As Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) embarks on its search for a new superintendent, it is planning to use a collaborative public engagement process. The district is partnering with The Bureau of Mediation Services (BMS) and the Dispute Resolution Institute at Mitchell Hamline School of Law (DRI).

One of the first steps in the public engagement process is to form a design team. The team is a committee of about 25 people who represent a wide variety of stakeholders. They will work with a facilitator to create a plan to gather as much input as possible to help define characteristics the community feels is important for a new superintendent.

The team will be comprised of students, parents, community members, district leaders, the school board and two of the district's collective bargaining groups – the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers (SPFT) and American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

The team will meet frequently throughout the school year to plan community-wide meetings, conversations and outreach, and will continue to be a part of the process until a new superintendent has been introduced. Though they will not choose the next superintendent, they will be the first step in creating a transparent and equitable process for our whole community.