Minneapolis superintendent cleared to take district's reins

Ed Graff
Ed Graff
Courtesy of Minneapolis Public Schools

A state board cleared the way Monday for new Minneapolis superintendent Ed Graff to assume his position.

Graff did not meet Minnesota requirements for a superintendent license, so he needed a variance from the Board of School Administrators. The board voted 8-0 to grant the variance. Graff plans to take a nine-credit graduate program at the University of Minnesota over the next year to fulfill state requirements.

"I definitely see this as a step that's moving us forward, so I'm just happy to have this addressed and looking forward to doing great things with the people in Minneapolis," Graff said.

Graff is in Minneapolis this week meeting with district staff and visiting schools.

"There's a lot of excitement and positive opportunities ahead of us," he said. "I also heard people wanting to hear a little bit about my vision for addressing the culture and what we think is needed to support students."

The Minneapolis school board approved Graff's contract last week. He starts as superintendent July 1.

Correction (June 13, 2016): A previous version of this story included an inaccurate count of the Board of School Administrators' vote.

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