp Herman.
Many of Wehrkamp Herman’s responses when it came to building the district’s brand and thereby increasing enrollment was to focus on communication: “We need to have our children tell our story because it’s powerful and its true.”
Wehrkamp Herman referenced the numerous award-winning musical groups in Hastings as well as the positive culture within the elementary schools: “I think this is a destination district.”
Deliberation
The board was initially split between the candidates, emphasizing Dr. Jeffrey Fleig’s track record of academic improvement against Wehrkamp Herman’s understanding of school finance and strong team building.
Several board members praised Dr. Fleig’s “transformational” approach at Fond Du Lac Public Schools that raised the district’s test scores in just three years.
“I believe we need a transformational leader,” said Chair Carrie Tate.
“I would say that at the end of the day, we are here to improve student outcomes and improve student academic achievement,” said Dressely.
Director Elaine Mikel-Mulder, who had joined the board just two days prior, praised Wehrkamp Herman’s understanding of the issues facing Minnesotan schools from the implementation of the READ Act to changes in the legislature to the notoriously complex finances of Minnesota public schools, saying it was vital to have a “bigger picture of what’s happening on a state level.”
Director Philip Biermaier praised Wehrkamp Herman’s understanding of career pathways: “I love her pathways knowledge. That’s a program that we need to keep moving forward.”
Since the first round of interviews, board members spoke with numerous references for each candidate. Those references proved definitive in the board’s decision with Fleig’s references in particular being scrutinized.
Tate cited several “glowing reviews” of Dr. Fleig from his current staff, noting that people can change and shouldn’t be judged for a single mistake.
Despite initially trying to keep various quotes out of the public record, Director Mark Zuzek detailed many of the negative statements that came from conversations with Dr. Fleig’s references.
Among those with whom Zuzek spoke, two different references claimed that Fleig gaslit staff. He was described as an “egomaniac” and “narcissistic” by references. Another reference noted that they hadn’t seen Fleig in the schools the entire time while he was Superintendent with yet another saying that he has a “pattern of shaming in public.”
“This is not a healthy person. This is not somebody that we want leading our district. He will destroy the climate and culture in Hastings Public Schools. I cannot get behind this candidate and we have another good candidate on the table. I don’t understand why we’re talking so long about it,” Zuzek said.
Shortly afterward, the board voted 6-1 for Wehrkamp Herman, with Vice Chair Jessica Dressely the dissenting vote.
To her dissenting vote, Dressely cited Fleig’s “curriculum background.”
Barb Dorn, Director of Leadership Development and Executive Search at the Minnesota School Board Association (MSBA), called Wehrkamp Herman and said she was “extremely excited,” about being selected. In that call, Dorn noted that Wehrkamp Herman did ask about the non-unanimous vote, which Dorn had called a potential “red flag” for incoming superintendents at the April 29 school board work session.
Contract negotiations began on May 14 with the employee contract expected to be approved at the May 21 school board meeting.
Wehrkamp Herman’s expected first day is July 1, pending successful contract negotiations.
