Minneapolis school board to vote on approval of interim superintendent

Minneapolis Public Schools is preparing for the imminent departure of its superintendent.

As part of that, the MPS School Board is planning to vote on making one of its associate superintendents the interim superintendent for the next school year.

Rochelle Cox has been with MPS since 1997, according to the district, and currently supports 19 elementary schools and their principals in her role as associate principal.

Current Superintendent Ed Graff announced in March that he’s leaving his position when his contract expires next month.

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“I am grateful to Ms. Cox for serving our district in this way as we work to identify a permanent superintendent. We look forward to soon sharing more specifics about the superintendent search, which will include multiple engagement and feedback opportunities for students, staff, families, and community members,” School Board Chairperson Kim Ellison said in a statement.

The board plans to vote on making Cox the interim superintendent at its May 10 meeting.

The chapter presidents of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and Education Support Professionals issued a statement of support for Cox’s selection as an interim leader.

“The Minneapolis Public Schools school board has made a good decision naming a known leader as interim superintendent for the coming year. Our district will be well served by Rochelle Cox and we look forward to working with her to ensure a smooth transition for our students, families, and staff.

“The next year will be an opportunity for our Minneapolis Public Schools community to reflect on what we want in the next superintendent and work together to ensure we are well-positioned to hire someone who embodies our shared goals and values. While the next school board will have the ultimate say in who is hired, there must be a robust community process that allows for authentic engagement.

“We believe whoever is the next superintendent of the Minneapolis Public Schools must work with a collaborative spirit, share decision-making power with students, families and educators and direct all available MPS resources to the classroom to ensure every student gets the education they deserve.”

Greta Callahan and Shaun Laden, presidents of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and Education Support Professionals chapters