Minneapolis schools chief to head Big Brothers Big Sisters

Interim Superintendent Michael Gore
Interim Minneapolis schools Superintendent Michael Goar
Peter Cox | MPR News

Minneapolis Public Schools Interim Superintendent Michael Goar has a new job as CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities.

He starts the new position in June. Goar's departure from the Minneapolis district became a foregone conclusion in January when he withdrew his candidacy for the superintendent's job. Goar's tenure in the interim role drew critics who claimed he didn't do enough to close the district's academic achievement gap.

Goar says he hopes to work with those critics in his new role.

"I'm very proud of what I've accomplished as an interim superintendent, and I look forward to working on behalf of our youth and our community," he said. "I hope that folks from NAACP and other folks will volunteer to be a mentor in our community."

Minneapolis officials say they're on track to hire a new superintendent by May 27. Board Chair Jenny Arneson said a selection committee plans to interview semifinalists next week and announce finalists ahead of a May 16 community reception with the finalists.

"Our search firm is really pleased with the response they've gotten and are very confident and feel like this is an ample timeline and is the best timeline for our district," Arneson said.

The district restarted the superintendent search after cutting off talks with its top candidate in January.

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